João Lourenço Rebelo

João Lourenço Rebelo, or João Soares Rebelo, (1610 – 16 November 1665) was court composer to John IV of Portugal (1603–1656).

Contents

Life

Rebelo was born in Caminha in 1610. He entered the service of Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza in 1624 at the age of fourteen, then became music teacher to his son, who was to become João II, 8th Duke of Braganza in 1630.[1] Rebelo continued to develop as a musician and composer, becoming master of the ducal chapel at Vila Viçosa.

On 1 December 1640 João became King John IV of Portugal and Rebelo transferred to the royal chapel where he continued to foster the King's interest in music and his gifts as a composer.[2]

In 1646 Rebelo was made a nobleman, fidalgo-cavaleiro of the Casa Real. Later he was elevated to a commander of the Order of Christ, a position with significant financial benefits. John IV also honored Rebelo by having his music published, and by dedicating his own first musical treatise to the composer.[3][4][5]

Rebelo died at Apelação (Loures) on 16 November 1661. Both King John IV and Rebelo's brother, the chaplain and singer padre Marcos Soares Pereira, predeceased him in 1656.[6]

Works

Rebelo wrote a large amount of sacred music, including a 39-voice mass for John IV's 39th birthday. Some of this music was lost in the Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755.

Recordings

References

  1. ^ Fanfare, 17,2 p.359 1993
  2. ^ Ivan March, Edward Greenfield, Robert Layton. The Penguin guide to compact discs and cassettes‎ 1995 p.915
  3. ^ Tim Carter, John Butt The Cambridge history of seventeenth-century music‎ 2005 p 299
  4. ^ Journal of the American Musicological Society,1950 p.110
  5. ^ (Portuguese) Instituto Camões article at Hamburg University
  6. ^ Sir George Grove, Stanley Sadie, The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians, Vol.15 1980 p640