| Music Encyclopedia: Claudio Merulo |
(b Correggio, 8 April 1533; d Parma, 5 May 1604). Italian composer. He was organist of Brescia Cathedral (1556-7) and of St Mark's, Venice (1557-84), where he was also an organ consultant, publisher and teacher. From 1586 he was in Parma as organist to the duke, the cathedral (1587) and the Steccata company (1591). Famed for his organ playing, he developed a distinctive idiom (toccatas, ricercares etc; 10 bks,1567-1611); nine books of sacred vocal music and four of madrigals also survive.
| 5min Related Video: Claudio Merulo |
| Biography: Claudio Merulo |
The Italian composer, organist, and teacher Claudio Merulo (1533-1604) was particularly important inthe evolution of an independent style in organ composition, and he made significant contributions to the development of the keyboard toccata.
Claudio Merulo, whose real name was Merlotti, served briefly as organist of the Cathedral at Brescia. He then became second organist at St. Mark's, Venice, in 1557 and first organist, succeeding Annibale Padovano, in 1566 (at which time Andrea Gabrieli became second organist). In 1586 Merulo entered the service of the Duke of Parma, became organist in the Cathedral there the following year, and returned to the ducal service as organist in 1591. He was also active as a publisher of music, and he seems to have taken an active interest in organ building. Most of his works were published posthumously or at a long enough period after their composition to make dating of the various stylistic innovations difficult.
As yet, not enough is known about Merulo's vocal works; it is possible that he should rank with the great Venetian masters of sacred vocal polyphony. There are some Masses in the Venetian polychoral manner, as well as some motets. His four volumes of madrigals (published 1566-1604) are well within the normal style of the period.
In organ music, Merulo and his contemporaries stand at the critical point at which a distinctive idiomatic style and appropriate forms for the instrument were emerging. In his Canzoni d'intavolatura d'organ…. Lib. I (published 1592) there are four pieces in keyboard tablature that appear in another source in separate part books for instrumental ensemble, showing that the idiomatic distinction was not absolute.
The toccatas of Padovano and Andrea Gabrieli take as their point of departure the rather free style of the intonation (small introductory pieces played by the organist to give pitch to singers, particularly to the celebrants). In his Toccate d'intavolatura d'organo (1604, two books) Merulo introduces several elements designed to tighten the form. He incorporates, between sections in the normal rhapsodic manner of the toccata, one or two sections in the imitative manner of the ricercar. He also introduces some imitative work into the opening and closing sections, achieving structural connection by using identical thematic material. Such interest in structural strength is also shown by the tendency in his ricercari (Ricercari d'intavolatura d'organo, 1605) toward monothematic treatment. In some cases he returns, late in the piece, to a countersubject introduced earlier and treats it imitatively.
Merulo also wrote organ canzonas, organ Masses, a few original instrumental works, and some intermezzi (stage works with incidental music, performed at the courts).
During the 16th century brilliance of performance and improvisation played an important part in the activity of the organists at St. Mark's. Merulo enjoyed such a reputation as a performer that his practice and teaching were made central in the definitive work on performance that came from the pen of his pupil Girolamo Diruta (II Transilvano, part I, 1593; part II, 1608).
Further Reading
There is no definitive work on Merulo. A discussion of his works and those of his contemporaries is in Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance (1954; rev. ed. 1959).
| Artist: Claudio Merulo |
| Wikipedia: Claudio Merulo |
Claudio Merulo (also spelled Merlotti, Merulus, also Claudio da Correggio; 8 April 1533 – 4 May 1604) was an Italian composer, publisher and organist of the late Renaissance period, most famous for his innovative keyboard music and his ensemble music composed in the Venetian polychoral style. He was born in Correggio and died in Parma. He was born Claudio Merlotti and he Latinised his surname (meaning little blackbird) when he became famous in Venetian cultural clubs.
Contents |
Little is known about his early life except that he studied in Correggio with Tuttovale Menon, a famous madrigalist who also worked in the Ferrara court; he also studied with Girolamo Donato, an organist. It is likely that he studied with Zarlino at St. Mark's in Venice. While in Venice he became close friends with Costanzo Porta, a friendship which was to endure for his entire life. On 21 October 1556, he was appointed organist at Brescia Cathedral ("Duomo Vecchio"), and his skill as an organist must have been impressive, because he became organist at St. Mark's, one of the most prestigious positions for an organist in Italy, in 1557; he was selected over a list of candidates that included Andrea Gabrieli. This was the first important event of his career, and he was considered to be the finest organist in Italy.
It is important to note that in St. Mark's there were two organs, and two separate organists were appointed to play them: in 1557 Merulo was appointed to the second, smaller organ, while Annibale Padovano remained at the post of first organist.
After Padovano's hurried departure from Venice in 1566, Merulo was appointed to the first organ, and Andrea Gabrieli became the second organist. He was appointed as ambassador of Venetian Republic at the marriage of Franceso de’ Medici and Bianca Cappello in 1579 and wrote music of celebration for Henry III of France, who visited Venice in 1574.
In 1584, he suddenly left this position in Venice. The reasons for this are unclear, and somewhat surprising; in Venice he was well-paid, and had a very good reputation; and St. Mark's was one of the most important places for an organist. However, in December 1584 his name appears in payment register of Farnesia Court of Parma.
In 1587 he was appointed as organist in Parma Cathedral and from 1591 also in Church of Santa Maria della Steccata. While here, he requested improvements to the organ, carried out by Costanzo Antegnati, the last heir of the great Brescian family of organ makers. We can deduce that Merulo used the Steccata's organ for his proofs of new composition, based on his Venetian experience, and continued to compose in this style.
He lived in Parma until his death. During this period, he made several trips in Venice and Rome, where he published his famous two volume Toccate per organo.
Merulo died in Parma on 4 May 1604 and was buried in Parma Cathedral near to the tomb of Cipriano de Rore. He left a daughter and his wife Amabilia Banzola.
Merulo is famous for his keyboard music. His Toccatas, in particular, are innovative; he was the first to contrast sections of contrapuntal writing with passageworks; often he inserts sections which could be called ricercars into pieces which otherwise are labelled toccatas or canzonas. (In the late 16th century, these terms are only approximately descriptive; different composers clearly had different ideas of what they meant). Often his keyboard pieces begin as though they are to be a transcription of vocal polyphony, but then gradually add embellishment and elaboration until they reach a climactic passage of considerable virtuosity. Sometimes, especially in his later music, he develops ornaments which acquire the status of a motif, which is then used developmentally; this anticipates a principal generative technique in the Baroque era. Often Merulo casually ignores the "rules" of voice-leading, giving the music an expressive intensity more associated with the late school of madrigalists than with keyboard music of the time. His keyboard music was hugely influential, and his ideas can be seen in the music of Sweelinck, Frescobaldi and others; because of the immense influence of Sweelinck as a teacher, much of the virtuoso keyboard technique of the north German organ school, culminating in Johann Sebastian Bach, can claim to be descended from the innovations of Merulo.
Even though the fame of his instrumental music has overshadowed much of his a cappella vocal output, Merulo was also a madrigalist. Since he was a member of what is known today as the
The famous essay of keyboard technique Il Transilvano (1593), by Girolamo Diruta, was dedicated to Merulo, indicating his status as one of the most important keyboard players of Renaissance.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | Florentio Maschera (Classical Artist) |
| Il primo libro d'intavolatura di toccate di cimbalo et organo (revised & enlarged version of "Toccate e partite...libro primo (1615)" (Classical Work) |
| Andrea Gabrieli (Classical Musician) |
 | How does claudio sanchez get his hair like that? Read answer... |
| Claudio in roman numerals? Read answer... |
| How much does Claudio Sanchez weigh? Read answer... |
 | When did claudio monteverdi die? |
| What are Claudio's personality traits? |
| What were the names of Claudio Monteverdis children? |
Copyrights:
 |
 | Music Encyclopedia. The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Biography. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Claudio Merulo". Read more |
Mentioned in
