Joan Cererols (9 September 1618 – 27 August 1680) was a Spanish composer and

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

. His musical production includes a

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

(or ''Missa pro defunctis'') composed in the mid-seventeenth century during the great

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

which ravaged

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, and a '' Missa de Batalla'' (Battle Mass) which celebrates the conquest of the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

. Cererols was born in

Martorell Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia Rive ...

. He entered the choir school ''

Escolania de Montserrat The Escolania de Montserrat, or simply the Escolania () is a boys' choir of sopranos and altos based at the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat near Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. When the repertory requires it, they are accompanied by the Mon ...

'' around 1626. Cererols took his first steps in music under the direction of Father , a famous

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

. After ten years in the ''escolania'', Joan was admitted as a novice at the

Monastery of Montserrat Santa Maria de Montserrat () is an abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict located on the mountain of Montserrat (mountain), Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat ...

on 6 September 1636, at age eighteen. The

polychoral An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominently ...

dialogue texture with a slight gap between the vocal entries within each choir which lightens his style and contrasts with that of the composers of the earliest generation is supposed to be an influence of March. In 1648, Cererols received the permission of Marc to visit

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

where he could meet the new generation of musicians. After his return, he was confirmed as a member of the monastic community. After the death of Marc in 1658, Joan Cererols became

choirmaster A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

in his home monastery, a position he held until his death there in 1680. He was 61 years old.

Recordings

* Joan Cererols: Missa pro Defunctis / Missa de Batalla La Capella Reial de Catalunya - Jordi Savall, dir. Astrée (Auvidis) E 8704 D Astrée (Naïve) "Musica Iberica " ES 9924 CD * Joan Cererols: Missa pro Defunctis / Vespers Currende - Guillemette Laurens - Erik van Nevel, dir. Accent (Note 1) ACC 94106 CD

References

* Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages, * Pujol, David (ed.), ''Joan Cererols – Obres completes''. Montserrat: Abadia, 1930-1983

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cererols, Joan 1618 births 1680 deaths Musicians from Catalonia Composers from Catalonia Baroque composers from Catalonia Benedictine monks 17th-century classical composers Spanish male classical composers Spanish classical composers 17th-century male musicians