Claudio Merulo (Merlotti, Merulus, also Claudio da Correggio) (April 8, 1533 – May 4, 1604) was an Italian composer, publisher and organist of the late Renaissance, famous for his innovative keyboard music and his ensemble music in the Venetian polychoral style. He was born in Correggio and died in Parma. His surname was Merlotti: he changed it in "Merulo" (Latin form of "Merlotti", meaning little blackbird) when he became famous in Venetian cultural clubs. April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... Events January 25 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... Events January 14 – Hampton Court conference with James I of England, the Anglican bishops and representatives of Puritans September 20 – Capture of Ostend by Spanish forces under Ambrosio Spinola after a three year siege. ... Renaissance music is classical music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 to 1600. ... The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate choirs singing in alternation. ... Correggio is a small town in the Province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, in the Po valley. ... Parma is a medieval city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, with splendid architecture and a fine countryside around it. ... This article refers to the animal Blackbird, for other uses see Blackbird (disambiguation) Binomial name Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 // Blackbird The Blackbird or Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae. ...

Life

Little is known about his early life except that he studied in Correggio with Tuttovale Menon, a famous madrigalist who worked also by Ferrara's court, and Girolamo Donato, an organist. The first mention of his name, after the record of his baptism, is in a legal deposition for Antonio Zantani, in Venice in 1555: therefore, Merulo was close to important names of Venetian society before his employment in Brescia, at Duomo Vecchio, as organist. Probably, he studied with Zarlino at St. Mark's in Venice, but no surviving documents make this assertion. Probably in Venice he became close friends with Costanzo Porta, a friendship which was to endure for his entire life. We know that in 1556 October 21 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. Tugdual Menon (also in sources Tuttvalle, Tugdualo, Tudual, Tuttuale, Tuduuale, Jugdulus), French composer (Bretain, before 1502-Ferrara, 1566-68). ... Gioseffo Zarlino (January 31 or March 22, 1517 – February 4, 1590), was an Italian music theorist and composer of the Renaissance. ... San Marco di Venezia, as seen from the Piazza San Marco St Marks Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco) is the most famous of the churches of Venice and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. ... Constanzo Porta (1528 or 1529 – May 19, 1601) was an Italian composer of the Renaissance, and a representative of what is known today as the Venetian School. ... Events January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand becomes Holy Roman Emperor January 23 - The Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history, occurs with its epicenter in Shaanxi province, China. ... Location within Italy Brescia is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy with a population of around 200,000. ... Events Spain is effectively bankrupt. ...

It was the first important event of his career: less than one year after his appointment in Brescia, he was appointed in St. Marco, probably for both his skill playing organ and his relationship with important Venetian patricians. Whatever, they made a very good choice: Merulo was the best organist in Italy, and it isn't amazing that he beat another great organist, Andrea Gabrieli, for the job. It is important to individualize that in St. Marco was existing two organs, and two organist appointed playing them: in 1557 Merulo was appointed to the second (and smaller) organ, while at the first organ remained as organist Annibale Padovano. Andrea Gabrieli (c. ...

After Padovano's hurried departure from Venice in 1566, Merulo was appointed to the first organ, and as second organist became Andrea Gabrieli. During 60's and 70's years of XVI Century, Merulo became one of the most important organist of all Europe and one of the most prestigious composers in Northern Italy. He was appointed as ambassador of Venetian Republic at Wedding Francesco de’ Medici duke of Florence with Venetian Bianca Cappello (1579) and wrote music of celebration for Henry III King of France, who visited Venice (1574). Andrea Gabrieli (c. ...

In 1584, he suddenly left this position in Venice. We don't know the reasons of his choice. In Venice he was well-paid, and had a very good reputation; and St. Marco was one of the most important place for an organist. The truth of the matter is that in December 1584 his name appears in payment register of Farnesian Court of Parma: did Duke Ottavio Farnese offer him a very lavish payment in order to serving in Parma? Scholars thought that before his arrival in Parma, Merulo was appointed also in Mantua, but we have no-documents that make presume this hypothesis. 1584 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1584 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Parma is a medieval city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, with splendid architecture and a fine countryside around it. ... The Farnese family was an influential family in Renaissance Italy. ...

We are sure only that in 1586 he wrote to new Duke Alessandro Farnese begging to go along his employment in Parma: therefore, we could presume that he was already appointed in Farnesian court from several months, even if we own no-documents about employees of Parma'S Court immediatly after Ottavio's death in 1586. Alessandro Farnese can refer to: Alessandro Farnese (pope) (1468–1549) - better known as Pope Paul III Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589) - Pauls Grandson Alessandro Farnese (duke) (1545–1592) - Pauls Great Grandson This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the...

In 1587 he was appointed as organist in Parma's Cathedral, and from 1591 also in Church of Santa Maria della Steccata. During the service in this church, he demanded some changes in Antegnati's organ, performed by Costanzo Antegnati, the last heir of the great Brescian family of organ makers. 1587 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. ... Parma is a medieval city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, with splendid architecture and a fine countryside around it. ... Events June - Capture of Zutphen by the Dutch under Maurice of Nassau. ...

This is for us a very important notice: obviously, Merulo claimed a modern organ, fit for his necessity as modern organist and modern composer. We can deduce that Merulo used the Steccata's organ for his proofs of new composition, based on his Venetian experience, and that Merulo himself kept in Parma Venetian Music technique of the 3rd quarter of XVI Century. He lived in Parma until his death. During this period, he made several voyage in Venice and Rome, where he published his famous Toccate per organo in two books.

Merulo died in Parma on 4 May 1604. He left a daughter and his wife Amabilia Banzola.

Music and influence

Claudio Merulo is most famous for his keyboard music. His Toccatas, in particular, are innovative; he was the first to contrast sections of contrapuntal writing with passagework; often he inserts sections which could be called ricercars into pieces which otherwise are labeled 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 Bach, can claim to be descended from the innovations of Merulo. Toccata (Italian for touched) is a piece of classical music for a keyboard instrument, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer. ... Counterpoint is a musical technique involving the simultaneous sounding of separate musical lines. ... A ricercar (or ricercare; the terms are interchangeable) is a type of late Renaissance and mostly early Baroque instrumental composition. ... Canzona (also canzone) is a poetic form, and a type of musical composition. ... Polyphony is a musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony). ... In literature, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance. ... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 to 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ... A madrigal is a setting for 4–6 voices of a secular text, often in Italian. ... Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–October 16, 1621) was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. ... Girolamo Frescobaldi (September, 1583 – March 1, 1643) was one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. ... Johann Sebastian Bach (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together almost all of the strands of the baroque style and brought it to its ultimate maturity. ...

But we don't forget that Merulo also was a madrigalist, though the fame of his instrumental music has overshadowed his a cappella vocal works. Since he was a member of what is known today as the Venetian School, he also wrote motets for double choir in the manner of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli. He published two books of Madrigali a 5 voices (1566 and 1604), one of Madrigali a 4 81579) and a 3 (1580). A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... In music history, the Venetian School is a term used to describe the composers working in Venice from about 1550 to around 1610; it also describes the music they produced. ... Giovanni Gabrieli Giovanni Gabrieli (1553–1556? – August 12, 1612) was an Italian composer and organist. ...

The famous essay of keyboard technique Il Transilvano (1593), by Girolamo Diruta, was dedicated to Merulo, and symbolize the consecration of Merul as one of the most important keyboard players of Renaissance. Girolamo Diruta (c. ... By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance English Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance Polish Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution, religious reform and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ...

Merulo's technique on keyboard playing consists in a particular fingersatz, rapidity of performance, politness and neatness staying on keyboard. As organ composer, he made a renovation of Toccata style, inserting in it a section in counterpoint in order to move esxpression and dynamic. His vocal music, expecially madrigals, is featured by a probing care to psycological expression of words. In sacred scores, we find music closer to Venetian style, often for two or more chorus: a deeper study of this music could reveal his interest for sound ambiental effects.

External links

• Works by Claudio Merulo in the Werner Icking Music Archive
• Voice "Claudio Merulo" on Italian Wikipedia [1]

The Werner Icking Music Archive, often abbreviated WIMA, is a web archive of public domain sheet music. ...

References and further reading

• Giuseppe Martini, Claudio Merulo. Parma, Ordine Costantiniano di S. Giorgio, 2005 (512 pp., with ill.) ISBN 88-901673-8-6

(the most update and exhaustive essay about Merulo)

• Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Venetian Instrumental Music, from Gabrieli to Vivaldi. New York, Dover Publications, 1994. ISBN 0486281515
• Article "Claudio Merulo," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. ISBN 1561591742
• Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0393095304