Juan de Anchieta

Juan de Anchieta (1462 – 1523) was a leading Spanish Basque composer of the Renaissance, at the Royal Court Chaplaincy in Granada of Queen Isabel I of Castile.

Juan de Anchieta
Born	1462 Azpeitia, Spain
Died	1523 (aged 60–61) Azpeitia, Spain
Occupation	Composer

History

Born in Azpeitia, Spain in 1462 to a leading Basque family, his mother was a great-aunt of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.^[1] He may have studied at Salamenca University with music professor Diego de Fermoselle, older brother of Juan del Encina. In 1489, he was appointed to the chapel of Queen Isabella and in 1495, became maestro di capilla to Prince Don Juan, returning to the Queen's service after the Prince's death in 1497, and in 1504, to that of the new Queen, Joanna the Mad. In her service he travelled to Flanders with Pierre de La Rue, Alexander Agricola, and Marbrianus de Orto.^[2]

He held various church benefices; from 1499 he was absentee benefice-holder at Villarino, from 1500 he was rector at the parish church of S Sebastián de Soreasu in Azpeitia, from 1518 he was Abbot of Arbós, a town located at the province of Tarragona, and a chaplain at Granada Cathedral, spending his final years in a Franciscan convent he had founded in Azpeitia. His nephew, García de Anchieta, was to be his successor at S Sebastián de Soreasu, but he was assassinated before he could take charge.^[2]

The convent he founded came after King Charles V declared that Anchieta, aged 57, was too old for service at court, and gave him an annual retirement salary of 45,000 maravedís in 1519. In 1520 an official record described Anchieta as "ill in his house at Azpeitia", and in 1521 he transferred his income to the new foundation of Franciscan sisters. Now a business manager, the sisters promised him a sacred burial place in their church. However, contrary to his will, he was buried at S Sebastián de Soreasu.^[2]

Sacred Music

Some thirty of Juan de Anchieta's compositions survive, among them two complete Masses, two Magnificats, a Salve Regina, four attributed Passion settings, with other sacred works and four compositions with Spanish texts. The two Masses and many motets which survived show extensive use of plainsong and much chordal writing.^[1] He was among the leading Spanish composers of his generation, writing music for the ample resources of the court chapel of the Catholic Monarchs.^[3] He was not very progressive, but his compositions showcased mastery over the Spanish Renaissance style. His music was generally written for large choirs and included frequent imitation at the unison, fourth, fifth, and octave.^[2]

Anchieta might be the author of the motet Epitaphion Alexandri Agricolae symphonistae regis Castiliae (published in 1538), which contains important details of the Agricola's biography.^[4] The four Passion settings attributed to him, homophonic four-voice responsorials, are the first of their kind in Spain. One of his most popular pieces was Dos ánades, which was described by Francisco de Quevedo in 1626 as "frequently sung, though old fashioned".^[2][5]

Works

Masses, mass movements and magnificats

• Missa quarti toni
• Missa Rex virginum
• Missa ‘Ea iudios a enfardelar’ (lost)
• Kyrie, 4vv
• Magnificat, 3vv
• Magnificat, 4vv

Passions

• Pasión según San Mateo
• Pasión según San Marcos
• Pasión según San Lucas
• Pasión según San Juan

Motets

• Ave sanctissima Maria
• Ave verum corpus
• Conditor alme siderum
• Domine Jesu Christe qui hora in diei ultima
• Domine, ne memineris
• Domine, non secundum peccata nostra
• In passione Domini
• Libera me, Domine
• Salve regina
• Salve sancta facies
• Salve sancta parents
• Sancta Mariai
• Virgo et mater
• O bone Jesu

Secular

• Con amores, la mi madre
• Donsella, madre de Dios
• Dos ánades
• En memoria d'Alixandre