Romero, Mateo (real name, Mathieu Rosmarin)

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Romero, Mateo (real name, Mathieu Rosmarin)

Romero, Mateo (real name, Mathieu Rosmarin) , Netherlands-born Spanish composer; b. Liège, 1575 or 1576; d. Madrid, May 10, 1647. He was a soldier and was often called “El Maestro Capitan.” After serving with the Spanish army in Flanders, he became cantor of the Flemish chapel in Madrid (1593), and was maestro de from 1598 to 1634; in 1609 he was ordained a priest. In 1638 he went to Portugal as emissary to the Duke of Braganza (the future Emperor João IV). He enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest composers of both sacred and secular music of his time. Many of his works are lost; 22 secular compositions are found in J. Aroca, ed., Cancionero musical y poético del sigio XVII, recogido por Claudio de la Sablonara (Madrid, 1916).

Bibliography

R. Pelinski, Die weltliche Vokalmusik Spaniens am Anfang des 17. Jahrhunderts, der Cancionero de la Sablonara (Tutzing, 1971).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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