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Cristóbal de Medrano (b. 1561 – d. 1597) was a noble from the House of Medrano, a Basque-Spanish composer, organist of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Granada in Llerena, and Maestro de capillo of the Badajoz Cathedral and Church of San Juan Bautista in Marchena. He is the author of the Missa voce mea cum sex vocibus manuscript, published by Antonio Baciero in 1594.
Life
Cristóbal de Medrano most likely was born in Seville during the reign of Philip II of Spain. Cristóbal belonged to the noble House of Medrano, an ancient family under the protection of the Monarchs of Spain. Cristóbal identified himself as a "Cantabren" in his Missa Voca Mea manuscript. He belonged to a family of musicians active in the last third of the 16th century in the cathedrals of Seville, Córdoba, and Jaén. However, instead of joining the Seville Cathedral choir as a chorister, as his potential birth in Seville might suggest, it seems he joined as a seise in the Jaén Cathedral, where on July 4, 1561, a choirboy by that name is documented. He was a relative of Francisco de Medrano y Villa, a famous poet from Seville.
Early career
He was a musician in the private music chapel of Rodrigo de Castro Osorio, who at that time was the metropolitan archbishop of Seville. Castro was an important patron of the Spanish Renaissance, from the family of the Count of Lemos. In 1583, Cristóbal de Medrano appears as the organist of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Granada in Llerena.
In mid-1585, he succeeded Antonio de Villaroel in the position of maestro at the Church of San Juan Bautista in Marchena, in the province of Seville. Cristóbal de Medrano was hired with a salary of 12,000 maravedís per year, slightly lower than Villaroel, who earned 15,000. However, he was granted an increase of 8,000 maravedís as an annual cost-of-living allowance, according to the mandate of the vicar Íñigo de Leciñana. He remained in the position until the end of August 1587.
Maestro de capillo at the Cathedral of Badajoz (1587-1596)
The position of maestro de capillo at the Cathedral of Badajoz had become vacant following the death of maestro Luis de Quiñones in 1587. The chapter contacted Cristóbal de Medrano in June of that same year, culminating in the negotiations between both parties with Medrano taking possession of the position on December 6, 1587. It seems that relations between Medrano and the chapter of Badajoz were not very cordial. He remained in the position until November 22, 1596. He was temporarily replaced by Gil Fernández until the arrival of Esteban de Brito.
Books
In the Historical Library of the Complutense University of Madrid, there is a preserved 1594 manuscript of the Missa Voce Mea, which includes a mass and motet. The mass was published in 1996 by Antonio Baciero and Alfonso Peciña. In Badajoz, he left the Missa Voce Mea cum sex vocibus, published by Antonio Baciero.
Missa Voce Mea
Cristóbal de Medrano's Missa Voce Mea manuscript, dating from 1594, is a six-voice mass and motet dedicated to Cardinal Rodrigo de Castro, Archbishop of Seville, a significant patron of the Spanish Renaissance. Hidden within the manuscript's cover illustration is a six-voice canon. The manuscript serves as a comprehensive tribute, with the phrase "Rodericus Cardinalis" appearing throughout the mass and motet, creating a sonic reminder of the figure to whom the work is dedicated. Heraldic symbols related to the house of Lemos, to which the cardinal belonged, are incorporated into the decorative capital letters of the various sections of the mass.
Dedicaton to Rodrigo de Castro
Cristóbal de Medrano dedicated his Missa Voce Mea manuscript to Rodrigo de Castro:
Cristóbal de Medrano presents his Missa Voce Mea to Cardinal-Archbisbop Rodrigo de Castro.
"To the Most Illustrious and Reverend Lord Don Rodrigo de Castro, Archbishop of Seville, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Counselor of His Majesty, and His Major Chaplain. Illustrious and Reverend Lord, It is the humility of my soul and the devotion of my heart, which, drawn from the deep admiration for Your Lordship's greatness, pushes me to lay at your feet this work of my humble abilities. In this document, I humbly dedicate myself to Your Most Illustrious and Reverend Person, hoping to offer it as a small token of the reverence and gratitude I feel toward Your Eminence for your most noble virtues and patronage, which extend as an infinite sea of compassion and protection. May this humble offering be received by Your Grace as a sign of my profound respect and loyalty. I ask that Your Illustrious Lordship, in your immense kindness, accept it with the same favor with which I offer it."
The final motet, based on Psalm 141, where King David pleads for divine assistance while alone in a cave, may symbolically reflect Medrano's own appeal for protection or gratitude to the cardinal. This manuscript, originally part of Rodrigo de Castro's private library, was transferred to the Jesuit college in Monforte, which the cardinal had founded. During or after the Jesuit expulsion, it moved to the Imperial College Library in Madrid, later becoming part of the Central University Library and eventually reaching the Marqués de Valdecilla Historical Library of the Complutense University of Madrid, where it is preserved in excellent condition.
Legacy
Medrano's Missa Voce Mea manuscript holds significant historical and cultural value within Galician and Iberian musical heritage, contributing to the rich tradition of Spanish Renaissance music. In 2015, the Missa Voce Mea and its accompanying motet were performed during the Espazos Sonoros festival at the Monforte de Lemos church, where the cardinal's remains are interred. The performance was a success, with the Vox Stellae choir and Menestreis de 1500 instrumental group on stage.
References
Ramírez Palacios, Antonio. Los maestros de capilla de Marchena y otros maestros locales. p. 209.
Jiménez Cavallé, Pedro (1994). «Los seises de la catedral de Jaén durante el siglo XVI». Boletín del Instituto de Estudios Giennenses 1 (151): 515. ISSN 0561-3590.
Maestro Cristóbal de Medrano (kneeling) presenting his Missa Voce Mea to Cardinal-Archbishop Rodrigo de Castro Osorio.