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English: Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599).
Español: Retrato tomado de Francisco Pacheco, (1564-1644)
El libro de descripción de verdaderos retratos, ilustres y memorables
varones, [Sevilla, s.n., s.a.]- Real Academia de la Historia (Madrid).
Signatura: 1/736. Date: 1599.
Author: Francisco Pacheco (1564–1644).
(Wikimedia Commons)
Francisco Guerrero's
Motet for Six Voices from
"Missa Maria Magdalene"
by The Tallis Scholars.
Available on YouTube at
Guerrero's early musical education was with his older brother, Pedro. He must have been an astonishing prodigy, for at the age of seventeen he was already appointed maestro de capilla (singing master, i.e. music director) at Jaén Cathedral. A few years later he accepted a position in Seville, Spain. Apparently, during this time, he was much in demand as a singer and composer, establishing an exceptional reputation before his thirtieth birthday; in addition, he published several collections of his music abroad, an unusual event for a young composer.
English: A view of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Jaén Cathedral)
taken from Saint Catalina's Castle.
Español: Una vista del Catedral de la Asunción de Jaén,
tomada del Castillo de Santa Catalina.
Photo: 17 October 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Wjmclain.
(Wikimedia Commons)
His book on his adventurous visit to the Holy Land was published in 1590 and was a popular success (it is reasonable to suppose that Cervantes knew it). At the end of the decade, he planned one more trip to the Holy Land but unfortunately he died in the plague of 1599 in Seville, before he was able to depart.