ANUARIO MUSICAL, N.º 70 enero-diciembre 2015, 63-80 ISSN: 0211-3538 doi:10.3989/anuariomusical.2015.70.05 FERNANDO DE ALMEIDA (d. 1660): TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN MID-SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY PORTUGUESE SACRED MUSIC* FERNANDO DE ALMEIDA (†1660): TRADICIÓN E INNOVACIÓN EN LA MÚSICA SACRA PORTUGUESA DE MEDIADOS DEL SIGLO XVII João Vaz CESEM - Universidade Nova de Lisboa Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa - Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa & João Pedro d’Alvarenga CESEM - Universidade Nova de Lisboa Abstract Resumen The Library of the Ducal Palace at Vila Viçosa preserves La Biblioteca del Palacio Ducal de Vila Viçosa posee tres three large choirbooks of polyphonic repertoire intended for Holy grandes libros de coro con repertorio polifónico destinado a la Se- Week, prepared between 1735 and 1736 by a copyist of the Pa- mana Santa, preparados entre 1735 y 1736 por un copista de la Igle- triarchal Church. These choirbooks contain all the known extant sia Patriarcal. Estos libros de coro contienen todas las obras de Fer- works by Fernando de Almeida (died in 1660). When comparing nando de Almeida (m. 1660) que hayan sobrevivido hasta los días the music of Fernando de Almeida with that of his near contem- de hoy. La comparación de la música de Fernando de Almeida con porary João Lourenço Rebelo (1610-1661), the different trends in la de su cási contemporáneo João Lourenço Rebelo (1610-1661) Portuguese early- to mid-seventeenth-century church music beco- evidencia las distintas orientaciones en la música sacra portuguesa me clear, especially if viewed in the light of the acknowledged aes- de principios a mediados del siglo XVII, especialmente cuando ob- thetic and compositional premises explained in the 1649 Defensa servadas bajo las premisas estéticas y composicionales explanadas de la mvsica moderna by King João IV. Rebelo’s concertato works en la Defensa de la mvsica moderna (1649) del Rey D. João IV. El incline towards the style of north-Italian composers. The ingenuity estilo concertato de Rebelo se acerca de los compositores del Norte of Fernando de Almeida’s style, which is particularly noticeable in de Italia. La inventiva del estilo de Fernando de Almeida, particu- his eight-voice Holy Week responsories, lays in the integration of larmente notable en sus Responsorios a ocho voces para la Semana prominent Baroque features within the mould of Iberian Mannerist Santa, incorpora prominentes características barrocas en el molde tradition. de la tradición manierista ibérica. Key words Palabras clave Life and works of Fernando de Almeida; Concertato and Vida y obras de Fernando de Almeida; Música concertada y polychoral music in Portugal; Aesthetic and compositional pre- policoral en Portugal; Premisas estéticas y composicionales en la mises in 17th-century Portuguese music; João Lourenço Rebelo; música portuguesa del siglo XVII; João Lourenço Rebelo; El Rey King João IV; Polyphonic responsories; Baroque features in Iberian Dom João IV; Responsorios polifónicos; Rasgos barrocos en la mú- Mannerist music. sica del manierismo ibérico. * An early version of this article was read at the 15th Biennial International Conference on Baroque Music, University of Southampton, UK, July 2012. The authors acknowledge the assistance of the CESEM (Centre for the Study of Sociology and Aesthetics of Music) at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology). ANUARIO MUSICAL, N.º 70, enero-diciembre 2015, 63-80. ISSN: 0211-3538 doi:10.3989/anuariomusical.2015.70.05 64 JOÃO VAZ & JOÃO PEDRO D'ALVARENGA Until quite recently, only a few vague biographical details before April 26, 16606 in appalling circumstances, in a damp on Fernando de Almeida were known from the Bibliotheca dungeon located directly under a cattle house, hungry, naked, Lusitana, written by the Jesuit Francisco da Cruz in the late covered with sores and lice and with no sacraments; his shackles 1680s and revised at the end of the following decade (after were removed only after he had died and his corpse was simply which it remained in manuscript), and from the second volume thrown into a common grave with no proper rituals. of Bibliotheca Lusitana by Diogo Barbosa Machado, printed in Much of Fernando de Almeida’s music seem to have had 1743. Almeida was born in Lisbon, was possibly a student of the same fate as its composer. For instance, in the fi rst part of Duarte Lobo (who was chapel master of Lisbon Cathedral from the Index of the library of music of King João IV there is an about 1591 until at least 1639), and took the habit of the military entry for a twelve-voice mass “in the third tone” by Fernando Order of Christ at the Royal Convent of Tomar; he was elected de Almeida,7 which was lost in the great Lisbon earthquake of visitor of the Order in 1656 and died on March 21, 1660.1 A 1755, along with the massive collection of music begun in the recent master thesis uncovered some additional details: Almeida middle of the sixteenth century by João IV’s great-grandfather, took part on the general chapters of his Order in 1644 and 1653, Teodósio I, fi fth Duke of Braganza (died in 1563). More on the latter date in the quality of “defi nitor and deputy”; in 1649 fortunate was Fernando de Almeida’s Livro da Somana Santa he had moved back to Lisbon on the orders of King João IV.2 It (Book for Holy Week) which, so Francisco da Cruz tells us, is however the records of the Inquisition that cast light on the “m(ui)to estimaua El Rey D. João o 4.º [e que] a morte atalhou life and horrible death of Fernando de Almeida.3 On March 12, [de] emprimir o d(i)to liuvro, e outros muntos q(ue) se conseruão 1659, when staying at the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Luz in em Thomar”.8 According to Barbosa Machado, it was this Lisbon, Almeida was arrested on the charge of perjury against manuscript book, made up of “Lamentaçoens, Responsorios, e the Prior of the Convent in Tomar, whom he had accused of Misereres dos Tres Offi cios da Quarta, Quinta, e Sesta feira da sodomy. Subject to an inquiry, he declared on March 28 of that Semana Santa” (Lamentations, Responsories and Misereres for year that he was 55 years old (having thus been born in 1603 or the three Offi ces of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy 1604); that he was the son of António Jorge, a tailor, who was Week), that King João V, on April 1714, ordered to be copied born in the vicinity of Bragança, and Maria Lopes, who was born “quando assistio no Convento de Thomar para que se cantasse in Lisbon; that he could not remember the names of his paternal na sua Capella Real”.9 From this copy, which existed at the royal grandparents and that his maternal grandparents were named library of music, the contents were entered in liturgical order Manuel Gonçalves and Isabel Gago, both native of Lisbon; that into three large choirbooks of polyphonic repertory intended he had been baptized in the Church of Santa Justa in Lisbon, for Holy Week, which were prepared between 1735 and 1736 having received the chrism in that same church; that he knew by a copyist associated with the Patriarchal Church, a certain how to read and write, having studied Latin, morals and music; Vicente Perez Petroch Valentino, for use of the Royal Chapel and that he was a religious for 40 years (having thus joined the at the Ducal Palace in Vila Viçosa (see Figure 1).10 These late Order of Christ in 1618 or 16194); apparently, he never held any choirbooks contain all the known extant music by Fernando de offi cial musical position.5 Being found guilty, he was sentenced Almeida: sixteen works, making up a total of forty pieces, as to prison including fasting on bread and water, loss of active and shown on Table 1. passive voice, permanent reduction to the lay state and payment of judicial costs. He performed public penance in an auto-de-fé on October 26, 1659 and died in the Convent of Tomar shortly 6 As seen just above, Francisco da Cruz (repeated in Barbosa Machado) gives March 21, 1660 as the date Fernando de Almeida died; see CRUZ, Bibliotheca Lusitana: 135. 7 Primeira parte do Index, 1649: 452. On the Royal Library of 1 CRUZ, Francisco da, Bibliotheca Lusitana, P-La, Ms. 51-V- Music and its printed index see NERY, 1990. 50: 135 and 170; MACHADO, 1743: 16; see the modern edition in 8 “King João IV greatly admired and whose death prevented NERY (ed.), 1984: 45-46. from printing the said book, along with many others that are kept in 2 COTA, 2007, vol. 1: 172-173, and vol. 2: 37. Tomar”; CRUZ, Bibliotheca Lusitana: 135. 3 Process against Fernando de Almeida, P-Lant, Tribunal do 9 “when he visited the Convent of Tomar, so that he could have Santo Ofício, Inquisição de Lisboa, Proc. 11047, available at <digitarq. it sung in his Royal Chapel”; MACHADO, 1743: 16. arquivos.pt/details?id=2311228> (accessed February 10, 2015). The 10 P-VV J.12/A.6, dated 1735; P-VV J.15/A.9 and J.16/A.10, process was recently located by Cristina Cota, to whom we thank for both dated 1736 (henceforth Ms A, Ms B1 and Ms B2, respectively). calling our attention to this source. On these choirbooks, see ALVARENGA, 8/2 (Cambridge, 2011): 179- 4 MACHADO, 1743: 16, gives 1638 as the year Fernando de 214, especially at 184-188, and the inventories at 199-205; see also AL- Almeida entered the convent in Tomar.