Diego Ortiz

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (October 2007)

Diego Ortiz (ca. 1510 – 1570) was a Spanish composer and musicologist, in service to the Spanish viceroy in Naples (Pedro de Urries) and later to Philip II of Spain. Author of a treatise – Trattado de Glosas, published in 1553 – on instrumental variation technique as well as on vocal polyphonic works - eg. magnificats and motets.

Biography

Very little is known about his life. He is believed to have been born in Toledo and died in Naples.

In 1553 Ortiz was living in the viceroyalty of Naples. Five years later, the third duke of Alba, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, appointed him maestro di capella. In 1565 Ortiz still held the post under the Viceroy Pedro Afán de Ribera, duke of Alcalá.

Works

Diego Ortiz published two music books: Tratado de Glosas in 1553 and Musices liber primus in 1565.

Trattado de Glossas

For viola da gamba and harpsichord. Published on December 10th, 1553, in Rome. Full title "Trattado de glossas sobre clausulas y otros generos de punctos en la musica de violones nuevamente puestos en luz" and "Glose sopra le cadenze et altre sorte de punti in la musica del violone" (both in Spanish and Italian).

Musices liber primus

A religious polyphony collection published in 1565, in Venice. Full title "Musices liber primus hymnos, Magnificas, Salves, motecta, psalmos". It records 69 compositions of 4 to 7 voices, based on plainchant works.

External links

Sheetmusic

• El primo(-secondo) libro de Diego Ortiz (Biblioteca Nacional de España) info
  (click "View options" button in case of display-error or network timeout)
• Free scores by Diego Ortiz in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)