Claudio Merulo

Little is known about his early life except that he studied in Correggio with Tuttovale Menon, a famous madrigalist who also worked in the Ferrara court; he also studied with Girolamo Diruta, an organist. It is likely that he studied with Zarlino at St. Mark's in Venice. While in Venice he became close friends with Costanzo Porta, a friendship which was to endure for his entire life. On 21 October 1556, he was appointed organist at Old Cathedral of Brescia (Duomo Vecchio), and his skill as an organist must have been impressive, because he became organist at St. Mark's, one of the most prestigious positions for an organist in Italy, in 1557; he was selected over a list of candidates that included Andrea Gabrieli. This was the first important event of his career, and he was considered to be the finest organist in Italy. In St. Mark's there were two organs, and two separate organists were appointed to play them: in 1557 Merulo was appointed to the second, smaller organ, while Annibale Padovano remained at the post of first organist. After Padovano's hurried departure from Venice in 1566, Merulo was appointed to the first organ, and Andrea Gabrieli became the second organist. He was appointed as ambassador of Venetian Republic at the marriage of Franceso de’ Medici and Bianca Cappello in 1579 and wrote music of celebration for Henry III of France, who visited Venice in 1574. In 1584, he suddenly left this position in Venice. The reasons for this are unclear, and somewhat surprising; in Venice he was well-paid, and had a very good reputation; and St. Mark's was one of the most important places for an organist. However, in December 1584 his name appears in payment register of Farnesia Court of Parma. In 1587 he was appointed as organist in Parma Cathedral and from 1591 also in Church of Santa Maria della Steccata. While here, he requested improvements to the organ, carried out by Costanzo Antegnati, the last heir of the great Brescian family of organ makers. We can deduce that Merulo used the Steccata's organ for his proofs of new composition, based on his Venetian experience, and continued to compose in this style. He lived in Parma until his death. During this period, he made several trips in Venice and Rome, where he published his famous two volume Toccate per organo. Merulo died in Parma on 4 May 1604 and was buried in Parma Cathedral near to the tomb of Cipriano de Rore. He left a daughter and his wife Amabilia Banzola.

Ricercari d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Libro primo (1567): Ricercar del primo tuono Ricercar del secondo tuono Ricercar del terzo tuono Ricercar del quarto tuono Ricercar dell’undecimo tuno Ricercar del duodecimo tuono Ricercar del settimo tuono Ricercar dell’ottavo tuono Toccata del terzo tuono from Il Transilvano, part I, by Diruta (1597) Toccate d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Book 1 (1598): Primo Tuono Toccata prima Primo Tuono Toccata seconda Secondo Tuono Toccata terza Secondo Tuono Toccata quarta Secondo Tuono Toccata quinta Terzo Tuono Toccata sesta Terzo Tuono Toccata settima Quarto Tuono Toccata ottava Quarto Tuono Toccata nona Toccate d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Book 2 (1604): Undecimo detto Quinto Tuono Toccata prima Undecimo detto Quinto Tuono Toccata seconda Duodecimo detto Sesto Tuono Toccata terza Duodecimo detto Sesto Tuono Toccata quarta Settimo Tuono Toccata quinta Settimo Tuono Toccata sesta Ottavo Tuono Toccata settima Ottavo Tuono Toccata ottava Nono Tuono Toccata nona Decimo Tuono Toccata decima Canzoni d’Intavolatura d’Organo, a quattro voci, fatte alla francese, Book 1 (1592): La Bovia La Zambeccara La Gratiosa La Cortese La Benvenuta La Leonora L’Albergata La Rolanda Petit Jacquet Canzoni d'intavolatura d'organo fatte alla francese, Book 2: La Ironica La Jolette La Pazza La Palma La Pargoletta La Rosa La Radivila La Seula La Scarampa L'Arconadia Petite Camusette Canzoni d'intavolatura d'organo fatte alla francese, Book 3: Languissans Onques amour Susanne un jour Content Madrigali a 5 libro I (1566) e II (1604) Madrigali a 4 (1579) Madrigali a 3 (1580) Mottetti a 5 libro I (1578), II (1578) Mottetti a 6 libro I (1583), II (1593) e III (1605, postumo) Sacrae Cantiones (1578) Mottetti a 4 (1584) Sacri Concentus (1594) Messe a 5 (1573)

Giuseppe Martini, Claudio Merulo. Parma, Ordine Costantiniano di S. Giorgio, 2005 (512 pp., with ill.) ISBN 88-901673-8-6 Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Venetian Instrumental Music, from Gabrieli to Vivaldi. New York, Dover Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-486-28151-5 Article "Claudio Merulo," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. ISBN 1-56159-174-2 Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4