Tarquinio Merula

• Background — person • Name — Tarquinio Merula • Born — 24 November 1595 • Birthplace — Busseto, Italy • Died — 10 December 1665 • Place of death — Cremona, Italy • Genre — Baroque • Occupation — Composer, organist, violinist • Instrument — * Organ • violin • Years Active — 1616–1665

He was born in Busseto. He probably received early musical training in Cremona, where he was first employed as an organist. In 1616 he took a position as organist at the church of Santa Maria Incoronata in Lodi, where he remained until 1621, at which time he went to Warsaw, Poland to work as an organist at the court of Sigismund III Vasa. In 1626 he returned to Cremona, and in 1627 became maestro di cappella at the cathedral there, but he only remained for four years, moving to Bergamo to accept a similar position in 1631. Alessandro Grandi, his predecessor, had died in the Italian plague of 1629–31 (which affected many cities in northern Italy, including Venice), and he faced the formidable task of rebuilding the musical institution there after many of its members had died. Unfortunately Merula got into trouble with some of his students, and was charged with indecency; he chose to return to Cremona, where he remained until 1635. During this period in his life he seems to have had numerous troubles with his employers, possibly of his own making; after fighting with the administrators at Cremona over a variety of issues, he returned to Bergamo, serving this time at a different church, but was disallowed from using any musicians from his former place of employment. In 1646 he went back to Cremona for the final time, serving as maestro di cappella at the Laudi della Madonna until his death in 1665.

• Il primo libro delle canzoni a 4 (Canzoni a quattro voci per sonare con ogni sorti de strumenti musicali), 12 canzonas for 4 instruments, Op. 1 (1615): • I. La Ghirardella • II. La Lusignuola • III. La Pellegrina • IV. La Merula • V. La Chremesca • VI. La Ciria • VII. La Marcha • VIII. La Livia • IX. La Monteverde • X. L’Orbina • XI. La Piva • XII. La Loda • Il primo libro de madrigaletti, 3 voices and continuo, Op. 4 (1624) • Il primo libro de madrigali concertati, 4 to 8 voices and continuo, Op. 5 (1624) • Il primo libro de motetti e sonate concertati, 2 to 5 voices, Op. 6 (1624) • Satiro e Corisca dialogo musicale, 2 voices with continuo, Op. 7 (1626) • Libro secondo de concerti spirituali con alcune sonate, 2 to 5 voices, Op. 8 (1628) • Il secondo libro delle canzoni da suonare, 12 canzonas for 3 instruments (2 violins and a bass) with continuo, Op. 9 (ca. 1631) • Madrigali et altre musiche concertate a 1–5, libro secondo, 1 to 5 voices, Op. 10 (1633) • Pegaso salmi, motetti, suonate, libro terzo, 2 to 5 voices, Op. 11 (ca. 1637) • Canzoni overo Sonate concertate per chiesa e camera, 2 or 3 instruments, book 3, Op. 12 (1637): • I. La Gallina • II. La Pedrina • III. La Caravaggia • IV. La Treccha • V. La Polachina • VI. La Loda • VII. La Pochetina • VIII. La Bellina • IX. La Ghisa • X. La Cattarina • XI. La Bianca • XII. La Ruggiera • XIII. La Maruta • XIV. La Merula • XV. L’Arisia • XVI. La Dada • XVII. La Pighetta • XVIII. Ruggiero • XIX. Ballo detto Eccardo • XX. Chiaccona • XXI. L’Ara • XXII. La Strada • XXIII. Ballo detto Gennaro • XXIV. Ballo detto Pollicio • Curtio precipitato et altri capricii, libro secondo, solo voice, Op. 13 (1638) • Canzonette a 3 et 4, not extant, Op. 14? (before 1649) • Concerto messi, salmi concertati, 2–8 voices & instruments, Op. 15 (1639) • Arpa Davidica salmi, et messe, 4 voices, Op. 16 (1640) • Il Quarto Libro delle canzoni da suonare, a 2 to 3 instruments, Op. 17 (1651): • A doi Violini (b. c.) • I. L’Ariberta • II. La Canossa • III. La Bulgarina • IV. L’Appiana • V. La Ferrara • VI. La Illica • VII. La Rossa • VIII. La Speltina • IX. La Calzolara • A 2. Violino, & Basso (violone, b. c.) • X. La Bolla • XI. La Miradoro • XII. La Scarinza • XIII. La Noce • XIV. La Cappellina • XV. La Tinta • XVI. La Berlasina • XVII. La Monteverde • A 3. Doi Violini, & Violone (b. c.) • XVIII. La Cavagliera • XIX. La Pusterla • XX. La Loda • XXI. L’Anselma • XXII. La Lugarina • XXIII. La Lanzona • XXIV. La Valcharenga • XXV. La Brena • XXVI. Sonata Prima La Sartoria • XXVII. Sonata Seconda • XXVIII. Sonata Terza • XXIX. Sinfonie di tutti gli tuoni (8) • Il terzo libro delle salmi et messa concertati, 3 or 4 voices, Op. 18 (1652)

Tarquinio Merula is recorded as composer, organist, violinist and music educator.

• Stephen Bonta: "Tarquinio Merula", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed January 9, 2005), Grove Music Online • Manfred Bukofzer, Music in the Baroque Era. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1947. • Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Venetian Instrumental Music, from Gabrieli to Vivaldi. New York, Dover Publications, 1994. • Simone Manfredini, Per una biografia di Tarquinio Merula, musicista cremonese del Seicento, "Bollettino Storico Cremonese", n.s. 9 (2002), 85–106. • Joachim Steinheuer, Chamäleon und Salamander, Kassel-Basel-London-New York-Prag 1999. • Adam Sutkowski, Tarquinio Merula: Opere complete. 4 Vol. Brooklyn (N.Y.), 1974–78. • Maurizio Padoan, Tarquinio Merula nelle fonti documentarie, in Contributi alla musica lombarda del Seicento, Bologna Milano, A.M.I.S., 1972, pp. 57–157.