Composer. Organist. Hailed by contemporaries as the leading organist of his time, he helped bridge the gap between Renaissance and Baroque music. He was born Claudio Merlotti in Correggio, Italy. "Merulo" was the Latin version of his name. His most productive years were spent in Venice, where he was first organist of St. Mark's Cathedral from 1566 to 1584. Later he settled in Parma, where he held the posts of court composer and organist of the Cathedral and the La Steccata church. He was also active as a publisher, teacher, and organ builder. His regular Sunday afternoon concerts, free to the public, attracted tourists from all over Italy. At his death he was given a state funeral, almost unheard of for a Renaissance-era musician, and was buried next to composer Cipriano de Rore in the Parma Cathedral. Although he produced a large quantity of works in other genres, including nine volumes of sacred motets, Merulo's importance lies in his organ pieces. He was one of the first to move away from the vocal models that had dominated Western music for centuries, writing in a manner that was more idiomatic for his instrument, and he significantly developed such forms as the toccata, the ricercar, and the canzona. Most of these compositions appeared in 10 books between 1567 and 1611. Merulo's innovative technique and teachings were set down by his pupil Girolamo Diruta in "Il transilvano" (1593), a treatise that had a vast influence in Europe; its repercussions were felt by J.S. Bach more than 100 years later.
Composer. Organist. Hailed by contemporaries as the leading organist of his time, he helped bridge the gap between Renaissance and Baroque music. He was born Claudio Merlotti in Correggio, Italy. "Merulo" was the Latin version of his name. His most productive years were spent in Venice, where he was first organist of St. Mark's Cathedral from 1566 to 1584. Later he settled in Parma, where he held the posts of court composer and organist of the Cathedral and the La Steccata church. He was also active as a publisher, teacher, and organ builder. His regular Sunday afternoon concerts, free to the public, attracted tourists from all over Italy. At his death he was given a state funeral, almost unheard of for a Renaissance-era musician, and was buried next to composer Cipriano de Rore in the Parma Cathedral. Although he produced a large quantity of works in other genres, including nine volumes of sacred motets, Merulo's importance lies in his organ pieces. He was one of the first to move away from the vocal models that had dominated Western music for centuries, writing in a manner that was more idiomatic for his instrument, and he significantly developed such forms as the toccata, the ricercar, and the canzona. Most of these compositions appeared in 10 books between 1567 and 1611. Merulo's innovative technique and teachings were set down by his pupil Girolamo Diruta in "Il transilvano" (1593), a treatise that had a vast influence in Europe; its repercussions were felt by J.S. Bach more than 100 years later.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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