A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Guerrero, Francisco
GUERRERO, Francisco, one of the chief representatives of the early Spanish school of composers, was born at Seville in 1528, and received his education first from an elder brother, and then from the great Morales. At the age of 18 he was made chapel-master at Jaen, a few years afterwards obtained a similar position at Malaga; and finally succeeded Fernandez in the cathedral at Seville. At the age of 60 he undertook a pilgrimage to Palestine, an account of which was afterwards published with the title 'El viage de Jerusalem que hizo Francisco Guerrero,' etc. (Alcala 1611). Guerrero died in 1599 at the advanced age of 81. His most important works were published under the title, 'Liber primus Missarum F. Guerero Hispalensis Odei phonasco autore' (Paris, Du Chemin 1566). This contains 4 masses in 5 parts, viz. 'Sancta et immaculata'; 'In te Domine speravi'; 'Congratulamini mihi'; 'Super flumina Babylonis.' 5 masses in 4 parts, viz. 'De B. Virgine'; 'Dormendo un giorno'; 'Inter vestibulum'; 'Beata Mater'; and 'Pro Defunctis.' Also the motets 'Ave virgo sanctissima' (5 parts), 'Usquequo Domine' (6 parts), and 'Pater Noster' (8 parts).
There is a copy of the book in the Imperial Library at Vienna. Sandoval, in his life of Charles V, tells us that Guerrero presented this volume to the Emperor, and that monarch's musical reputation chiefly rests on the fact that, after hearing one of these compositions, he called Guerrero 'a thief and a plagiarist, while his singers stood astonished, as none of them had discovered these thefts till they were pointed out by the Emperor.' But they may possibly have discovered, notwithstanding their respectful astonishinent, that Guerrero was guilty of nothing more than using the ordinary mannerisms of a particular school.
The Vienna library also possesses a collection of Magnificats by Guerrero, printed at Louvain, by Phalesius in 1563. Eslava has printed in his 'Lira-sacro-Hispana' the Passion according to St. Matthew for 4 voices, for Palm Sunday, and that according to St. John (5 voices) for Good Friday. Also 3 motets for 5 voices and a 4-part mass, 'Simile est regnum cœlorum.' [Eslava.]