Top of page

Book/Printed Material El melopeo y maestro: Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Music. El melopeo y maestro: tractado de musica theorica y pratica

About this Item

Title

  • El melopeo y maestro: Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Music.

Other Title

  • El melopeo y maestro: tractado de musica theorica y pratica

Summary

  • Pedro (Pietro) Cerone (1566--1625) was born in Bergamo, Italy. After training as a musician, singer, and priest in Italy, he travelled to Spain as a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela in about 1593. A year later, mired in poverty and living in Madrid, he came under the protection of Santiago Gratii (Caballero de Gracia), in whose music academy he was able to work. Thanks probably to Caballero de Gracia, he was able to serve in the Royal Chapel of Phillip II and later that of Philip III. Around 1603--5 he returned to Naples and in 1610 he entered the chapel of the new viceroy of Naples, the count of Lemus, Pedro Fernández Castro. It was in Naples where he published, in 1609, a treatise on plainsong, and in 1613, in Spanish, El melopeo y maestro, a book that he had written almost entirely in Madrid. The title may derive from the Latin melopeia, meaning the art of producing melodies, and maestro in the sense of an eminent teacher of music. El Melopeo is an encyclopedic work, consisting of 1,160 folio pages in 849 chapters. As the title indicates, the work "describes extensively what one must know to become a perfect musician." Cerone begins by giving advice on the moral and social behavior of the musician. He then deals with plainsong, measured song, musical dialogue, and composition. He compares the musical training and knowledge in Spain and Italy, pointing out Spanish deficiencies, and presents the most detailed catalog of the instruments used in Spain. The book was widely circulated and was an essential reference tool for Spanish musical theorists of the 17th and 18th centuries. Reviled in the 19th century for its conservatism, it is recognized today as a valuable source of information on the Spanish music of its time.

Names

  • Cerone, Pietro, 1566-1625 Author.

Created / Published

  • Naples, Italy : Juan Bautista Gargano and Lucrecio Nucci, 1613.

Headings

  • -  Italy
  • -  Spain
  • -  1613
  • -  Music theory
  • -  Music--Encyclopedias

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1160 pages : illustrations.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of Spain.
  • -  Content in Spanish.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666852

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Cerone, Pietro, Author. El melopeo y maestro: Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Music. Naples, Italy: Juan Bautista Gargano and Lucrecio Nucci, 1613. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666852/.

APA citation style:

Cerone, P. (1613) El melopeo y maestro: Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Music. Naples, Italy: Juan Bautista Gargano and Lucrecio Nucci. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666852/.

MLA citation style:

Cerone, Pietro, Author. El melopeo y maestro: Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Music. Naples, Italy: Juan Bautista Gargano and Lucrecio Nucci, 1613. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666852/>.