Romero, Mateo (EN)

Romero Mateo, Mathias, Matheo, called Capitán or Maestro Capitán, born Rosmarin Matthieu, *ca. 1575 Liège, †10 May 1647 Madrid, Spanish composer of Flemish origin. Since childhood, he had been associated with the Capilla Flamenca in Madrid, where he studied under Ph. Rogier; from 1 October 1585 he was a chorister, and from 1594 a cantor. Between 1598 and 1633, he served as maestro di capilla at the courts of Philip III and Philip IV, led the ensemble of court músicos de cámara, and was also the music and French tutor to the future King Philip IV. In 1605 he was ordained a priest, became a royal chaplain and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and in 1624 chaplain of the Reyes Nuevos Chapel at Toledo Cathedral. In 1638, he stayed in Vila Viçosa at the court of the Duke of Braganza – the future King João IV of Portugal, who in 1644 granted him the title of capellán cantor de la corona. Romero was the last of the representatives of the Flemish school of composition to work at the Spanish court.

Romero was one of the most outstanding musicians at the Spanish court in the first quarter of the 17th century. In his sacred music, strong influences of the Flemish School can be observed: missae parodiae, based on themes from chansons and motets by C. Janequin, Josquin des Prés, and Orlando di Lasso, as well as a cappella motets. These works exemplify highly skilled use of imitative technique and refined counterpoint. Contrasts of form, texture, and timbre in his polychoral and concertato works with basso seguente or basso continuo point to connections with early Baroque Venetian traditions. In his secular music, often set to texts by Lope de Vega, Romero employs devices of the seconda pratica. His romances, canciones, and folias show the influence of popular music and the Italian madrigal. For expressive purposes, Romero highlights selected fragments of text through declamation in chordal texture and a free treatment of dissonance; he also makes use of chromaticism and other techniques of word painting.

Literature: P. Becquart M. Romero ou M. Rosmarin (1575–1647), maître de chapelle et compositeur de Philippe III et Philippe IV, «Archives, Bibliothèques et Musées de Belgique» XXXIV, 1963; M. Querol Gavaldá La produción musical del compositor Mateo.Romero in: Renaissance-muziek 1400–1600 donum natalicium René Bernard Lenaerts, ed. J. Robijns, W. Elders, R. Lagas, G. Persoons, Leuven 1969; P. Becquart Matheo Romero – Matthieu Rosmarin (Liège v. 1575-Madrid 1647), “Bulletin de la Société Liégeoise de Musicologie” XLI, 1983; P. Becquart Ph. Rogier et son école à la cour des Philippe d’Espagne. Un ultime foyer de la création musicale des Pays-Bas (1560–1647), in: Musique des Pays-Bas ancienne – Musique espagnole ancienne, ed. P. Becquart and H. Vanhulst, «Colloquia Europalia» III, Louvain 1988; P. Becquart Une introduction à la musique profane espagnole du XVIIe siècle: Les chansons du compositeur liégeois Matheo Romero, “Revue belge de musicologie” XLVII, 1993; L. Jambou De M. Romero (ca 1575–1647) à J. Hidalgo (ca 1614–1685). Les leçons musicales des actes notariés, “La Revue du XVIIe siècle” 1999 No. 208; L.A. González Marín Pastor, a los campos diles: Villancico de Navidad de Matheo Romero y Jusepe Ximénez, “Anuario musical: Revista de musicología del C.S.I.C.” LVII, 2002; A. Vera Aguilera Matheo Romero, “Maestro Capitán” (ca. 1575–1647), “Revista de la Fundación Juan March” 2011 No. 400.