Peter Philips
Encyclopedia
Peter Philips was an eminent English composer
, organist
, and Catholic
priest
exiled to Flanders
. He was one of the greatest keyboard virtuoso
s of his time, and transcribed or arranged several Italian motet
s and madrigal
s by such as Lassus
, Palestrina
, and Giulio Caccini
for his instruments. Some of his keyboard works are found in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
. Philips also wrote many sacred choral works.
shire or London
. From 1572 to 1578 he began his career as a boy chorister at St Paul's Cathedral
in London, under the aegis of the Catholic master of choristers, Sebastian Westcote (d. 1582), who had also trained the young William Byrd
some twenty years earlier. Philips must have had a close relationship with his master, as he lodged in his house up to the time of Westcote's death, and was a beneficiary of his Will.
In this same year of 1582 Philips left England for good, like so many others for reasons of his Catholicism, and stayed briefly in Flanders
before travelling to Rome
where he entered the service of Alessandro Farnese (1520–1589), with whom he stayed for three years, and was also engaged as organist at the English Jesuit College
. It was here that in February 1585 he met a fellow Catholic exile, Thomas, third Baron Paget
(c.1544-1590). Philips entered Paget's service as a musician, and the two left Rome in March 1585, travelling over several years to Genoa
, Madrid
, Paris
, Brussels
and finally Antwerp, where Paget died in 1590.
Philips settled in Antwerp, where he married, gaining a precarious living by teaching the virginals
to children. In 1593 he went to Amsterdam
"to sie and heare an excellent man of his faculties", doubtless Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
whose reputation had by then long been made. On his way back, Philips was denounced by a compatriot for complicity in a plot on Queen Elizabeth's
life, and he was temporarily imprisoned at the Hague
, where he probably composed the pavan and galliard Doloroso (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
nos. LXXX and LXXXI). Philips himself translated the accusations made against him during his trial, revealing that he could by then speak Dutch
. He was acquitted and released without further charges.
Philips' fortunes took a turn for the better on his return, and in 1597 he was employed in Brussels
as organist to the chapel of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
who had been appointed governor of the Low Countries
in 1595. Here, after his wife – and child's – deaths, he was ordained a priest in either 1601 or 1609 – opinions differ; in any case, he received a canonry at Soignies
in 1610, and another at Béthune
in 1622 or 1623. In his position at court, Philips was able to meet the best musicians of the time, including Girolamo Frescobaldi
, who visited the Low Countries in 1607-1608, and his fellow-countryman John Bull
, who had fled England on a charge of adultery. His nearest colleague however was Peeter Cornet
(c. 1575-1633), organist to Archduchess Isabella, wife of Philips' employer the archduke.
Philips died in 1628, probably in Brussels, where he was buried.
s number in the hundreds, and he also composed both instrumental and consort music
. His keyboard pieces are mostly in the tradition of the English virginalist
school, but his choral works, although retaining occasional English characteristics, are largely in the style of more conservative Italian contemporary composers such as Giovanni Croce
.
The earliest surviving piece we know to be by Philips is a pavan
dated 1580 in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
(no. LXXXV). It bears the note: The first one Phi[lips] made, and was the subject of a magnificent set of variations by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
entitled Pavana Philippi, and others by Thomas Morley
and John Dowland
. Of Philip's 27 known (excluding doubtful works) keyboard pieces – pavans
, galliard
s, fantasias
and settings of Italian masters – no less than nineteen are included in the same collection. The probable compiler of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
, Francis Tregian the Younger
, a fellow Catholic, was almost certainly acquainted with Philips: both men were at the court of Brussels in 1603, and Tregian may well have been responsible for importing Philips' works to England. The pavan Doloroso (no. LXXX) appears to be dedicated to Tregian, bearing the title Pauana Doloroso. Treg[ian], and there is also a Pavana Pagget with its galliard, dated 1590 and no doubt written on the death of his patron, Lord Thomas Paget. Many of the pieces are settings of Italian composers, and in some Philips' name is spelled the Flemish way: Peeter suggesting that the scribe – possibly Tregian himself http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3870/is_200207/ai_n9139095 – was copying from continental manuscripts.
1591: Philips' publisher in Antwerp, Pierre Phalèse the Younger (1550–1629), printed his collection of madrigals entitled Melodia Olympica, followed by further editions in 1594 and 1611.
1596: Philips published his Primo Libro de Madrigali a sei voci, a book of madrigals for six voices.
1598: A further book of madrigals for eight voices published.
1603: Another set of madrigals for six voices published.
1612: The first set of Cantiones Sacrae for five voices printed by Phalèse.
1613: A second set of Cantiones Sacrae Octonis Vocibus for double chorus of eight voices.
1613: Gemmulae Sacrae Binis et Ternis Vocibus cum Basso Continuo Organum.
1615: 3 Trios (without instrumentation) in L'Institution Harmonique by Salomon De Caus, Frankfurt
1616: Les Rossignols spirituels published, two and four-part arrangements of popular songs adapted to sacred texts in Latin and French.
1616: Deliciae sacrae binis et ternis vocibus cum basso continuo organum.
1623: Litanies to Loreto.
1628: Paradisus sacris cantionibus consitus, una, duabus et tribus vocibus decantantis.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, and Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
exiled to Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. He was one of the greatest keyboard virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
s of his time, and transcribed or arranged several Italian motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s and madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
s by such as Lassus
Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance...
, Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
, and Giulio Caccini
Giulio Caccini
Giulio Caccini , also known as Giulio Romano, was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the very late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre of opera, and one of the single most influential creators of the new Baroque style...
for his instruments. Some of his keyboard works are found in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
. Philips also wrote many sacred choral works.
Life
Philips was born in 1560 or 1561, possibly in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire or London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. From 1572 to 1578 he began his career as a boy chorister at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in London, under the aegis of the Catholic master of choristers, Sebastian Westcote (d. 1582), who had also trained the young William Byrd
William Byrd
William Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
some twenty years earlier. Philips must have had a close relationship with his master, as he lodged in his house up to the time of Westcote's death, and was a beneficiary of his Will.
In this same year of 1582 Philips left England for good, like so many others for reasons of his Catholicism, and stayed briefly in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
before travelling to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where he entered the service of Alessandro Farnese (1520–1589), with whom he stayed for three years, and was also engaged as organist at the English Jesuit College
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
. It was here that in February 1585 he met a fellow Catholic exile, Thomas, third Baron Paget
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget was a member of the British aristocracy. He was the second son of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget and his wife Anne Preston. He succeeded to the title Baron Paget in 1568 on his older brother Henry's death....
(c.1544-1590). Philips entered Paget's service as a musician, and the two left Rome in March 1585, travelling over several years to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and finally Antwerp, where Paget died in 1590.
Philips settled in Antwerp, where he married, gaining a precarious living by teaching the virginals
Virginals
The virginals or virginal is a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family...
to children. In 1593 he went to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
"to sie and heare an excellent man of his faculties", doubtless Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. He was among the first major keyboard composers of Europe, and his work as a teacher helped establish the north German organ...
whose reputation had by then long been made. On his way back, Philips was denounced by a compatriot for complicity in a plot on Queen Elizabeth's
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
life, and he was temporarily imprisoned at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, where he probably composed the pavan and galliard Doloroso (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
nos. LXXX and LXXXI). Philips himself translated the accusations made against him during his trial, revealing that he could by then speak Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
. He was acquitted and released without further charges.
Philips' fortunes took a turn for the better on his return, and in 1597 he was employed in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
as organist to the chapel of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Archduke Albert VII of Austria was, jointly with his wife, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1598 and 1621, ruling the Habsburg territories in the southern Low Countries and the north of modern France...
who had been appointed governor of the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
in 1595. Here, after his wife – and child's – deaths, he was ordained a priest in either 1601 or 1609 – opinions differ; in any case, he received a canonry at Soignies
Soignies
Soignies is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.The municipality is composed of the Town of Soignies together with the villages of Casteau, Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Horrues, Neufvilles, Naast and Thieusies...
in 1610, and another at Béthune
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
in 1622 or 1623. In his position at court, Philips was able to meet the best musicians of the time, including Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
, who visited the Low Countries in 1607-1608, and his fellow-countryman John Bull
John Bull (composer)
John Bull was an English composer, musician, and organ builder. He was a renowned keyboard performer of the virginalist school and most of his compositions were written for this medium.-Life:...
, who had fled England on a charge of adultery. His nearest colleague however was Peeter Cornet
Peeter Cornet
Peeter Cornet was a Flemish composer and organist of the early Baroque period. Although few of his compositions survive, he is widely considered one of the best keyboard composers of the early 17th century.-Life:Very little is known about Cornet's life. Much of the information comes from a letter...
(c. 1575-1633), organist to Archduchess Isabella, wife of Philips' employer the archduke.
Philips died in 1628, probably in Brussels, where he was buried.
Works
Philips was an extremely prolific composer: his surviving motetMotet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s number in the hundreds, and he also composed both instrumental and consort music
Consort of instruments
A consort of instruments was a phrase used in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to indicate an instrumental ensemble. These could be of the same or a variety of instruments. Consort music enjoyed considerable popularity at court and in households of the wealthy in the...
. His keyboard pieces are mostly in the tradition of the English virginalist
Virginalist
Virginalist denotes a composer of the so-called virginalist school, and usually refers to the English keyboard composers of the late Tudor and early Jacobean periods. The term does not appear to have been applied earlier than the 19th century...
school, but his choral works, although retaining occasional English characteristics, are largely in the style of more conservative Italian contemporary composers such as Giovanni Croce
Giovanni Croce
Giovanni Croce was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance, of the Venetian School...
.
- Works in the Fitzwilliam Virginal BookFitzwilliam Virginal BookThe Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
:
The earliest surviving piece we know to be by Philips is a pavan
Pavane
The pavane, pavan, paven, pavin, pavian, pavine, or pavyn is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century .A pavane is a slow piece of music which is danced to in pairs....
dated 1580 in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
(no. LXXXV). It bears the note: The first one Phi[lips] made, and was the subject of a magnificent set of variations by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. He was among the first major keyboard composers of Europe, and his work as a teacher helped establish the north German organ...
entitled Pavana Philippi, and others by Thomas Morley
Thomas Morley
Thomas Morley was an English composer, theorist, editor and organist of the Renaissance, and the foremost member of the English Madrigal School. He was the most famous composer of secular music in Elizabethan England and an organist at St Paul's Cathedral...
and John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
. Of Philip's 27 known (excluding doubtful works) keyboard pieces – pavans
Pavane
The pavane, pavan, paven, pavin, pavian, pavine, or pavyn is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century .A pavane is a slow piece of music which is danced to in pairs....
, galliard
Galliard
The galliard was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others....
s, fantasias
Fantasia (music)
The fantasia is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. Because of this, it seldom approximates the textbook rules of any strict musical form ....
and settings of Italian masters – no less than nineteen are included in the same collection. The probable compiler of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
, Francis Tregian the Younger
Francis Tregian the Younger
Francis Tregian the Younger was the son of the Catholic exile Francis Tregian the Elder .He was educated in France, and in 1592 obtained a position in Rome as chamberlain to Cardinal William Allen...
, a fellow Catholic, was almost certainly acquainted with Philips: both men were at the court of Brussels in 1603, and Tregian may well have been responsible for importing Philips' works to England. The pavan Doloroso (no. LXXX) appears to be dedicated to Tregian, bearing the title Pauana Doloroso. Treg[ian], and there is also a Pavana Pagget with its galliard, dated 1590 and no doubt written on the death of his patron, Lord Thomas Paget. Many of the pieces are settings of Italian composers, and in some Philips' name is spelled the Flemish way: Peeter suggesting that the scribe – possibly Tregian himself http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3870/is_200207/ai_n9139095 – was copying from continental manuscripts.
- Other works:
1591: Philips' publisher in Antwerp, Pierre Phalèse the Younger (1550–1629), printed his collection of madrigals entitled Melodia Olympica, followed by further editions in 1594 and 1611.
1596: Philips published his Primo Libro de Madrigali a sei voci, a book of madrigals for six voices.
1598: A further book of madrigals for eight voices published.
1603: Another set of madrigals for six voices published.
1612: The first set of Cantiones Sacrae for five voices printed by Phalèse.
1613: A second set of Cantiones Sacrae Octonis Vocibus for double chorus of eight voices.
1613: Gemmulae Sacrae Binis et Ternis Vocibus cum Basso Continuo Organum.
1615: 3 Trios (without instrumentation) in L'Institution Harmonique by Salomon De Caus, Frankfurt
1616: Les Rossignols spirituels published, two and four-part arrangements of popular songs adapted to sacred texts in Latin and French.
1616: Deliciae sacrae binis et ternis vocibus cum basso continuo organum.
1623: Litanies to Loreto.
1628: Paradisus sacris cantionibus consitus, una, duabus et tribus vocibus decantantis.
Collections and scores
- The Fitzwilliam Virginal BookFitzwilliam Virginal BookThe Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
, J.A. Fuller Maitland and W. Barclay Squire, Dover Publications, New York 1963. SBN 486-21068-5. - Eight Keyboard Pieces by Peter Philips: A collection of all Philips' known music for keyboard instruments contained in sources other than the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. John Harley (ed.). Stainer & Bell, London 1995.
- Complete Keyboard Music. David J Smith (ed.). Stainer & Bell, London 1999.
- Cantiones Sacrae Octonis Vocibus (1613). Musica Britannica vol. 61. John Steele (ed.). Stainer & Bell, London 1992.
- Select Italian Madrigals. Musica Britannica vol. 29. John Steele (ed.). Stainer & Bell, London 1985.
Discography
- Paradisus Sacris Cantionibus. Currende Vocal Ensemble. Accent ACC 8862
- Consort Music. The Parley of Instruments. Hyperion CDA 66240
- Keyboard Music. Paul Nicholson. Hyperion CDA 66734
- Harpsichord Music. Emer Buckley. Harmonis Mundi HMC 901263
- The English Exile. Colin Booth. Soundboard. SBCD 992
- Cantiones Sacrae Quinis Vocibus. The Sarum Consort. Gaudeamus 217
- Cantiones Sacrae Quinis Vocibus. The Tudor Consort. Naxos 8.55056
- Complete Keyboard Works Vol 1. Siegbert Rampe. MDG 341 1257-2
- Complete Keyboard Works Vol 2. Siegbert Rampe. MDG 341 1435-2
- "Motets et Madrigaux" Cappella Mediterranea Leonardo García Alarcón AMBRONAY AMY015