Bernardino de Ribera´s Compositional Summary: Toledo Polyphonic Codex 6

Abstract

Bernardino de Ribera (ca. 1520 – 1580) was a highly recognized maestro de capilla in the sixteenth century Spain. Nevertheless, his actual status is highly associated with the great figure of Tomás Luis de Victoria, since it seems that both coincided in their years spent at Ávila, Ribera as a consolidated master, Victoria as a young choirboy. The present study analyses the large choirbook that Ribera himself charged as a present for the cathedral of Toledo. The article examines the history of the manuscript (mutilated some years after its making because of the value of its illuminations), the construction of the Codex and the repertoire contained within, showing the importance of some neglected figures like Bernardino, a significant composer that deserves more consideration by himself.