When did Pedro de Escobar arrive at the court of Queen Isabella I of Castile?
Pedro de Escobar arrived in the court of Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1489. Records from that decade show he was a singer and composer within her chapel.
Questions about Pedro de Escobar
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What role did Pedro de Escobar hold at Seville Cathedral starting in 1507?
In 1507 Escobar accepted the role of maestro de capilla at Seville Cathedral. The position required him to manage choirboys directly while paying for their room and board.
Why did Pedro de Escobar leave his post as mestre de capela by 1521?
A document dated 1535 described him as an alcoholic living in squalor before his death in Évora. Financial strain from maintaining the boys contributed to his eventual departure from the post.
Which work by Pedro de Escobar holds the distinction of being the earliest by a composer from the Iberian Peninsula?
Two complete masses survive today including a Requiem setting known as Missa pro defunctis. This work holds the distinction of being the earliest by a composer from the Iberian Peninsula.
How many motets and villancicos did Pedro de Escobar compose according to surviving records?
Additional pieces include seven motets, four antiphons, eight hymns, and eighteen villancicos. One specific motet titled Clamabat autem mulier Cananea received high praise from contemporaries.