Juan Cornago Explained

Juan Cornago (Johannes Cornago) (1400 – after 1475) was a Spanish composer of the early Renaissance.

Life

Almost nothing is known of Cornago's origins. He may be the Juan Carnago of Calahorra, La Rioja, Spain, who solicited Pope Martin V for prebends in various parishes between 1420 and 1429. It is certain that he is the Cornago, a Franciscan, who graduated from the University of Paris in 1449. Then from 1453 he was in Naples serving in the royal chapel of Alfonso V of Aragon. After the death of Alfonso he continued to serve in the chapel under his son Fernando I of Naples. Cornago was the leading songwriter at the Aragonese court in Naples.^[1] Later in 1475 he transferred to the chapel of Fernando the Catholic who had returned to Spain.

Works

15 compositions survive.

• 4 in Latin
• 8 in Spanish
• 3 in Italian

Recordings

For fuller information see the extensive discography on Spanish Wikipedia.

• Misa de la mapa mundi, His Majestie's Clerkes dir Paul Hillier, Harmonia Mundi
• Columbus Paraisos Perdidos Jordi Savall. 2SACD AliaVox
• Isabel I – Reina de Castilla 1451–1504. Jordi Savall. AliaVox
• Alfons V. el Magnanim – El Cancionero de Montecassino. Jordi Savall. 2CD AliaVox
• O Tempo Bono. Music at the Aragonese Court of Naples. Florilegio Ensemble. Marcello Serafini. Symphonia 00180.
• Ars Moriendi. Huelgas Ensemble, dir. Paul Van Nevel. Alpha LP.
• Moro perchè non-day fede. on Fantasiant, música i poesia per a Ausiàs March Capella de Ministrers, dir. Carles Magraner.

Notes and References

1. Barbara F. Weissberger Queen Isabel I of Castile: power, patronage, persona 2008 p51