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Antonio de Cabezahueca
Person · male · Spain · Castrillo Mota de Judíos · born 1510 · died 1566 · recording since 1986
Spanish composer and organist (1510-1566)
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Also known as Antonio de Cabezón · アントニオ・デ・カベソン
Timeline
11 events▣ Album 8◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1510s
1560s
1980s
· Debut release
Debut release: Spanische Instrumentalmusik zur Zeit Karl V
First documented release in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
· Album
Album: Obras de Música para tecla, arpa y vihuela, Volume 1 (organ & harpsichord: Claudio Astronio)
Album
source: musicbrainz
2010s
Biography
English biography1,186 words · 7 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1370656194
Biography
Antonio de Cabezón (30 March 1510 – 26 March 1566) was a Spanish Renaissance composer and organist. Blind from childhood, he quickly rose to prominence as a performer and was eventually employed by the royal family. He was among the most important composers of his time and the first major Iberian keyboard composer.
Life
Cabezón was born in Castrillo Mota de Judíos, a municipality near Burgos, in the north of Spain. Nothing is known about his formative years. He became blind in early childhood, and he may have been educated at the Palencia Cathedral by the organist there, García de Baeza. At the time, the country was slowly entering its Golden Age. On 14 March 1516, Charles V was proclaimed King of Castile and of Aragon jointly with his mother, the first time the crowns of Castile and Aragon were united under the same king. After the death of his paternal grandfather, Maximilian, in 1519, Charles also inherited the Habsburg lands in Austria, and later went on to become Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and one of the most powerful monarchs in the world.
In 1525, Charles married Isabella of Portugal, further strengthening his position in Spain. It was Isabella who employed Cabezón into her service in 1526. His duties included playing the clavichord and the organ, and he also assumed the position of organist at the chapel Isabella organized soon after her wedding. The composer remained with the royal family for the rest of his life. Through the court, he met such important composers as vihuelist Luis de Narváez, known today for his advanced polyphonic fantasias, and Tomás de Santa María, theorist and composer whose important treatise on instrumental music, Arte de tañer fantasía, was examined and approved by Cabezón.
In 1538, Cabezón was made músico de la cámara (chamber musician) to Charles (who as a child was educated in music by the noted organist Henry Bredemers). After Isabella's death in 1539, Cabezón was appointed music teacher to her children: Prince Felipe and his sisters Maria and Joan (Maria would later become the most important patron of composer Tomás Luis de Victoria). In 1543 Felipe became Regent of Spain, and he made Cabezón his court organist. Cabezón's duties included playing a portative organ for Felipe on his journeys. On 19 July 1546 Cabezón's brother Juan, also an organist and composer, was appointed musician in the royal chapel of Prince Felipe. Since the late 1540s Antonio and Juan both accompanied Felipe on his various trips, and visited Italy, the Netherlands, Germany (in 1548–49), and England (in 1554–56), where Antonio's variations may have influenced William Byrd and Thomas Tallis, who later took up the form.
Practically nothing is known about Cabezón's personal life. He married one Luisa Nuñez de Mocos from Ávila, and the couple had five children. One of Antonio's sons, Hernando de Cabezón (1541–1602) became a composer, and it was through his efforts that the bulk of Antonio's oeuvre was preserved. Another son, Agustín de Cabezón (who died before 1564), became a chorister of the royal chapel. Cabezón died in Madrid on 26 March 1566.
Liturgical organ music
While French and Italian organists of the time frequently composed organ masses, in Spain this practice was limited to versos on the Kyrie. Consequently, most of Cabezón's liturgical music was intended for the Daily Offices—prescribed prayers of the daily round. Music for Mass is represented by the nine sets of Kyrie verses for organ. These fall into the following groups:
Kyrie de Nuestra Señora, a three-voice setting, three parts (Kyrie, Christe, Kyrie) with the cunctipotens ("Mass IV") chant in the tenor.
Tema Rex virginum, a four-voice setting, four parts (on the same chant: Kyrie, Kyrie, Christe, Kyrie rather than the expected even verses K-Chr-Chr-K)
Kyries de primer, segundo, [...] septimo tono, seven four-voice settings, all in four parts (Kyrie, Christe, Christe, Kyrie); the original source places quinto tono last, possibly by mistake.
Cabezón's music for the Daily Offices comprises 32 hymns and three collections of versets for the psalms and for the Magnificats:
Salmodia para principiantes (sets of four versillos on each of the 8 psalm tones "for beginners")
Fabordon y glosas [del primer, segundo, [...] tono] (faburdens with 3 glosas or divisions in upper, bass and inner voices for each tone)
Salmodia para el Magnificat (7 Magnificat verses for each tone)
Tientos
The tiento was a polyphonic form of instrumental music that originated in the Iberian peninsula, and has been linked to both tastar de corde (an improvisatory prelude) and the ricercar (an improvisatory prelude or, at a later stage of development, a strict imitative composition). Twenty-nine tientos by Cabezón survive. Fourteen appeared in Libro de cifra nueva: these works are all written out in long note values, alternating between imitative counterpoint and non-imitative sections. Usually there are three or four themes, and the first to be presented is also the most developed. The non-imitative parts frequently employ techniques unusual for the genre at the time: extended duets, motifs transforming into ostinato patterns. Twelve more tientos appear in Obras de música: six from an earlier period in Cabezón's career, and six late works. While the earlier pieces are similar in many respects to the Libro de cifra pieces, Cabezón's late tientos use smaller note values, have a tendency towards longer and more characteristic subjects, and many of their features anticipate the music of the Baroque period.
Variations
Nine sets of variations (in Spanish tradition called discantes, diferencias, or glosas) are included in Obras de musica:
Diferencias sobre las Vacas (3 variations)
Pavana italiana (6 variations)
Diferencias sobre la Gallarda milanese (2 variations)
Diferencias sobre el canto del Caballero (5 variations)
Diferencias sobre la Pavana italiana (5 variations)
Diferencias sobre el canto de La Dama le demanda (6 variations on Arbeau's Belle qui tiens ma vie)
Diferencias sobre el villancico De quién teme enojo Isabel (7 variations)
Diferencias sobre las Vacas (6 variations)
Otras diferencias de Vacas (4 variations)
Cabezón's variations are one of the earliest high points of the genre, and presumably influenced English composers such as Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. All of the variation sets begin with the first variation, assuming the theme is already known to the listener, and connect individual variations using free transitions, thus frequently making analysis of the structure complicated. Cabezón uses numerous techniques, such as a migrating and/or heavily ornamented cantus firmus. The models are taken from popular Spanish songs, dance forms, and established melodic-harmonic frameworks.
Intabulations
The intabulations in Obras de música are ordered according to polyphonic complexity, starting with the simpler four-part pieces and culminating with six-part ones. They are based on works by composers such as Josquin des Prez and Orlande de Lassus and are more or less similar to most such compositions of the period.
Sheet music
Obras de musica para tecla, arpa y vihuela (click "View options" JPG icon) - Biblioteca Nacional de España info
Free scores by Antonio de Cabezón at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
Free scores by Antonio de Cabezón in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
A generous number of editions from Obras and Henestrosa (in Japanese)
Antonio de Cabezón, at Cancioneros Musicales Españoles (in Spanish)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 22 | 83.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 11 | 82.8th |
| Studio albums | 8 | 88.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 11 | 87.9th |
| Recording span (years) | -420 | 0.6th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (11 release groups · 8 studio albums)
Albums · 8
Glosados. Diferencias. Tientos
1996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 23 tracks · 58:27
1Discante sobre la pavana italiana2:142Diferencias sobre la gallarda milanesa1:453Tiento x del primer tono2:134Diferencias sobre el canto del caballero2:505Tiento IV qui la dira (Adrian Willaert)2:516Durmendo un jorno (Philippe Verdelot)3:257D'ou vient cela (Claudin de Sermisy ?)2:428Ancol que col partire (Cipriano di Rore)2:509Tiento XI Cum Sancto2:2710Benedictus de la missa del home arme (Josquin des Prez)2:2411Tiento IX del quinto tono3:0512Hierusalem luge (Jean richafort)3:3113Tiento v del segundo tono2:0414Susana un jur (Orlando di Lasso)3:3515La dama le damanda2:5716Pavana con su glosa1:4317Quien llamó al partir partir1:4718Pues a mi desconsolado3:0719Diferencias sobre la pavana italiana2:4820Pour un plaisir (Thomas Crecquillon)1:4121Je suis ayme (Thomas Crecquillon)2:0222Un gai bergier (Thomas Crecquillon)2:3323Je fille quanile medona (Philip van Wilder)1:53Obras de Música para tecla, arpa y vihuela, Volume 1 (organ & harpsichord: Claudio Astronio)
2001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 1:06:57
1Obras de Música: Benedicta es Regina coelorum. Jusquin7:012Obras de Música: Benedicta es coelorum Regina con segunda y tercera parte. Jusquin10:103Obras de Música: Sancta Maria. Verdelot6:594Obras de Música: Ave Maria. Jusquin6:225Obras de Música: "Ultimi miei suspiri". Verdelot5:426Obras de Música: "Ardenti miei suspiri". Verdelot6:277Obras de Música: Differencias sobre las Vacas3:458Obras de Música: Differencias sobre el canto llano del "Cavallero"3:069Obras de Música: Differencias sobre la pavana italiana3:4010Obras de Música: Differencias sobre "La dama de demanda"3:0511Obras de Música: Differencias sobre el villancico de Quien te me enojó Isabel7:1412Obras de Música: "Duuiensela"3:262001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 55:42
1Diferencias sobre la Gallarda Milanesa2:262Tiento I2:523Fabordon y glosas del Primer Tono Ilano3:114Ancol que col partire3:035Himno: Ave, maris stella VI2:146Pavana con su glosa3:127Pues a mi desconsolado2:388Dic nobis, Maria2:599Diferencias sobre, "Guadarme las vacas"3:1810Diferencias sobre el canto de La dama le demanda3:3811Fabordon y glosas del sexto tono4:0712Diferencias sobre el canto del Cauallero2:2813Pavana Italiana1:5414Tiento XVIII4:0015Himno: Te lucis ante terminum1:1716Du vien sela3:0717Fantasia a 5, "Susana un jur": Glosado4:1318Para quien crie cabellos2:1619Himno: Pange lingua V1:4220Rugier, glosado de Antonio1:072010 · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 1:01:53
1Tiento II2:442Ave maris stella (Gregoriano)0:313Ave maris stella I2:364Tiento del quinto tono4:005Tres III (Sobre "El canto llano de la alta")4:316Pavana italiana2:537Pavana hispanica2:378Tiento (Sobre "Malheur me bat")4:199Tiento I3:4510Belle qui tiens ma vie1:2911Diferencias (Sobre el canto "La dama le demanda")3:0712Tiento del primer tono5:4413Gloria patri (Gregoriano)0:3414Guardame las vacas (Improvvisazione)1:2915Diferencias (Sobre "Guardame las vacas")3:0016Cinco diferencias (Sobre "Las vacas")2:1617Diferencias (Sobre "Las vacas")3:5118Dezilde al caballero2:0919Diferencias (Sobre "El canto llano del caballero")3:3520Romance ("Para quien crie yo cabellos")2:5721Pavana glosada3:462012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 45:03
1Canción Francesca2:142Tiento Primo tono1:363Differencias sobre l canto Ilano del Caballero3:044Tiento del quarto tono sobre Maheur me bat2:485Differencias sobre la gallarda milanesa2:276Tiento para harpa ó organo1:077Anchor que col partire3:048Pavana (con su glosa)2:479Quién llamo al partir partir2:1410Mort m'a privé par sa cruelle envie2:3811Tres "Sobre el canto Ilano de la alta"2:4012Tiento Cuarto tono3:2413Pour un Plaisir2:3114Romance "Para quien crie yo cabellos"1:4615Tiento Secondo tono1:4316Je suis ayme de la plus belle2:5517Cinque differencias sobre Las Vacas2:0918Doulce Memoire3:562012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 42 tracks · 2:19:57
Disc 11Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono3:052Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono1:153Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del sexto tono1:304Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del quinto tono4:435Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono1:486Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del tercero tono3:277Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del quinto tono2:088Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono4:039Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono2:2810Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono4:3411Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del primer tono2:2112Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del quarto tono sobre Malheur me bat2:3513Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del quarto tono5:2414Libro de cifra nueva: Tiento del sexto tono3:1315Obras de música: Tiento del segundo tono3:3916Obras de música: Tiento del quarto tono4:0517Obras de música: Tiento del primer tono4:5618Obras de música: Tiento sobre Qui la dira3:3419Obras de música: Tiento del segundo tono2:2920Obras de música: Tiento del quarto tono3:2221Obras de música: Tiento del octavo tono3:2322Obras de música: Tiento del quinto tono3:40Disc 21Obras de música: Tiento del primer tono2:082Obras de música: Tiento del sexto tono7:213Obras de música: Tiento sobre Cum Sancto Spiritu3:024Obras de música: Diferencias sobre las Vacas3:245Obras de música: Pavana italiana2:116Obras de música: Diferencias sobre la Gallarda Milanesa2:187Obras de música: Diferencias sobre el canto llano del Cavallero3:138Obras de música: Diferencias sobre la Pavana italiana3:519Obras de música: Diferencias sobre El canto de la dama le demanda2:3310Obras de música: Diferencias sobre el Villancico, de quién te me enojó Isabel6:0711Obras de música: Diferencias sobre las Vacas4:3612Obras de música: Otras diferencias de Vacas4:0013Obras de música: Duviensela3:5514Libro de cifra nueva: Sobre el canto llano de la alta2:1615Libro de cifra nueva: Para quién crié yo cabellos2:0216Libro de cifra nueva: Rugier Glosado De Antonio1:4917Libro de cifra nueva: Pavana2:2818Obras de música: Fuga a quatro todas las bozes por una, sexto tono3:4419Obras de música: Fuga a quatro sobre Ad Dominem cum Tribularer4:1320Musica Nova: Tiento del sexto tono (attrib. to A. de Cabezón in Libro de cifra nueva)3:042013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 1:12:37
1Obras de Musica: Ayme qui vouldra3:132Obras de Musica: Sana me domine5:573Obras de Musica: Prenez pitie3:084Obras de Musica: Je file quand Dieu me donne de quoi1:185Obras de Musica: Ultimi miei sospiri4:206Obras de Musica: Osanna (from Josquin des Prez’s Missa L’homme arme, sexti toni)3:267Obras de Musica: Au joli bois sur la verdure2:568Obras de Musica: Pis ne peult me venir3:119Obras de Musica: Pour un plaisir1:5810Obras de Musica: Susanne un jour4:0811Obras de Musica: Je prens en gre la dure mort2:5612Obras de Musica: Ardenti miei sospiri5:0513Obras de Musica: Obras de Musica: Ancor che col partire3:2114Obras de Musica: Cancion francesa1:4015Obras de Musica: Chi la dira2:4916Libro de Cifra Nueva: Pange lingua de Urreda2:3517Obras de Musica: Susanne un jour4:3718Obras de Musica: Doulce memoire4:1819Obras de Musica: Ave maris stella1:5820Obras de Musica: Pis ne peult me venir3:2421Obras de Musica: Pues a mi desconsolado3:0722Obras de Musica: Quien llamo al partir partir3:122013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 1:04:18
1Ultimi miei sospiri (I)3:532Ultimi miei sospiri (II)3:013Diferencias Sobre el Canto de "La Dama le Demanda"2:414Je prens en gre la dure mort2:065Je prens en gre la dure mort I2:506Pour un plaisir1:357Susanne ung jour (I)2:398Susanne ung jour (II)3:049Duuiensela3:2910Dont vient cela3:2311Doulce mémoire3:2212Ancor che col partire3:4513Diferencias Sobre la Gallarda Milanesa1:5114Prenez pitié2:1315Prenez pitié2:4916Je prens en gre la dure mort II2:5917Dormendo un giorno3:3318Diferencias Sobre el Canto del Cavallero2:4819Un gay bergier2:1320Qui la dira la peine de mon cœur2:0221Qui la dira la peine de mon cœur2:4822Ardenti miei sospiri5:14
Other · 3
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Spanische Instrumentalmusik zur Zeit Karl VSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 18 tracks · 50:101Himno XIX: Pange lingua IV3:10 2Pour un plaisir2:03 3Diferencias sobre 'La Dama le demanda'3:35 4Tiento II. Cuarto tono2:50 5Pavana con su glosa2:24 6Fabordones del sexto tono3:12 7Tiento VIII2:47 8Quien llamo al partir, partir?1:55 9Tres sobre la Alta1:50 10Un gay bergier2:43 11Diferencias sobre las Vacas2:38 12Tiento IX. Quinto tono2:45 13Para quien crié cabellos3:11 14Tiento XIII. Fuga A Cuatro2:16 15Tiento VII. Cuarto tono3:12 16Diferencias sobre la Pavan Italiana2:29 17Je file fille quant dieu me donne de quoy2:38 18Tiento III. Primer tono4:32 | 1986 | ||
| 2012 | Obras de Música - Complete EditionSearch SpotifySearch YouTube Music | 8 October 2012 | ||
| 2016 | The heart of silence Antonio de Cabezón Versos, Fabordones y CanciónesSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks · 1:15:491Fabordon y Glosas del octavo tono6:58 2Prenez pitie, Cancion glosada5:13 3Salmodia para el Magnificat4:35 4Hosanna (Intabulation of Josquin de Prez)4:26 5Benedictus (Intabulation of Josquin de Prez)3:05 6Variations about Cabezóns Fabordon del septimo tono8:29 7Salmodia para principantes: Versos del primer tono4:53 8Salmodia para principantes: Versos del segundo tono3:37 9Salmodia para principantes: Versos del tercer tono3:56 10Salmodia para principantes: Versos del quarto tono4:20 11Salmodia para principantes: Versos del quinto tono2:23 12Salmodia para principantes: Versos del sexto tono3:47 13Salmodia para principantes: Versos del septimo tono4:46 14Salmodia para principantes: Versos del octavo tono5:04 15Je prens en gre, Cancion glosada4:28 16Salmodia para el Magnificat5:49 | 2016 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Antonio de Cabezahueca head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 22 | 83.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 11 | 82.8th |
| Studio albums | 8 | 88.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 11 | 87.9th |
| Recording span (years) | -420 | 0.6th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
aliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d49caaa2-79bd-4591-97f3-4946694f9f45discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d49caaa2-79bd-4591-97f3-4946694f9f45core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q356953genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q356953seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Cabez%C3%B3nbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Cabez%C3%B3n
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
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Wikidata: Q356953 · MusicBrainz: d49caaa2-79bd-4591-97f3-4946694f9f45
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