Pedro de Araújo (c. 1630-1707) is an important figure in Portuguese keyboard music of the late 17th century. His oeuvre consists of a total of 13 keyboard works, one of them with merely attributed authorship. These have come down to us through two manuscript sources in Portuguese collections: the Livro de obras de Orgaõ juntas pella coriosidade de Fr. Roque da Conceição, a source dated 1696, and the Livro de Obras de Órgão, a source compiled in the 17th and 18th centuries and originating in the Bouro Monastery (Braga). De Araújo’s output covers the genres that were in vogue in his day on the Iberian Peninsula (e.g. Batalha, Tento, Meio Registo, Fantasia) and which constituted the traditional repertoire of Iberian keyboard players in the service of ecclesiastical institutions.
The Batalha do 6º Tom and the [Susana] do 2º Tom hark back to the 16th century tradition of intabulating existing vocal works, the former based on the chanson ‘La Guerre’ by Clement Janequin, the latter on ‘Susane un jour’ by Orlando di Lasso, a famous vocal work throughout Europe and the target of many other composers’ intabulations.
The Phantasias, Obras and Tentos fall within the stylistic sphere of the tento (Spanish: tiento), an Iberian genre characterised by contrapuntal writing and multiple contrasting sections. In them De Araújo displays his mastery at weaving contrapuntal lines and varying the thematic material. The Consonâncias de 1º Tom corresponds stylistically to a tento de falsas (Sp.: tiento de falsas / It.: durezze e ligature), with the work developing in a succession of dissonances. The Passo solto de 7º Tom is a work entirely in triple meter with a succession of iambic rhythms reminiscent of the vilancico style.
Other information:
- Recorded January 2023, Mosteiro de Arouca, Portugal
- Bilingual booklet in English and Portuguese contains liner notes by Hélder Sousa, a profile of the organist, and the organ specifications
- Pedro de Araújo was a Portuguese organist and composer who worked with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Braga, northern Portugal. He was singing master at the Conciliar Seminary of St. Peter and St. Paul in Braga between 1663 and 1668, and second organist at Braga Cathedral until 1665. Like Juan Cabanilles, he was one of the last representatives of the traditional Iberian organ style.
- Araújo's organ works are characterized by their intricate ornamentation, expressive harmonies, and rhythmic vitality. They evoke a sense of spiritual grandeur, often being performed in sacred settings. His compositions, such as the Tento and the Batalha, continue to be celebrated for their beauty and historical significance, serving as a window into the musical treasures of 17th-century Portugal.
- Played on the Manuel Benito Gómez de Herrera (1739) organ at the Mosteiro de Arouca, Portugal, a fine historical instrument perfectly suited to this music. The technical details of the organ are included in the booklet.
- Rui Fernando Soares is one of the foremost keyboard players of Portugal. In 2008 he attended at the International Organ Festival of Haarlem (Netherlands) where he worked with Prof. Bernard Winsemius. In 2012 he concluded his Master's degree in Early Music at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with a “Cum Laude” distinction. There he studied organ Prof. Pieter van Dijk and harpsichord with Prof. Tileman Gay. At the same time, he studied under the guidance of Prof. Ton Koopman.
