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"Navarro, Juan. Liber in quo quatuor passiones Christi Domini continentur. 1604. Diego López Dávalos.
Folio. [4], 105 leaves on heavy paper. Near contemporary limp vellum, spine lettered in ink, somewhat faded, remnants of ties. Title page illustration mounted in facsimile, moderate worming occasionally affecting text, minor dampstaining, lacking illustrated final leaf, edges tinted red; early inscription on title page, early inscriptions on title page and final leaf.
First edition, rare and important for several reasons, this is the oldest music composed in the New World, the aim of which was to preach to the Native Population; it is also the only book on music printed in the 17th century in Mexico.
This work ‘has the distinction of being the first published book of music in the Americas of entirely original works’ (M. Werner, Concise Encyclopedia of Mexico, London: Taylor & Francis, 2015, p. 513) and the plain song ‘which makes up this book is the oldest printed music composed in the New World’ (JCB Library, Music in Colonial America: An exhibition opened at the John Carter Brown Library, November 14 1975, Providence, RI, 1975, p. 21).
It is discussed at length in Stevenson's "Music in Aztec & Inca Territory," pages 193-8. He notes that it was “designed for use in Indian missionary parishes under mendicant supervision" as evidenced by the endorsements Navarro secured, and was “the last Mexican publication to be printed in Gothic type.” Spanish colonial authorities continued the Aztec law practice of exempting singers and painters from paying tribute because of their service to the community in preserving the memory of past glories. As a result, the singers attached to the many Mexican temples passed easily into Christian service and the issue ‘of so big a book, consisting entirely of music, as did Juan Navarro’s 210-page Liber in quo quatuor passiones ..., reflects glory not merely on the Spaniard who compiled the music but also on the native tradition of choirs that created a public for such a book’ (Robert M. Stevenson, Music in Aztec and Inca Territory, University of California Press, 2023, p. 8).
The dealer Lathrop Harper, who handled a copy in 1968, believed this to be “the first music by a New World composer printed in the New World.”
A plainsong Passion account, with Latin text and musical notation of black square notes printed on red lines, designed to instruct the indigenous populations of Mexico into the Christian faith. It was composed by Navarro, based on the four Gospels, while at the Franciscan order’s Tlatelolco establishment in order to make them easily available to friars and native scholars.
The composer, also known as Juan Navarro Gaditanus (circa 1550-1610), was a Franciscan monk from Cádiz who wrote this setting of the four passions while in Michoacán.
The dealer Lathrop Harper, who handled a copy in 1968, believed this to be “the first music by a New World composer printed in the New World.”
It is discussed at length in Stevenson's "Music in Aztec & Inca Territory," pages 193-8. He notes that it was “designed for use in Indian missionary parishes under mendicant supervision" as evidenced by the endorsements Navarro secured, and was “the last Mexican publication to be printed in Gothic type.”
Illustrated title page and other illustrations, music leaves printed artfully in red and black.
BNM, Washington Univ. (not calling for an illustration at the end like this copy), Texas Christian Univ. (calling for the last leaf with an illustration, the only copy registered as having sold at auction, Swann 2019), Texas Austin (Benson, calling for the illustrated leaf), Huntington, Indiana, Morgan, University of Notre Dame, DIBAM, BL (defective), ITES.
Medina, Mexico 218; Palau 188254; Sabin 52112."--Vendor's description.
The Cushing Library/Colonial Mexican Collection copy lacks the final unnumbered leaf (chi2) mentioned in the catalog record.
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