The Portuguese Polyphony – Francisco Garro and Fernando de Almeida

From 1592 to 1623, when he died at the age of 66, Francisco Garro held the position of Master of the Royal Chapel in Lisbon under the patronage of King Phillip II of Spain. During the three decades, he was responsible for composing and compiling a vast range of both religious and secular music which contributed to the reputation of Lisbon as being at the forefront of late Renaissance culture.

In the tsunami which followed the earthquake of 1755 the great libraries of Portuguese heritage were swept away thus depriving us of some of the best works by European composers.

Included in the tragic loss were many of Garro´s finest pieces such as the Christmas and Vilancicos Epiphany responsories, masses and anthems. However, copies of other manuscripts were held in the libraries of the universities of Coimbra and Braga and these were later assembled in the British Library of London.

From these sources, we are fortunate to be presented this month with two new compilations. Together they provide an insight to the extraordinary versatility of Portuguese music in the early 17^th century.

The first release is on the Hyperion label (CDA684389) and was recorded in the Basílica do Bom Jesus, Braga by the much-praised Cupertinos singers under the direction of Luís Toscano. In 69 minutes it encompasses the two masses “O quam pulchre es” and “Cantate Dominum” plus five short pieces.

The second is presented by Delphian (DCD34305) whereby the voices and instrumentalists of Ensemble Pro Victoria are led by Toby Ward in a musical excursion of extracts from ancient part-books. Included are the Missa Maria Magdalena and the Missa Saeculorum (primi toni) in their complete glory plus five anthems and responses.

Examples of the innovations of early 17^th century Portuguese sacred music can also be heard on another Hyperion recording (CDA66867). It is devoted to “Holy Week at the Chapel of the Dukes of Braganza” and performed by A Capella Portuguesa conducted by Owen Rees. During 73 minutes it presents seventeen motets, hymns and lamentations. Some authors are anonymous but most of the pieces again represent music preserved by salvage from the 1755 earthquake.

Included are three pieces by Fernando de Almeida who was born in 1604 and thus a contemporary of Francisco Garro. From an early age he studied Latin and music at the Lisbon Cathedral where his teacher was the famous composer Duarte Lobo. At the age of fifteen he became an ordinand of the Order of Christ initially at the convento of Nossa Senhora da Luz in Carnide, Lisbon but soon transferred to the headquarters of the Order in Tomar. There he rose swiftly in the hierarchy being elected to the Chapter of the Convento de Cristo with the ecclesiastical rank of Visitor.

His accomplishments as a musician came to the notice of King John IV and in 1649 he was ordered back to Carnide where he assisted the “musical monarch” by entering his service as composer and choirmaster. A prodigious amount of work followed but much of this was also lost in the earthquake of 1755 when the Royal Chapel and Library were obliterated. However, in 1735 copyist Vicente Valentino had found in three large choir-books of polyphonic repertoire held in the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa some of the extant works of Fernado de Almeida. A study of these has enabled comparison with the contemporary work of Lourenço Rebelo (1610-1661) and their joint contribution of both composers to the transition from polyphony to the Baroque.

Tragically for him, Fernando de Almeida appears to have been politically at odds with the Order of Christ because, in 1659, he was put on trial accused of blasphemy and slander; having named the Prior of the Convent of Christ as being a sodomite. Despite intervention by D. Joâo, the power of the ecclesiastical court was too great and he was condemned to ten years imprisonment with a diet of only bread and water. He died on 26 April 1660 in a dungeon situated below the cattle barn. His naked body, infested with lice, was tossed, unshackled and without funeral rites, into a communal grave.

For a wider appreciation of the history of fascinating Renaissance music, I can recommend listening to the Hyperion recordings of the “Masterpieces of the Portuguese Polyphony” volumes 1 and 2 released in 2023 and 2024 under references 5813811 and 5814514. They are now available in digital format only or through the recently introduced streaming service of Presto Music.

An essay by Roberto Cavaleiro Tomar. 11 March 2026