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Sol-ra de Pedro iy Manuel de Sumaya Edrred by Craig H. Russell © Craig H. Russel, 1993 Manuel de Sumaya Manuel de Sumaya was bom in or near Mexico City around 1678 and is cited in the Capitular Acts of the Mexico City Cathedral as a creollo—a term used in the eighteenth-century Spanish colonies to designate someone who was at least half Native American. His name first appears in the Capitular Acts on 25 May, 1694, where he is praised as a graduating child singer, a fine organist, and a member of Los seis. If the term seis had the same implications in Mexico City as it did in Seville, we could assume that Sumaya was one of the young boys chosen to dance before the altar during the Feast of Corpus Christi. He studied organ at the Cathedral under José de Ydiéquez, who was the principal organist at the cathedral in the late seventeenth century. Sumaya's talents also encompassed literary skills; he authored an original play, El Rodrigo, that was printed in 1708. ‘The distinguished chapel master Antonio de Salazar taught the young Sumaya counterpoint lessons and eventually selected his promising pupil as his assistant at the Mexico City Cathedral in 1710. This appointment annoyed Sumaya's jealous colleague Francisco de Atienza—who had himself been Salazar's assistant before the more talented Sumaya had arrived on the scene. The older Atienza grumbled that he and had been passed over unfairly, since he had seniority over the younger Sumaya. Together, Salazar and Sumaya authored a series of motets of exquisite beauty: in each work, the mentor Salazar composed the prima pars and the student ‘Sumaya completed the piece with an appropriate secunda pars. When Salazar’s eyesight eventually failed him in 1715, Sumaya won the vacated post of Chapel Master of the Mexico City Cathedral. He composed the "Sol-fa de Pedro" as part of the exams that won him that post. Sumaya revealed a mastery of many styles; he was equally comfortable composing Renaissance ‘counterpoint or Baroque concerted works. He built up the string orchestra resources of the Cathedral in 1734 and further strengthened the size and quality of its orchestra in 1736, hiring violins, violas, cellos, basses, clarion trumpets, and other instruments. In addition to the stunning sacred works he composed for the Cathedral, Sumaya distinguished himself as an opera composer. The new Viceroy of Mexico, the Duke of Linares, was so impressed with Sumaya's talents that he pressed the musician into his service. Sumaya composed Partenope—the first opera to be composed by a ‘musician from the New World!—for a spectacle that took place in the Duke's Viceroyal Palace on 1 May, 1711. When Sumaya's best friend, Tomas Montafio, was appointed the new Bishop of Oaxaca in 1736, ‘Sumaya was torn between following his friend to Oaxaca or continuing as the Chapel Master of the Mexico City Cathedral. In 1739, friendship overpowered the prestige and attraction of the Cathedral; Sumaya abandoned Mexico City in order to join Montafio at Oaxaca as his personal chaplain. The Mexico City Cathedral did not lose Sumaya's talents without a protest. Repeatedly they sent envoys to Oaxaca to beg and plead that Sumaya return to the Cathedral—but to no avail. Sumaya stayed in Oaxaca for his remaining years. After Montafio's death on 24 October, 1742, Sumaya was offered the post of Chapel Master in Oaxaca along with the ‘accompanying obligation of teaching the choirboys. The Oaxaca Cathedral mustered the high salary of 400 pesos through patching together various financial resources from several different places. Sumaya died on 21 December, 1755 in Antequera Valle de Oaxaca. Some confusion surrounds the correct spelling of his name. The Capitular Acts of the Mexico City Cathedral consistently use the spelling "Zumaya.” The composer himself invariably signed his own name "Sumaya.” His works are preserved in archives in Mexico City, Oaxaca, Morelia, Guatemala City, and Chicago. Sumaya's "Sol-fa de Pedro” is found as manuscript 833 in the Music Archive of the Guatemala City Cathedral. Sol-Fa de Pedro Manuel de Sumaya Estribillo Sol-fa de Pedro es el llanto Oiga el mundo si es asi. Pues saben unir los gorjeos de sus voces lo duro de su sentir del cromatico explicar del blando el duro herir que en el llanto dice Pedro. He hallado lo que perdi al sol la vez que lloré porque me alumbré él a mi. Copla 1 Vengan, vengan a oir, veran el entonar en el gemir. Vengan a oir del contrapunto lo dulce y subtil del sol Ia vez que lloré porque me alumbré él a mi. Copla 2 Desde el ut la pena mia me subié cuando caf ala mi perdida gloria y am¥ la gloria sin fin. Peter's solfeggio is the lament. Let the world listen to see if it isn’t so. Since the warbling of its voices knows how to unite, the harshness of his feeling, by the chromatic explanation of the tender and harsh beating that Peter describes in his lament. Thave found what I lost to the sun the time that I cried because he enlightened me. Come, come and hear, you will see the song in the lament. Come and hear from the counterpoint the sweetness and subtlety of the sun the time I cried because he enlightened me. From the ut (depths of) my sorrow when I fell, he raised me up to my lost glory, to my glory without end. translated by Astrid T. Russell

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