(b Palma de Mallorca, Aug 25, 1649; d Madrid, Oct 25, 1722). Spanish guitarist, singer, composer and priest. In 1659 he was admitted to the royal chapel in Madrid as a cantorcico (choirboy) and became a cantor (adult chorister) in 1669. From 1693 to 1701 he was chamber musician and maestro de capilla of the Colegio de Niños Cantores. His loyalty to Philip of Anjou was rewarded in 1700 when he was made a chaplain in the royal chapel. His brother Gabriel (?1653–1720) was also a singer.
Guerau’s Poema harmónico compuesto de varias cifras por el temple de le guitarra española (Madrid, 1694/R) includes 27 compositions and an introduction to the principles of tablature notation and ornamentation. The pieces are all variation sets of various types. Most are passacalles, but there are also other typically Spanish dances (jácaras, marizápalos, españoletas, folías etc.). Guerau’s style is characterized by its sobriety and by the use of ...
