Josep Escorihuela

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Josep Escorihuela, born in Morella in 1674 and later known in archival sources by the fuller form Jusep Agustí Norberto Escoriguela, was one of the most distinctive chapelmasters active in Catalonia and the Crown of Aragon during the early eighteenth century. A nephew of the older maestro Isidre Escorihuela, he belonged to a family deeply embedded in the regional musical tradition, and his early training was shaped by the polyphonic and instrumental practices of local cathedral chapels. His professional career began as a singer and versatile keyboard player, with documented ability on organ, spinet and related instruments, a combination that made him attractive to cathedral chapters seeking adaptable musicians. In 1695 he became maestro de capilla of Tarragona Cathedral, where he spent more than a decade directing the music chapel, teaching its boys and singers, and providing a steady supply of new music for the liturgical year. His success in Tarragona prepared the way for his appointment as maestro de capilla of Tortosa Cathedral in 1708, one of the most important musical posts in the region. Here he remained until his death in 1743, presiding over a smaller but energetic chapel that relied heavily on his ability both to compose and to train performers. Escorihuela’s surviving output is surprisingly large. More than a hundred works survive, almost all sacred, preserved primarily in the archive of Tortosa Cathedral, but also in other Aragonese and Catalan collections and e

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