Nebra (Blasco), José (Melchor de)

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Nebra (Blasco), José (Melchor de)

Nebra (Blasco), José (Melchor de), Spanish composer; b. Catalayud, Zaragoza (baptized), Jan. 6, 1702; d. Madrid, July 11, 1768. He studied with his father, José (Antonio) Nebra (b. La Hoy [baptized], Nov. 23, 1672; d. Cuenca, Dec. 4, 1748), maestro de capilla of Cuenca Cathedral (1729–48). He became principal organist of the royal chapel and of the Descalzas Reales Convent in Madrid (1724), where he was made deputy director of the royal chapel and head of the royal choir school (1751). Together with Literes, he was engaged to reconstruct and compose new music when the archives of the Royal Chapel were destroyed in the fire of 1734. He was a prolific composer, numbering among his works about 20 operas and a great deal of sacred music. His Requiem for Queen Barbara (1758) is reproduced in Eslava’s Lira Sacro-Hispana.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire

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