Ignacio Jerusalem
Ignacio de Jerusalem was a composer of Novohispanic Baroque music. Jerusalem was born Ignazio Gerusalemme on June 3, 1707 in Lecce, Italy. His father was Matteo Gerusalemme, a Neapolitan who had moved to Lecce in 1689 to become chapel master. One of eleven children, Jerusalem studied the violin extensively in Italy before moving in 1732 to the Spanish port city of Cádiz. Establishing himself as a virtuoso of the instrument, he performed regularly at the Coliseo de Cádiz, the city's preeminent theatre. Jerusalem was soon known as the "musical marvel" for his uncanny musical talents. In 1742, Josef Cárdenas, the administrator of the Royal Hospital of Indigenous Citizens in Mexico City, arrived in Cádiz to recruit talent for the Coliseo de México, a theatre whose proceeds supported the hospital. Cárdenas reasoned that better talent would lead to bigger theatre audiences and more funds for the hospital. He persuaded a number of music and dance talents, including Jerusalem, to return to Mexico City with him to perform at the theatre. Jerusalem began directing the musical activities at the Coliseo de México soon after he arrived. By 1746, he was earning commissions from the Catedral de México and teaching at the Colegio de Infantes (Infants College). In 1749, the cathedral ended the tenure of its lackluster chapel master, Domingo Dutra, and announced it would seek a more able leader. Jerusalem auditioned for the post. The jury, steeped in traditional musical forms, resisted the modernity and eclecticism of his compositions but ultimately confirmed him as the new chapel master.
Violinist and composer
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