The music fonds of the cathedral of Girona (GirC) is part of the Chapter Archive of the Cathedral of Girona. It is conserved in the Diocesan Archive of Girona (ADG) in 113 archival boxes which contain 1,952 music records divided into five collections of musical repertoire: 1,248 “authored manuscripts”, 439 “anonymous manuscripts”, 89 “choir books”, 7 “polyphony books” and 169 “printed items”. The “authored manuscripts” collection contains 543 works written for the church celebrations at the cathedral composed by its chapel masters and organists between the 17th and 20th centuries, including J. Verdalet, J. Gas, F. Soler, A. Gaudí, T. Milans, E. Gònima, F. Juncà, J. Balius, D. Arquimbau, J. Pons, R. Compta, J. J. Lleys, F. Crehuet, P. Baltasar, J. Carreras, J. Casademont, M. Rué, J. Perramon, J. Colomer and F. Civil. The same collection contains the repertoire by masters working in the cathedral of Barcelona and the large parishes of Santa Maria del Mar, Santa Maria del Pi and the Palau de la Comtessa, as well as in the cathedrals of Vic, Tarragona, Tortosa, La Seu and Lleida, and the Boys’ Choir of Montserrat. The receipt of the Baroque and classical international ecclesiastic repertoire is represented by the Stabat Mater by G. B. Pergolesi and F. J. Haydn, two of whose symphonies are also conserved. Likewise, the presence of two symphonies by I. Pleyel and C. Stamitz, four by the Lisbon native Joao Pedro de Almeida and two by Ramon Carnicer, a copy from the first third of the 19th century, are worth highlighting.

The “anonymous manuscripts” collection contains ecclesiastic repertoire in Latin and Romance , and instrumental music, including a collection of dances and a miscellany with 59 ricercatas copied in 1709. The “choir books” collection stands out for the scope and neatness of its contents: 89 volumes are conserved, 20 of them copied between the 15th and 16th centuries. The “polyphony books” collection is made up of 7 books of polyphony from the 17th to 18th centuries, including the copy of a Requiem for 4 by Joan Pujol, as well as the Palm Sunday and Good Friday Passions, the hymn Vexilla Regis and a mass by the same author, along with a Kyrie and two Passions by Josep Gas from 1691. The “printed music” collection attests to the influx of the international Renaissance repertoire, with a notebook of Altus with polyphony by Giovanni Matteo Asola, Ercole Zappano and Girolamo Belli printed in Venice by Ricciardo Amadino between 1586 and 1588; a copy of the motets for 5 by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina printed in Venice by Girolamo Scotto in 1603; and a copy of the instrumental repertoire of the ARMONICI / CONCENTI / A suono unico acuto, e suo continuo graue by Francesco Maria Lelli published in Rome in 1691.

With regard to the repertoire of the masters from the other music centres in the city of Girona, GirC contains compositional repertoire by the masters of Sant Feliu and Santa Susanna del Mercadal, as well as 41 works by masters and organists from Santa Maria in Castelló d’Empúries, Sant Pere in Figueres, Sant Genís in Torroella de Montgrí, Sant Esteve in Olot and Sant Joan de les Abadesses, which were part of the radius or sphere of influence of the chapel of the cathedral of Girona between the 17th and 19th centuries. The process of cataloguing the fonds of the cathedral of Girona was carried out in different stages between 2003 and 2018.¹

¹GREGORI I CIFRÉ, Josep Maria. Inventaris del fons musicals de Catalunya. Volum 10: Fons de la Catedral de Girona. Barcelona: UAB - IEC, 2019.

Fonds Factsheet

Acronym: GirC

IFMuC Link: https://ifmuc.uab.cat/collection/GirC?ln=en

Title: Fonds of the Cathedral of Girona

Archive and location:
Arxiu Capitular de la Catedral Girona
Arxiu Diocesà de Girona (Diocesan Seminary's building, third floor)
Pujada de Sant Martí, 12
17004 Girona

Contact:
Joan Naspleda, ADG Director
Albert Serrat i Joan Vilar, ADG's archivists
Tel: 972 487 346
Email: info@arxiuadg.org

Date(s): 15th to 20th centuries

Extent and medium: 113 box files and 89 choral books

Creators:
Chapel masters and organists of the Cathedral de Girona

Download the complete fonds factsheet HERE

Josep Maria Gregori during the final stretch of the cataloguing of GirC Fonds, in a specially prepared room at the ADG. Juny 2018