Sebastián Durón

Sebastián Durón (christened on 19 April, in Brihuega, Guadalajara, Spain 1660 – 3 August 1716 in Cambo-les-Bains, France)was a Spanish composer.

Sebastián Durón was, with Antonio de Literes, the greatest Spanish composer of stage music of his time. He was born in Brihuega, Guadalajara, Spain, and was taught by his brother Diego Durón, also a composer. Sebastian served as organist and choirmaster at various cathedrals (Seville, Cuenca, El Burgo de Osma, Plasencia) until in 1691 he was appointed master of the Royal Chapel of King Charles II in Madrid. He remained in this position until 1706, when he was suspended because of expressing support for Archduke Charles of Austria during the War of Spanish Succession, which ended with the victory of Bourbon King Philip V. Durón was forced into exile in France, from where he returned briefly in 1714 to serve as a musician to the Dukes of Osuna. In 1715 he returned permanently to Bayonne, France as chaplain to the exiled queen Mariana of Neuburg, the widow of Charles II, to whom he officiated in her scandalous remarriage to the son of a barrel-maker. He died in 1716 of tuberculosis at Cambo-les-Bains, Aquitaine, France.

Although Durón composed many sacred pieces, and these and his villancicos were taken to the New World, his main influence was in the zarzuela.

Father Benito Jerónimo Feijoo (1676–1764) criticised Durón, compared to Literes, for the worldliness of his compositions.

• 1696 Salir el amor del mundo (libretto by José de Cañizares). Zarzuela in 2 acts.
• 1697 Muerte en amor es la ausencia (libretto by ).
• c. 1698 Selva encantada de amor. Zarzuela in 2 acts.
• 1700 La guerra de los gigantes. 1 act.
• c. 1699 Apolo y Dafne (libretto by José Benavides). Zarzuela in 3 acts (act 2 contains the music of Navas).
• 1710 El imposible mayor en amor, le vence amor (libretto by Francisco Bances Candamo and José de Cañizares). Comedy in 2 acts.
• 1711 22 January Veneno es de amor la envidia (libretto by Antonio de Zamora, possibly with the participation of José Cañizares). Zarzuela in 2 acts: Madrid.
• 1711 25 December Las nuevas armas de amor (libretto by José de Cañizares). Zarzuela in 2 acts: Madrid.

• Tonadas (Songs), Raquel Andueza. Naxos.
• selections on Barroco Español, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, by Al Ayre Español, cond. Eduardo Lopéz Banzo. DHM
• La Guerra de los Gigantes -- A Corte Musical, Rogério Concalves Pan Classics, 2013
• Lágrimas, Amor - Arias for Soprano -- Eva Juárez, A Corte Musical, Rogério Concalves Pan Classics, 2016