Scan 67
Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians,vol.5 L-m, 1900
32 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1LAS INFANTAS
3development of French comic opera, proceeded to full-length comédies mêlées d’ariettes, of which he is, together with Blaise and Duni, one of the earliest representatives. His chief works were ‘Les Arnans trompés’ (1756), ‘La Fausse Aventurière’ (1757), ‘Le Docteur Sangrado’ (with Duni, 1758), ‘Cendrillon’ (1759), ‘L’Yvrogne corrigé’ (1759) and ‘Le Guy de Chesne, ou La Feste des Druides’ (1763). The last-named was performed at the Comédie-Italienne, with which the Opéra-Comique had amalgamated in 1762, and Laruette continued as a member of the new company until 1779, when he retired and went to live in his native Toulouse. His last comic opera, ‘Les Deux Compères’ (3 Sept. 1772), had been a failure and he had then given up composing.
5Madame Laruette, formerly Mlle Villette (c. 1740–after 1793), whom he married in 1763, was a favourite singer and actress at the Opéra-Comique and Comédie-Italienne from her début on 9 Sept. 1758 until her retirement in 1779, who excelled in the parts of “jeunes Dugazon”. Laruette, who, in spite of his tenor voice, mostly acted and sang elderly tutors, fathers, etc., became so closely associated with those parts that his name was used for a long time to indicate the type.
7A. L.
9LAS INFANTAS, Fernando de (b. Córdoba, 1534; d. ? Paris, ?).
11Spanish composer and theologian. He came of a noble family. One of his ancestors, Don Juan Fernández de Córdoba, was appointed guardian to the three daughters of Peter the Cruel after his death at the battle of Montiel (1369). He conveyed two of the Infantas to Bayonne, then in English occupation, and both were married to English barons, Doña Constanza to John of Gaunt and Doña Isabel to Edmund Langley, his brother. Don Juan seems afterwards to have accompanied the Infantas to England; and in reward for these services his descendants were permitted to bear the name “de las Infantas”.
13Don Fernando de las Infantas grew up at a time when music was greatly encouraged at Córdoba, through the bishop, the Archduke Charles of Austria, who was himself a keen musician. His earliest known work is a motet for 5 voices, ‘Parce mihi Domine’, on the death of the Emperor Charles V (1558). In 1565 he composed a motet, ‘Congregati sunt’, to celebrate a victory over the Turks at Melilla. It is set for 7 voices, one of which sings independently, after the manner so much favoured by Morales. In the same way he celebrated the battle of Lepanto (1571) by a motet, ‘Cantemus Domino’, for 5 voices, one being independent. By this time he had migrated to Rome, where, in 1575, he composed a setting of Psalm XCIX for the “Anno Jubilei”; it is a monumental work for 6 voices, one of which (independent of the others) sings the theme treated in the same way by Morales in his cantata on the peace of Nice. Owing to his position Fernando de las Infantas was able to take a step which had some influence on the history of church music. Through his intervention the reform of the ‘Graduale Romanum’ was suspended. He wrote personally to Philip II on the matter, and definite instructions were sent to the Spanish ambassador.
15In 1578–79 Infantas published three books of motets, ‘Sacrarum variii styli cantionum’, at Venice, and a treatise on counterpoint entitled ‘Plura modulationum genera’. Then, in 1584, he took orders — a step caused, he said, through his buying and reading the Psalms of David. With this episode his artistic career ended. He left Rome “after 25 years continuous residence”, and in 1601 a ‘Tractatus de praedestinatione’ from his pen was published in Paris. As a member of the church he no longer found favour with the ecclesiastical authorities. In 1607, and again in 1609, he addressed memorials to Philip III, stating that he was in poor circumstances and desired some modest retreat in which he could end his long life. His musical works are as follows:
17‘Don Ferdinandi de las Infantas Patritij Cordubensis sacrarum variii styli cantionum tituli Spiritus Sancti’:
18Lib. I (4 voices). Venice, Gardano, 1578. (Madrid, Real Conservatorio, 3 part-books; cantus in Bibl. Nac., M. 1163.)
19Lib. II (5 v.). Venice, H. Scotus, 1578. (Augsburg.)
20Lib. III (6 v.). Venice, H. Scotus, 1579. (Augsburg.)
21‘Plura modulationum genera quae vulgo contrapuncta appellantur super excelsa gregoriano cantu, omnibus musicain profitentibus utilissima.’ Venice, H. Scotus, 1579. (Augsburg.)
23J. B. T.
25BIBL.—MITJANA, R., ‘Don Fernando de las Infantas: teólogo y músico’ (Madrid, 1918).
27LASERNA, Blas (b. Corella, Navarre, 4 Feb. 1751; d. Madrid, 8 Aug. 1816).
29Spanish composer. In 1779 he was appointed official composer to several of the Madrid theatres. He wrote music for a comedy by Ramón de la Cruz, ‘El café de Barcelona’, which was produced at Barcelona on 4 Nov. 1788. In 1790 he succeeded Esteve. His comic opera ‘La gitanilla por amor’ was produced at the Teatro de la Cruz in Madrid in 1791 with notable success, and it long retained its popularity, being revived in Madrid as late as 1843. On 9 Dec. 1792 he produced in Madrid the lyric scene ‘Idomeneo’, libretto by Comella. He composed an immense number of tonadillas, of which the Bibl. Nacional in Madrid possesses 13 vols. and the Bibl. Municipal many more in unbound manuscripts. He also wrote incidental music
311 The same libretto was some months later set by Gluck for Vienna.
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