Biography
Rodrigues Coelho, a composer of Portuguese origin, is thought to have pursued studies first at Elvas Cathedral and subsequently at Badajoz Cathedral. His historical weight stems not from duties performed for the King of Portugal but from the fact that his output represents the earliest surviving keyboard compositions and tabulations printed in Portugal. Recognition centers on the anthology Flores de musica pera o instrumento de tecla & harpa, which presents twenty tientos marked by imitative construction, the use of extended notes alongside active figurations, consonant harmonies, and full chords set against broken chords. Distinct motifs further separate the individual tientos from one another. The same volume also supplies settings of the Kyrie, Magnificat, Nunc Dimitis, the Spanish melody “Pange lingua,” and tabulations of four works by Lassus.