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Cathedral Musical Archive

It is placed in the Cathedral archive though it has not an inaugural date.

It is as old as the Cathedral.
As worship was becoming more ceremonious, different masters came and left taking their own scores when leaving the job.

Thus, we can confirm that the oldest musical document belongs to the period between the 13th and 14th century: Epístoles farcides or with “farcia” (sung in Valencian)

Though it keeps works by many and different international and national composers like the Sevillian F. Guerrero (1528-1599) and Sebastián Aguilera de Heredia (1561-1627), composer and organist from Saragossa, the main compositions belong to the Cathedral organists, mainly those who achieved worldwide popularity. That is the case of Gines Pérez (1548-1600), Comes (1568-1643), Cabanilles (1644-1711), Ortells (1647-1706), Pradas (1689-1757), Rodríguez Monllor (1690-1760), Pons (1768-1818), Cabo (1768-1832), etc. that added 3.500 works up to the 20th century. (*)

Afterwards there have been lots of donations improving the archive with a considerable number of 19th century works, chiefly a great collection of organic works mostly from France

In addition to the polyphonic works, there are more than a hundred choral books with 18th century Gregorian chants or plainchants.

* Cf. Climent Barber, J., Fondos musicales de la Región Valenciana I. Catedral Metropolitana de Valencia, ( Musical archive of the Valencian Community I. Valencia Metropolitan Cathedral), Institute of Musicology, Alfonso the Magnanimous Institution. Valencia 1979; Orgens y organistes catedralicis de la Valencia del sigle XIX (19th century Valencia Cathedral organs and organists) Valencia 2002 and the texts published in the St. Vincent Ferrer Theology Faculty. Musicological series III: Valencian Cathedral composers)

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