Juan Bautista José Cabanilles

Spanish composer
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Quick Facts
Born:
Sept. 4, 1644, Algemesí, Valencia, Spain
Died:
April 29, 1712, Valencia (aged 67)

Juan Bautista José Cabanilles (born Sept. 4, 1644, Algemesí, Valencia, Spain—died April 29, 1712, Valencia) was a distinguished Spanish organist and composer for the organ. From 1665, he was the organist at the Valencia cathedral, and he was ordained a priest in 1668. He apparently travelled little, although his reputation spread as far as France, where he is known to have played.

His surviving works include many pieces for organ and the other keyboard instruments: tientos, toccatas, versos, pasacalles, gallardas. His style varies with the form used and ranges from the brilliant figuration of the toccatas to the dissonances of the tientos de falsas. It includes elements of Renaissance and Baroque styles.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.