Joan Baptista

Joan Baptista Comes

Valencia , 1582
Valencia , 1643

Composer and Performer

Composer and Kapellmeister

He was a chorister at Valencia's Cathedral (1594-1596) and was later appointed organist at Sueca (1602), tenor of the music chapel of the Cathedral in Lleida (1603), assistant Kapellmeister of the Col·legi Corpus Christi of Valencia (1608) and Kapellmeister of the cathedral of Valencia (1613). In 1618 he moved to Madrid, where he served as the second Kapellmeister of Capilla Real. On his return to Valencia, in 1628 he was again in charge of the chapel of Corpus Christi, and finally obtained the same position in the cathedral (1632-1643). As a composer, he cultivated all the genres of religious vocal music of his time, including villancets, with an extant output of over 200 works. Particularly relevant are his polychoral works for up to sixteen voices, and his use of counterpoint. He has been considered one of the main figures of the Baroque in Valencia.