Franciscus [Francisco] Bustamante {Paul IV-Pius IV}
Soprano; Palencia; formerly in the Cappella Giulia (September 1545-May 1546); in the chapel of the Duke of Alba, Viceroy of Naples, February 1558; admitted 27April 1558; mandati : April 1558-September 1565 (there is a cross next to his name in this list); died 18 August 1565 [VatS 681, fol. 77r].
The entrance of Bustamante and his nephew Hernando was the cause of some problems. The two had been brought from Naples on the order of Paul IV, who intimated to the singers in March 1558 that he was doing so because there was a lack of sopranos; the singers agreed to this, except for Giovanni Antonio Merlo and Giovanni Luigi de Episcopis . On 20 April 1558, the audition took place; this time Merlo and Niccolò Clinca refused outright to vote on the candidates, who were admitted anyway in obedience to a direct papal order a week later. This dispute probably had nothing to do with the abilities of the Bustamantes; that the recalcitrant singers were Italians ( Merlo the Roman joined by two Neapolitans) implies that this was another of the "turf" disputes among the "nations" of the chapel. What the Italians probably really objected to was the introduction of two more Spanish singers into the choir. Pope Paul IV was not pleased when he heard about the insubordination, and he ordered Merlo and Clinca expelled from the choir. However, the singers managed to get the punishment reduced to stiff fines to be given to charity (16 ducats for Merlo, 32 ducats for Clinca); after Merlo and Clinca had paid the fines, they were formally readmitted to the chapel on 23 July 1558.
DOCUMENTS
DS 5
fol. 93r: entry dated 5 March 1558 [CASIMIRI (1938), p. 133]
Hac die fuit congregatio per dominos cantores presente Magistro Capelle et tractarunt de hacipiendo cantores procter penuriam pars sopranis: et omnes simul praeter Joannes Luysius et Joannes Antonius concluderunt cum voluntatem Sanctissimi, ut veniret ex Neopoly Bustamantem et Ferdinandem suum nepotem.
fols. 98r-98v: entry dated 20 April 1558 [CASIMIRI (1938), p. 135]
Hac dies fuit congregatio per dominos cantores, presente Magistro cappelle et omnes. Tractarunt super haceptationem Fancisci et Ferdinandi di Bustamante: et facto examine secundum consuetudinem nostram omnes ibi presentes botarunt dictos cantores et aprobarunt per bonos et sufficientes, preter N. Clinca et Joannes Antoniusque nullo modo voluerum obedire D. Magistro nec Collegium nec hacipere fabas da botandum illos secundum ordinem et Constitutiones nostras: et postea R.D. Magistro et Collegium propter inobedientiam publice dixerunt ut illis nunquam in hacipiendo cantoribus habuissem botum, et postea volendo inter eos facere congregationem et facto per istos cantores R.do D. Magistro et collegium ad munerunt N. Clinca et Joannes Antonius ut exirem foras, et illos sine verecundia nec temorem numquam voluerunt: Postea R.do D. Magistro et cantoribus exierum: et cum tota mente et annimo ad S.mum P.em ascenderum.
fol. 99r: entry dated 21 Aptil 1558 [CASIMIRI (1938), p. 136]
Finito officio fuerunt congregati cantores super de electione fatta in favorem Franciscii et Ferdinandi de Bustamante et interrogarunt D. Hieronimum d. Vincentium et D. Annellum que non fuerunt in congregatione facta que sibi videbitur de dictis cantoribus et illis responderunt ut sibi vidibitur bonos et sufficientes: et plenam vocem confirmarunt electio fatta et botarunt in favorem dicti Francisci et Ferdinandi de Bustamante.
fol. 100r: entry dated 27 April 1558 [CASIMIRI (1938), p. 136]
Hac dies fuit congregatio per dominos cantores presente Magistro Cappelle super admissione dictos cantores et R.d Magistro Cappelle fecit legere motum proprium Sanctissimi et plena voce omnes contentus obededierunt mandatum Sanctissimi et cum ceremoniis et juramentis consuetis D. Magistro induit eos roquetus et cum illis incipierunt servire.
fol. 110v: entry dated 23 July 1558 [CASIMIRI (1938), p. 201]
Hodie fuerunt congregati cantoribus presente Magistro Cappelle et ad instantiam Ill.mi R.mi Cardinalis Garaffa, concesserunt cassare decretta et processo fatto contra N. Clinca et Joannes Antonius.
138r-138v: entry dated 1559 [CASIMIRI (1938), pp. 285-286]
Retulit item dictus R.mus quod sua Sanctitatis declaraverat et voluit expulsos esse a capella et mandato salariorum ipsius predicto, Dominos Joannem Antonium Merlum et Nicolaum Clinca, propter inobedientias contra magistrum et collegium predictum per eos et quemlibet ipsorum hactenus commissas neque aliquem ex supra dictis quinque expulsis, ulterius in dicta capella admitti debere quia Sanctitati sue placuit hec ita committere et mandare.
[These actions were contested by the singers who made a special plea for Merlo and Clinca, stating that a fine was a more appropriate punishment in their case.]
Et quia de inobedientia Jo. Antonii Merla et Nicolai Clinca contra magistrum et collegium predictos in capella commissa, Collegium ipsum una cum dicto magistro mulctavit et penavit eundem Jo. Antonium Merla in salario duorum mensium, et Nicolaum in salario quatuor mensium hospitali incurabilium Sancti Jacobi de Urbe applicando etc. Privavitque eosdem Merlum et Clincam ab omnibus regalibus de cetero, ipsius ratione dicte capelle tangentibus nec non a congregationibus de cetero celebrandis prout hec apparent per acta d. Jo. Bargini notarij pubblici Regentis apostolice, sub die 28 aprilis 1558, et sic delictum ipsorum fuit et est purgatum; quamvis postea die 23 julii sequentis per vim et metum R.mi Cardinalis Caraffe fuerunt remissi ad dictas congregationes, et ad regalia percipienda ut prius, de consensu dicti collegii.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: CELANI, p. 753; CASIMIRI ; FREY, Die Diarien, p. 143; OWENS, Jessie Ann. Review of Anthony NEWCOMB, The Madrigal at Ferrara 1579-1597. Early Music History 1 (1981), p 374.