Antonio Rodríguez de Hita

Antonio Rodríguez de Hita (18 January 1722 – 21 February 1787) was a Spanish composer. Life Rodríguez was born at Valverde de Alcalá. He became maestro de capilla at Palencia Cathedral (c.1740-c.1757) and at the Royal Convent of La Encarnación, Madrid. His father, Marcos Rodríguez del Mercado, a schoolteacher at Corpa Madrid, forced him to study at the college of the Cathedral of Alcalá de Henares, where he studied Latin, music theory, plainchant, organ and composition. Early in August 1738, he was named second organist in the cathedral and in September was appointed maestro de capilla through open competition. Rodríguez took holy orders later. His earliest known works are the Vespers for 2 choirs written in the old style, 1740. In August 1744 he became maestro de capilla at Palencia Cathedral. In 1747 he was ordained priest and remained at Palencia until at death of José Mir y Lusa, maestro at the Royal Convent of La Encarnación, Madrid. While at Palencia he wrote the treatise Diapasón instructivo (1757) in which he promoted the French and Italian homophonic styles over the old Spanish style. In 1765 Rodríguez was named Mir’s replacement and moved to Madrid in 1765. At this point