componist

Mel, Rinaldo del

Nationaliteit: ca. 1554

Rinaldo del Mel was a Franco-Flemish composer, singer and chapel master in the 16th century. He was born in Mechelen (now Belgium) around 1554. In 1562 he entered the choir school of the Cathedral of St. Rombout in his birth town. He studied with Severin Cornet. After school in 1573 he moved to Portugal (Lisbon) to the court of Sebastian of Portugal after whose death he was in the service of Henry of Portugal, who also died very soon, in 1580. Del Mel went on to Rome where he published his first book of motets in 1581. He was employed by Cardinal Gabriel Paleotti, who sent him to Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina for further education. After a few deviations (Chieti, Rieti) he went back to Rome, and a series of short services in L’ Aguila, Magliano, Sabina and Venice (1587).
In 1587 he went back north to be employed by Ernst of Bavaria in the St. Lambert Cathedral of Liège. This post he did not keep long either: in 1591 he was back in Rome, working for the same cardinal Paleotti who died in 1597. One assumes that Del Mel kept working for Paleotti until then. In 1597 Del Mel published eight French chansons in Le Rossignol musical at Pierre Phalèse in Antwerp. After that year no records are found on his life and work.

Cees Wagemakers, 2024.