Marko Ivan Lukaèiæ (Lucacich or Lucacih, Fr. Joannes de Sibinico) (* ?ibenik, 1575 ? - ? Split, September 20, 1648) was a Croatian-born renaissance musician and composer.
Biography
Lukaèiæ's exact date of birth is unknown, and in 1587 he was baptised in ?ibenik where it is believed he was born. Ten years later he entered the Franciscan order when he accepted his monastic name Ivan. In 1600 he was sent to Italy where he studied theology and music. In 1612 he has signed himself as baccalaureus, while at March 23, 1615 he awarded in Rome the degree of Magister Musices (master of music). In 1614 he participated as maestro di cappella at the feast of St Jerome in Croatian church in Rome. He returned to ?ibenik in 1618 and two years later he moved to Split, where he became prior of the Franciscan monastery in addition to being director of music at the Cathedral, where he lived until his death. While Lukaèiæ's sojourn in Italy is insufficiently documented, his engagement in Split, both as a prior and musician, left quite a records of first-class importance for the music life of that time in Dalmatia.
Works
Sacrae cantiones singulis binis ternis quaternis quinisque vocibus concinendae, Venezia, A. Gardano, 1620; 1 motet reprinted in Deliciae sacrae musicae? Quas ex lectissimo lectissimorum nostri aevi musicorum penu, quaternis vocibus, cum basso ad organum applicato, suavissime modulandas exprompsit? ac? publice posuit, Ioannes Reininger, Ingolstadt, 1626 (= RISM 1626/2); 5 motets reprinted in Promptuarii musici concentus ecclesiasticos CCXXXVI. selectimos, II. III. & IV. vocum. Cum basso continuo & generali, organo applicato, e diversis et praestantissimis Germaniae Italiae et aliis aliarum terrarum musicis collectos exhibens, pars tertia? Opera et studio Joannis Donfrid, scholae Neccaro Rottenburgicae, nec non ad D. Martini ibidem musices moderatoris, Strasbourg, 1627, vol 3 (= RISM 1627/1).
In 1620 Lukaèiæ published his only collection of motets Sacrae cantiones. According to the front page and dedication, Giacomo Finetti, at that time maestro di cappella at the church dei Frari in Venice, handed them to the Archbishop of Split. A total of 27 motets were probably written during Lukaèiæ?s long stay in Italy. Characteristic of his monodies are clear melodic lines and the simplicity of harmonic flow. Monodic motets such as Cantabo Domino, Sicut cedrus, Oscluletur me, which like the majority of the pieces from the collection resort to biblical texts or liturgical readings, are brilliantly balanced miniatures. Among two-part motets, Da pacem, Domine is of exceptional virtuosity, while three-part Domine, puer meus contains an oratorio like dramatic dialogue between Christ, the narrator, and centurion. Four-part Quam pulchra es has choral prima prattica sections, Gabrielian refrains in a dance-like rhythm, while solo parts are in new seconda prattica style. At the beginning of the 17th cent. new baroque style was already accepted in Dalmatia, and Split, where composers like T. Cecchini and M. Romano were active, was one of the most important musical center. Lukaèiæ achieved a fine synthesis of the early baroque Venetian church style and local traits. (Hide extended text)...(Read all)