Adrian Willaert was perhaps the most influential composer
between Josquin des Prez and Palestrina. As a composer, he is considered the
founder of the Venetian School. From his commanding position as maestro di cappella of St. Mark's in
Venice, Willaert's style held sway
over northern Italy, and influenced successive generations of composers whose
further innovations during the late Renaissance would ultimately lead to the
first developments toward the burgeoning Baroque period of the late sixteenth
and early seventeenth centuries. He was also equally renowned as a teacher.
Willaert's reputation resulted in an influx of composers into northern Italy
who wished to study with him. Among his pupils were Cipriano de Rore, Gioseffo
Zarlino, and Andrea Gabrieli.
Willaert was born around 1490 at Rumbeke in modern-day
Belgium. According to Zarlino, he first attended to study law in Paris, but
ultimately decided to pursue music. In the French capital, he met Jean Mouton,
the principal composer of the French royal court, and studied with him. Around
1515, Willaert travelled to Rome, but by July of that year was in the service
of the Cardinal Ippolito I d'Este of Ferrara. Willaert likely accompanied
Ippolito in his many travels, and consequently was probably in Hungary from
1517 to 1519. Following Ippolito's death in 1520, he entered the service of
Duke Alfonso of Ferrara. By 1525, he was in Milan in the employ of Ippolito II
d'Este.
In 1527, Willaert was appointed maestro di cappella of St. Mark's, a post which he held until his
death in 1562. He significantly raised the standards of music at the cathedral, which had suffered under his predecessor, and
soon composers flocked to Venice to study with Willaert. Making use of the
cathedral's two choir lofts, each supplied with an organ, Willaert made popular
the antiphonal style that would further be developed at the hands of the
Gabrielis. Willaert died on December 7, 1562.
Adrian Willaert
Biography
Adrian Willaert was perhaps the most influential composer between Josquin des Prez and Palestrina. As a composer, he is considered the founder of the Venetian School. From his commanding position as maestro di cappella of St. Mark's in Venice, Willaert's style held sway over northern Italy, and influenced successive generations of composers whose further innovations during the late Renaissance would ultimately lead to the first developments toward the burgeoning Baroque period of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. He was also equally renowned as a teacher. Willaert's reputation resulted in an influx of composers into northern Italy who wished to study with him. Among his pupils were Cipriano de Rore, Gioseffo Zarlino, and Andrea Gabrieli.
Willaert was born around 1490 at Rumbeke in modern-day Belgium. According to Zarlino, he first attended to study law in Paris, but ultimately decided to pursue music. In the French capital, he met Jean Mouton, the principal composer of the French royal court, and studied with him. Around 1515, Willaert travelled to Rome, but by July of that year was in the service of the Cardinal Ippolito I d'Este of Ferrara. Willaert likely accompanied Ippolito in his many travels, and consequently was probably in Hungary from 1517 to 1519. Following Ippolito's death in 1520, he entered the service of Duke Alfonso of Ferrara. By 1525, he was in Milan in the employ of Ippolito II d'Este.
In 1527, Willaert was appointed maestro di cappella of St. Mark's, a post which he held until his death in 1562. He significantly raised the standards of music at the cathedral, which had suffered under his predecessor, and soon composers flocked to Venice to study with Willaert. Making use of the cathedral's two choir lofts, each supplied with an organ, Willaert made popular the antiphonal style that would further be developed at the hands of the Gabrielis. Willaert died on December 7, 1562.