July 17, 2017. Music of High Renaissance.With the dearth of prominent composers born this week, we’ll celebrated three great masters of the Renaissance whose birthdays remain unknown to music historians.Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was born around 1525, Orlando di Lasso (or Orlande de Lassus, as his name is sometimes spelled) – in 1530 or 1532, and Tomás Luis de Victoria – in 1548.Even though Palestrina was the only Italian among the three (Lasso was Flemish, born in Mons, County of Hainaut, while Victoria was Spanish), Rome was the place were all three had lived and thrived artistically.Also, all three were influenced by the music of their Franco-Flemish predecessors, Josquin des Prez in particular.Palestrina, the great master of polyphony, was born in the town of the same name (“da Palestrina” means “from Palestrina”).In 1537, he was a chorister at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome but then had to return to Palestrina.His career didn’t take off till 1551, when Pope Julius III, the former Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina, heard his music and appointed him maestro di cappella of the Cappella Giulia, one of the papal choirs at Saint Peter’s Basilica.In January of 1555 Palestrina was promoted to the Sistine Chapel, the pope’s official musical chapel.Unfortunately, just three months later Julius III died.Marcellus II became the pope (you can read about Palestrina’s famous Missa Papae Marcelli here) but he died three weeks later.The next pope, Paul IV, dismissed Palestrina from the Basilica as the composer was married (previous popes were happy to overlook this predicament).In October of the same year Palestrina was appointed maestro di cappella at the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, a position previously held by Lasso.In 1560, he moved to another great basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore.He returned to Saint Peter’s Capella Giulia in 1571 and remained there for the rest of his life.Palestrina died on February 2nd of 1594.He wrote more than 100 masses, 300 motets and 140 madrigals.Here’s one of his motets, Sicut Cervus, performed by the Cambridge Singers, John Rutter conducting.
While Palestrina had lived in just two cities and traveled little, Orlando led a peripatetic life, at least the first half of it.He was twelve when he left Mons, accompanying Ferrante Gonzaga, an Italian condottiero, to Mantua and then Sicily.He then moved to Milan, where he probably met other musicians in the service of Ferrante.In 1550 he was in Naples, but then moved to Rome, where he found employment at the Roman residence of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.In 1553, at the age of just 21, he became the maestro di cappella at San Giovanni in Laterano, a very prestigious position for such a young man.He stayed there for one year, and upon leaving embarked on a trip to France, England and Antwerp, where Tielman Susatopublished a collection of Orlando’s motets and madrigals, now knows as his Op. 1.In 1556 Orlando accepted an invitation to join the court of Duke of Bavaria Albrecht V in Munich.Orlando was hired as a singer (tenor) and composer, and it took him some years to acquire the position of maestro di cappella, but eventually he settled down in Munich, marrying a daughter of the Duchess’s maid of honor.As part of his duties, he wrote Masses for the morning and Magnificats for the evening services and many motets.He also supervised the musical education of the choirboys.As his fame as a composer grew, he was visited by many musicians.Andrea Gabrieli came in 1562 and stayed for two years, and Andrea’s nephew Giovanni joined him in the 1570s.Though he traveled quite a bit, he stayed employed with the dukes for the rest of his life.Here’s an excerpt from Orlando’s amazing Prophetiae Sibyllarum (Prophesies of the Sibyls), with the Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier conducting.
We left almost no time for Tomás Luis de Victoria, the greatest Spanish composer of the 16th century who wrote the most profound music of the time.Victoria was born in a small town not far from Ávila, in which cathedral he was a choirboy.In 1565 he went to Rome.He almost certainly knew Palestrina and very likely was his pupil.Here’s his motet Vere languores. Ensemble The Sixteen is conducted by Harry Christophers.
Music of High Renaissance, 2017
July 17, 2017. Music of High Renaissance. With the dearth of prominent composers born this week, we’ll celebrated three great masters of the Renaissance whose birthdays remain unknown to music historians. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was born around 1525, Orlando di Lasso (or Orlande de Lassus, as his name is sometimes spelled) – in 1530 or 1532, and Tomás Luis de
Victoria – in 1548. Even though Palestrina was the only Italian among the three (Lasso was Flemish, born in Mons, County of Hainaut, while Victoria was Spanish), Rome was the place were all three had lived and thrived artistically. Also, all three were influenced by the music of their Franco-Flemish predecessors, Josquin des Prez in particular. Palestrina, the great master of polyphony, was born in the town of the same name (“da Palestrina” means “from Palestrina”). In 1537, he was a chorister at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome but then had to return to Palestrina. His career didn’t take off till 1551, when Pope Julius III, the former Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina, heard his music and appointed him maestro di cappella of the Cappella Giulia, one of the papal choirs at Saint Peter’s Basilica. In January of 1555 Palestrina was promoted to the Sistine Chapel, the pope’s official musical chapel. Unfortunately, just three months later Julius III died. Marcellus II became the pope (you can read about Palestrina’s famous Missa Papae Marcelli here) but he died three weeks later. The next pope, Paul IV, dismissed Palestrina from the Basilica as the composer was married (previous popes were happy to overlook this predicament). In October of the same year Palestrina was appointed maestro di cappella at the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, a position previously held by Lasso. In 1560, he moved to another great basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore. He returned to Saint Peter’s Capella Giulia in 1571 and remained there for the rest of his life. Palestrina died on February 2nd of 1594. He wrote more than 100 masses, 300 motets and 140 madrigals. Here’s one of his motets, Sicut Cervus, performed by the Cambridge Singers, John Rutter conducting.
While Palestrina had lived in just two cities and traveled little, Orlando led a peripatetic life, at least the first half of it. He was twelve when he left Mons, accompanying Ferrante Gonzaga, an Italian condottiero, to Mantua and then Sicily. He then moved to Milan, where he probably met other musicians in the service of Ferrante. In 1550 he was in Naples, but then moved to Rome, where he found employment at the Roman residence of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1553, at the age of just 21, he became the maestro di cappella at San Giovanni in Laterano, a very prestigious position for such a young man. He stayed there for one year, and upon leaving embarked on a trip to France, England and Antwerp, where Tielman Susato published a collection of Orlando’s motets and madrigals, now knows as his Op. 1. In 1556 Orlando accepted an invitation to join the court of Duke of Bavaria Albrecht V in Munich. Orlando was hired as a singer (tenor) and composer, and it took him some years to acquire the position of maestro di cappella, but eventually he settled down in Munich, marrying a daughter of the Duchess’s maid of honor. As part of his duties, he wrote Masses for the morning and Magnificats for the evening services and many motets. He also supervised the musical education of the choirboys. As his fame as a composer grew, he was visited by many musicians. Andrea Gabrieli came in 1562 and stayed for two years, and Andrea’s nephew Giovanni joined him in the 1570s. Though he traveled quite a bit, he stayed employed with the dukes for the rest of his life. Here’s an excerpt from Orlando’s amazing Prophetiae Sibyllarum (Prophesies of the Sibyls), with the Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier conducting.
We left almost no time for Tomás Luis de Victoria, the greatest Spanish composer of the 16th century who wrote the most profound music of the time. Victoria was born in a small town not far from Ávila, in which cathedral he was a choirboy. In 1565 he went to Rome. He almost certainly knew Palestrina and very likely was his pupil. Here’s his motet Vere languores. Ensemble The Sixteen is conducted by Harry Christophers.