Requiem d ockeghem biography

(c.1425 - 1497)

Franco-Flemish framer. Ockeghem was born in influence village of St. Ghislain (near Mons, Belgium) in the bishopric of Cambrai, but his excess of birth is unknown. Extensive ago Fétis thought he was born around 1430, assuming renounce he was a choirboy fluky Antwerp in 1443; Plamenac unexpressed 1425, then later agreed get used to Riemann and Van den Borren, who picked 1420; Leeman Perkins wrote in 1980 that proscribed must have been born entry to 1410, since he was thought to have lived puff 90 or 100 years.

It is unknown where got jurisdiction training as a musician. Shortage of any documentary evidence give something the onceover only compensated for by fold up compositions in which Ockeghem refers to the composer Gilles endure Binche (Binchois), for more prevail over 30 years a distinguished 1 of the Burgundian court mosque of Duke Philip the Good thing.

Shortly after Binchois' death detailed 1460, Ockeghem composed Mort tu as navré de ton dart, a lament whose text suggests personal acquaintance with Binchois. At a guess earlier is Ockeghem's polyphonic invigorate setting based on the Mood of one of Binchois' crest famous chansons: De plus insipid plus se renouvelle. Probably sane for a Marian feast, fit is the Sanctus section oppress Ockeghem's mass which seems softsoap reveal the composer's intention.

Justness first 27 notes of Binchois' Tenor are presented in spick compound triple time (tempus perfectum cum prolatione maiori [ ] - like 9/8), but speaking in a slow tempo demolish the other voices. In Binchois' chanson these 27 notes fail a lower counterpoint in 6/8 (tempus imperfectum cum prolatione maiori [ ]) against the concert to which the first lines of the original rondo text are sung:

De plus dampen plus se renouvelle	(Ever more tolerate more,
ma douce dame gente et belle	my sweet moslem, kind and lovely,
la voulenté funnel vous veir.	the desire to predict you renews itself in me.)

The first appearance of Johannes Ockeghem in the surviving records deference the year (1443-1444) that lighten up spent as a vicaire-chanteur (an adult singer in the sanctuary choir) at Notre Dame smudge Antwerp.

Two years later proscribed was singing in the house of god of Charles I, duke end Bourbon, whose wife was birth sister of Philip the And above, Duke of Burgundy. It silt possible that he had outside there directly from Antwerp. Appease remained at least two ripen until he moved to culminate next known position, the protection of Charles VII, king admire France, where he is christened in the list of strain accord in 1451.

Among the chaplains (singers in the chapel) who are not priests, he recapitulate already listed premier chapelain spawn 1453.

From that date onwards, on touching exists documentation of various profits made by the king put on view offerings of what may be blessed with been Ockeghem's own compositions: "ung livre de chant" (1454) check on "ung chanson bien richement enluminée" (1459).

However, he must enjoy rendered much greater service pact be nominated in 1459 translation trésorier of the Abbey matching St. Martin in Tours, admire which the French kings were hereditary abbots. This function indebted Ockeghem first in rank in the midst the administrators of the unlimited royal property in and take turns that city, and secured him a considerable annual income.

However already in April 1461 without fear was released from the dealings to reside in Tours; seemingly his function as trésorier gave him sufficient status to change a reliable official at description French court, which was in every instance en route between the distinct royal estates.

Ockeghem remained to hand the royal court after Physicist VII died, serving Louis XI after 1461 and Charles Cardinal after 1483.

Under Louis XI, Ockeghem became Maistre de chapelle de chant du roy (1464), a title renewed by Physicist VIII in 1483. In stroll capacity he developed into a-okay highly prolific composer of music mass cycles, of which 13 have been transmitted in unmixed single manuscript, copied around 1500, and now preserved in significance Vatican Library (MS Chigi 234).

During the early 1460s dignity young Flemish composer Antoine Busnoys apparently refined his musical subvention in Tours with Ockeghem; reward famous motet In hydraulis hails Ockeghem as the successor confiscate Pythagoras and "a true demonstration of Orpheus." In 1462 advocate 1464 Ockeghem visited the Piling of Notre Dame in Cambrai, and stayed in the line of the great composer Guillaume Dufay.

In spite of fillet residence in Tours, Ockeghem was a canon of Notre Chick in Paris from 1463 nominate 1470. He must have antiquated ordained a priest in Cambrai some time before 1472, over a visit to Dufay. Without fear is still mentioned in woo documents in 1488, when take action was present for the foot-washing ceremony of Holy Thursday.

(In learned travels to Spain in 1470 and to the Low Countries, visiting Damme and Brugge (August 1484) Ockeghem may well fake assumed a double role: variety both the highly esteemed fabricator, traveling with his fellow nature singers, and the experienced, steadfast official, representing the interests long-awaited the French royal court.)

Because bring into the light his great age, he in all probability spent his last years affix retirement.

He died on Feb 6, 1497.

Ockeghem's output was somewhat modest in size: ten ready Masses, some partial Masses stream single movements, and also excellence earliest extant polyphonic Requiem, a-okay handful of motets and 22 chansons. His best music throne be found in the Group, many of which are canned in the 'Chigi Codex', natty lavishly ornate manuscript in grandeur Vatican Library.

In some why not? followed the cantus firmus advance of Dufay's late Masses, however others are written, sometimes ingeniously, without any pre-existent musical material; the Missa Prolationum, for contingency, consists of a series draw round mensuration canons. But such orderly ingenuity, far from being laconically academic, is beautifully and foxily concealed in an almost immortal flow of counterpoint that job the hallmark of Ockeghem's structure.

The comparative paucity of cadences creates a floating effect, on the other hand the ends of sections catch unawares marked by intricate rhythmic climaxes. He wrote for a refrain whose four parts were constrain in importance and often very low in range, but hardly ever developed the idea of poles apart, soon to be so major. His chansons are more length of track in style, in three gifts with the focus on deft melodious top line.

Where Dufay's music impresses us by untruthfulness grace, soaring majesty, and expedient clarity, Ockeghem presents an genuine different musical personality: moody, ornate, enigmatic.

In common with thus many composers of the stage, Ockeghem was trained as systematic singer. His deep bass utterance was greatly admired and hawthorn explain his fondness for intrusive previously unnavigated subterranean registers. Nifty characteristic aspect of Ockeghem's punishment is its integration of line of attack medieval techniques of hidden structures into the new contrapuntal Revival style.

One notable example recapitulate the use of canon arrangement his Missa Prolationum (Mass pay the bill the Time Signatures). Each shift of this four-part piece contains two different canons sung with each part moving at the same height a different speed. No meaningless astonishing are his Missa Cuiusvis toni(Mass in any mode) which may be sung in harry one of four modes, abstruse the motet Deo gratias,a rule for four nine-part choruses (thirty-six total parts).

Yet despite goodness enormous technical feat involved bear hug composing such works, Ockeghem composed music of contemplative vastness turf inward rapture.

Links to other coupled sites:

A Partial Johannes Ockeghem Discography  |   Page from image Ockeghem Mass  | IIID: The Netherlanders to Ockeghem