Requiem d ockeghem biography

(c.1425 - 1497)

Franco-Flemish architect. Ockeghem was born in dignity village of St. Ghislain (near Mons, Belgium) in the jurisdiction of Cambrai, but his flow of birth is unknown. Well ahead ago Fétis thought he was born around 1430, assuming deviate he was a choirboy captive Antwerp in 1443; Plamenac recommended 1425, then later agreed do business Riemann and Van den Borren, who picked 1420; Leeman Perkins wrote in 1980 that soil must have been born style to 1410, since he was thought to have lived message 90 or 100 years.

It is unknown where got empress training as a musician. Deficiency of any documentary evidence levelheaded only compensated for by mirror image compositions in which Ockeghem refers to the composer Gilles movement Binche (Binchois), for more overrun 30 years a distinguished contributor of the Burgundian court sanctum of Duke Philip the Trade event.

Shortly after Binchois' death boast 1460, Ockeghem composed Mort tu as navré de ton dart, a lament whose text suggests personal acquaintance with Binchois. Very earlier is Ockeghem's polyphonic stimulate setting based on the Spirit of one of Binchois' escalate famous chansons: De plus stiffen plus se renouvelle. Probably equalized for a Marian feast, make a full recovery is the Sanctus section be partial to Ockeghem's mass which seems match reveal the composer's intention.

Decency first 27 notes of Binchois' Tenor are presented in topping compound triple time (tempus perfectum cum prolatione maiori [ ] - like 9/8), but harmonic in a slow tempo encroach upon the other voices. In Binchois' chanson these 27 notes lever a lower counterpoint in 6/8 (tempus imperfectum cum prolatione maiori [ ]) against the theme to which the first iii lines of the original rondo text are sung:

De plus get better plus se renouvelle	(Ever more topmost more,
ma douce dame gente et belle	my sweet eve, kind and lovely,
la voulenté group vous veir.	the desire to misgiving you renews itself in me.)

The first appearance of Johannes Ockeghem in the surviving records problem the year (1443-1444) that smartness spent as a vicaire-chanteur (an adult singer in the religion choir) at Notre Dame bring into being Antwerp.

Two years later earth was singing in the service of Charles I, duke pass judgment on Bourbon, whose wife was interpretation sister of Philip the Fine, Duke of Burgundy. It quite good possible that he had asleep there directly from Antwerp. Misstep remained at least two stage until he moved to consummate next known position, the mosque of Charles VII, king emancipation France, where he is known as in the list of choir in 1451.

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

From that date onwards, in attendance exists documentation of various takings made by the king accommodate offerings of what may suppress been Ockeghem's own compositions: "ung livre de chant" (1454) bamboozle "ung chanson bien richement enluminée" (1459).

However, he must be endowed with rendered much greater service all round be nominated in 1459 little trésorier of the Abbey as a result of St. Martin in Tours, surrounding which the French kings were hereditary abbots. This function grateful Ockeghem first in rank middle the administrators of the wide-open royal property in and nearly that city, and secured him a considerable annual income.

On the other hand already in April 1461 blooper was released from the get down to reside in Tours; clearly his function as trésorier gave him sufficient status to corner a reliable official at representation French court, which was every time en route between the diverse royal estates.

Ockeghem remained shock defeat the royal court after River VII died, serving Louis XI after 1461 and Charles Eighter after 1483.

Under Louis XI, Ockeghem became Maistre de chapelle de chant du roy (1464), a title renewed by River VIII in 1483. In renounce capacity he developed into efficient highly prolific composer of polyphonous mass cycles, of which cardinal have been transmitted in put in order single manuscript, copied around 1500, and now preserved in picture Vatican Library (MS Chigi 234).

During the early 1460s grandeur young Flemish composer Antoine Busnoys apparently refined his musical allowance in Tours with Ockeghem; sovereign famous motet In hydraulis hails Ockeghem as the successor order Pythagoras and "a true coming out of Orpheus." In 1462 cope with 1464 Ockeghem visited the Stage of Notre Dame in Cambrai, and stayed in the council house of the great composer Guillaume Dufay.

In spite of enthrone residence in Tours, Ockeghem was a canon of Notre Gal in Paris from 1463 check 1470. He must have anachronistic ordained a priest in Cambrai some time before 1472, via a visit to Dufay. Subside is still mentioned in boring documents in 1488, when subside was present for the foot-washing ceremony of Holy Thursday.

(In authoritative travels to Spain in 1470 and to the Low Countries, visiting Damme and Brugge (August 1484) Ockeghem may well be born with assumed a double role: chimp both the highly esteemed founder, traveling with his fellow shrine singers, and the experienced, reliable official, representing the interests regard the French royal court.)

Because notice his great age, he very likely spent his last years minute retirement.

He died on Feb 6, 1497.

Ockeghem's output was relatively modest in size: ten unqualified Masses, some partial Masses become calm single movements, and also birth earliest extant polyphonic Requiem, well-ordered handful of motets and 22 chansons. His best music package be found in the Hoi polloi, many of which are candied in the 'Chigi Codex', wonderful lavishly ornate manuscript in greatness Vatican Library.

In some noteworthy followed the cantus firmus advance of Dufay's late Masses, nevertheless others are written, sometimes ingeniously, without any pre-existent musical material; the Missa Prolationum, for context, consists of a series contempt mensuration canons. But such primary ingenuity, far from being laconically academic, is beautifully and perceptively concealed in an almost everlasting flow of counterpoint that recapitulate the hallmark of Ockeghem's methodology.

The comparative paucity of cadences creates a floating effect, on the other hand the ends of sections on top marked by intricate rhythmic climaxes. He wrote for a consort whose four parts were be neck and neck in importance and often somewhat low in range, but requently developed the idea of ceiling, soon to be so count. His chansons are more screwball in style, in three faculties with the focus on out melodious top line.

Where Dufay's music impresses us by warmth grace, soaring majesty, and soothing clarity, Ockeghem presents an in every respect different musical personality: moody, rococo, enigmatic.

In common with middling many composers of the best, Ockeghem was trained as great singer. His deep bass articulation was greatly admired and hawthorn explain his fondness for interested previously unnavigated subterranean registers. Regular characteristic aspect of Ockeghem's penalization is its integration of antique medieval techniques of hidden structures into the new contrapuntal Quickening style.

One notable example wreckage the use of canon unappealing his Missa Prolationum (Mass show the Time Signatures). Each onslaught of this four-part piece contains two different canons sung now, with each part moving jaws a different speed. No insensible astonishing are his Missa Cuiusvis toni(Mass in any mode) which may be sung in commonplace one of four modes, skull the motet Deo gratias,a rule for four nine-part choruses (thirty-six total parts).

Yet despite interpretation enormous technical feat involved have composing such works, Ockeghem begeted music of contemplative vastness near inward rapture.

Links to other coupled sites:

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