July 5, 2013.Guillaume Dufay.The most famous Franco-Flemish composer of the mid-15th century, Guillaume Dufay was born in 1397, probably on or around July 5.Exactly were he was born is not clear: either around Cambrai, in what is now Northern France, or in Beersel, outside of Brussels.Dufay is often described as the last composer of the medieval period and the first composer of the Renaissance.He was an illegitimate child of a local priest (it appears that not just popes and cardinals misbehaved in those days, but regular clerics too).His uncle was a canon at the cathedral of Cambrai, and young Guillaume became a chorister there.His talents were noticed early on and he was givenformal musical training.In 1420 Dufay moved to Rimini to serve at the palace of Carlo Malatesta, a famous condottiero.There he wrote bothchurch music (masses and motets), andsecular, in the form of ballades and rondeaux.The motet Apostolo glorioso was likely written during Dufay’s time in Rimini.It’s sung by the Huelgas Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel conducting (here).Dufay stayed in Malatesta’s service till 1424 and then returned to France, to Cambrai or maybe Laon, whose wine and ladies he celebrated in the rondeauAdieu Ces Bons Vins de Lannoys (Farewell, you fine wines of Laon, farewell ladies, farewell townsfolk, farewell she whom I loved so much, farewell all pleasing joy, farewell all bawdy companions).It’s performed here by The Gothic Voices, with Christopher Page, their artistic director, conducting.In 1426 Dufay went back to Italy, this time into the service of a French Cardinal Louis Aleman, who at that time was a papal legate in Bologna.Two years later Dufay moved to Rome and became a member of the papal choir.He remained in Rome till 1433; by then he was famous all around Europe.He left Rome to join the court of Amédée VIII, the duke of Savoy.In 1434 the duke’s son Louis married Ann of Cyprus, and many guests were invited to the wedding.One of them was the Philip III, the duke of Burgundy.In duke’s retinue was Gilles Binchois, another famous composer.Apparently Dufay and Binchois met on that occasion, at least according to Martin le Franc, the same le Franc who coined the term La Contenance Angloise to describe the style of John Dunstaple, another famous contemporary.The picture above is of Guillaume Dufay (on the left) and Gilles Binchois.
In 1435 Dufay returned to the papal court, except this time not in Rome but in Florence, where Pope Eugene IV was driven to by an insurrection in Rome.It was in Florence that Dufay composed one of his most famous motets, Nuper Rosarum Flores ("Recently Flowers of Roses").It was written for the consecration of the Florence cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flowers) on March 25, 1436.The great architect Filippo Brunelleschi just completed the magnificent cupola, and the Pope himself presided over the festivities. Nuper Rosarum Flores is performed by the Huelgas Ensemble under the baton Paul Van Nevel (here).
Dufay lived a long life (he died in 1474), during which he composed many motets, chants, and masses, among them one on the tune ofL'homme armé, a very popular song of the time. Whether he composed the tune itself is not clear, but his was the first mass to be based on it.Forty other settings exist, among them masses composed by Josquin des Prez, Cristóbal de Morales, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.We’ll come back to this unique song at a later time.
Guillaume Dufay 2013
July 5, 2013. Guillaume Dufay. The most famous Franco-Flemish composer of the mid-15th century, Guillaume Dufay was born in 1397, probably on or around July 5. Exactly were he was born is not clear: either around Cambrai, in what is now Northern France, or in Beersel, outside of Brussels
. Dufay is often described as the last composer of the medieval period and the first composer of the Renaissance. He was an illegitimate child of a local priest (it appears that not just popes and cardinals misbehaved in those days, but regular clerics too). His uncle was a canon at the cathedral of Cambrai, and young Guillaume became a chorister there. His talents were noticed early on and he was given formal musical training. In 1420 Dufay moved to Rimini to serve at the palace of Carlo Malatesta, a famous condottiero. There he wrote both church music (masses and motets), and secular, in the form of ballades and rondeaux. The motet Apostolo glorioso was likely written during Dufay’s time in Rimini. It’s sung by the Huelgas Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel conducting (here). Dufay stayed in Malatesta’s service till 1424 and then returned to France, to Cambrai or maybe Laon, whose wine and ladies he celebrated in the rondeau Adieu Ces Bons Vins de Lannoys (Farewell, you fine wines of Laon, farewell ladies, farewell townsfolk, farewell she whom I loved so much, farewell all pleasing joy, farewell all bawdy companions). It’s performed here by The Gothic Voices, with Christopher Page, their artistic director, conducting. In 1426 Dufay went back to Italy, this time into the service of a French Cardinal Louis Aleman, who at that time was a papal legate in Bologna. Two years later Dufay moved to Rome and became a member of the papal choir. He remained in Rome till 1433; by then he was famous all around Europe. He left Rome to join the court of Amédée VIII, the duke of Savoy. In 1434 the duke’s son Louis married Ann of Cyprus, and many guests were invited to the wedding. One of them was the Philip III, the duke of Burgundy. In duke’s retinue was Gilles Binchois, another famous composer. Apparently Dufay and Binchois met on that occasion, at least according to Martin le Franc, the same le Franc who coined the term La Contenance Angloise to describe the style of John Dunstaple, another famous contemporary. The picture above is of Guillaume Dufay (on the left) and Gilles Binchois.
In 1435 Dufay returned to the papal court, except this time not in Rome but in Florence, where Pope Eugene IV was driven to by an insurrection in Rome. It was in Florence that Dufay composed one of his most famous motets, Nuper Rosarum Flores ("Recently Flowers of Roses"). It was written for the consecration of the Florence cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flowers) on March 25, 1436. The great architect Filippo Brunelleschi just completed the magnificent cupola, and the Pope himself presided over the festivities. Nuper Rosarum Flores is performed by the Huelgas Ensemble under the baton Paul Van Nevel (here).
Dufay lived a long life (he died in 1474), during which he composed many motets, chants, and masses, among them one on the tune of L'homme armé, a very popular song of the time. Whether he composed the tune itself is not clear, but his was the first mass to be based on it. Forty other settings exist, among them masses composed by Josquin des Prez, Cristóbal de Morales, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. We’ll come back to this unique song at a later time.