July 15, 2013.John Dunstaple.With the dearth of notable birthdays this week, we again turn back to composers ofyears past.John Dunstaple was one of the first in a long and quite remarkable line of Renaissance composers who made England a major center of European music for almost two centuries.Duntsaple was born around 1390, around the same time as the famous Burgundian, Guillaume Dufay.In England, Dunstaple was followed by Robert Morton (born around 1430), Walter Lambe (1453), John Taverner (1490), Thomas Tallis (1505), William Byrd (1540), John Dowland John Bull (both born in 1563), and Orlando Gibbons (1583).These are the more famous names; there were many more, both known and unknown: the musical culture of Tudor and Jacobean England flourished as nowhere else, except probably the Franco-Flemish one in what is now northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands.Dunstaple was probably born in the town of Dunstable; the year of his birth is unknown, 1390 is a conjecture based on the timing of some compositions.He served in the court of John of Lancaster, a son of king Henry IV and a brother of Henry V.John led the British forces in many battles of the Hundred Year War with France (he was the one to capture Joan of Arc) and for a number of years was the Governor of Normandy.It’s likely that Dunstaple stayed with John in Normandy.From there his music spread over the continent.Considering that a major war was raging in France, that in itself is quite remarkable.Dunstaple’s influence was very significant, especially affecting musicians of the highly developed Burgundian school; the reason was both musical and political, as Burgundy was allied with England in its war against France.The poet Martin Le Franc, a contemporary of Dunstaple, came up with the term La Contenance Angloise, which could be loosely translated as “English manner” and said that it affected the two greatest composers of Burgundy, Guillaume Dufay and Gilles Binchois.Le Franc wrote in 1442, by then Dunstaple was back in England, serving in the court of Humphrey of Lancaster, John’s brother.In addition to writing music he also studied mathematics, was an astronomer and astrologer.While not a cleric, he was associated with St Albans Abbey (see picture above).He died in 1453.When, during the reign of Henry VIII England became Protestant, many monasteries – the main keepers of musical tradition – were "dissolved" and their libraries ruined.Most of the English manuscripts of Dunstaple’s music were lost.Fortunately, many copies remained in Italy and Germany – evidence of Dunstaple’s international fame.About 50 compositions are currently attributed to him (these attributions are not firm often challenged).Among these are two masses, a number of sections from different masses, and many motets.We’ll hear a famous motet Veni sancte spiritus.It’s performed by the Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier conducting.The same ensemble performs a motet Salve Regina Misericordiae (here).Finally, the Laudantes Consort under the direction of Guy Janssens performs another hymn to Mary, the Magnificat.
John Dunstaple 2013
July 15, 2013. John Dunstaple. With the dearth of notable birthdays this week, we again turn back to composers of years past. John Dunstaple was one of the first in a long and quite remarkable line of Renaissance composers who made England a major
center of European music for almost two centuries. Duntsaple was born around 1390, around the same time as the famous Burgundian, Guillaume Dufay. In England, Dunstaple was followed by Robert Morton (born around 1430), Walter Lambe (1453), John Taverner (1490), Thomas Tallis (1505), William Byrd (1540), John Dowland John Bull (both born in 1563), and Orlando Gibbons (1583). These are the more famous names; there were many more, both known and unknown: the musical culture of Tudor and Jacobean England flourished as nowhere else, except probably the Franco-Flemish one in what is now northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Dunstaple was probably born in the town of Dunstable; the year of his birth is unknown, 1390 is a conjecture based on the timing of some compositions. He served in the court of John of Lancaster, a son of king Henry IV and a brother of Henry V. John led the British forces in many battles of the Hundred Year War with France (he was the one to capture Joan of Arc) and for a number of years was the Governor of Normandy. It’s likely that Dunstaple stayed with John in Normandy. From there his music spread over the continent. Considering that a major war was raging in France, that in itself is quite remarkable. Dunstaple’s influence was very significant, especially affecting musicians of the highly developed Burgundian school; the reason was both musical and political, as Burgundy was allied with England in its war against France. The poet Martin Le Franc, a contemporary of Dunstaple, came up with the term La Contenance Angloise, which could be loosely translated as “English manner” and said that it affected the two greatest composers of Burgundy, Guillaume Dufay and Gilles Binchois. Le Franc wrote in 1442, by then Dunstaple was back in England, serving in the court of Humphrey of Lancaster, John’s brother. In addition to writing music he also studied mathematics, was an astronomer and astrologer. While not a cleric, he was associated with St Albans Abbey (see picture above). He died in 1453. When, during the reign of Henry VIII England became Protestant, many monasteries – the main keepers of musical tradition – were "dissolved" and their libraries ruined. Most of the English manuscripts of Dunstaple’s music were lost. Fortunately, many copies remained in Italy and Germany – evidence of Dunstaple’s international fame. About 50 compositions are currently attributed to him (these attributions are not firm often challenged). Among these are two masses, a number of sections from different masses, and many motets. We’ll hear a famous motet Veni sancte spiritus. It’s performed by the Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier conducting. The same ensemble performs a motet Salve Regina Misericordiae (here). Finally, the Laudantes Consort under the direction of Guy Janssens performs another hymn to Mary, the Magnificat.