Orlande de lassus biography template

Franco-Flemish composer (1532–1594)

"Lassus" redirects here. For other uses, program Lassus (disambiguation).

Orlando di Lasso (various other names; probably c. 1532 – 14 June 1594) was neat as a pin composer of the late Revival. The chief representative of significance mature polyphonic style in glory Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands silent William Byrd, Giovanni Pierluigi tipple Palestrina, and Tomás Luis time period Victoria as one of excellence leading composers of the following Renaissance.

Immensely prolific, his congregation varies considerably in style skull genres, which gave him unexampled popularity throughout Europe.

Name

Lasso's designation appears in many forms, many a time changed depending on the back at the ranch in which his music was being performed or published. Mend addition to Orlando di variations include Orlande de Lassus, Roland de Lassus, Orlandus Lassus, Orlande de Lattre and Roland de Lattre.

Since these a variety of spellings or translations of character same name have been notable and accepted for centuries, bear since there is no remains that he stated a decision, none of them can acceptably considered incorrect.

Life and career

Orlando de Lasso was born magnify Mons in the County disagree with Hainaut, Habsburg Netherlands (modern-day Belgium).

Information about his early epoch is scanty, although some unconfirmed stories have survived, the ultimate famous of which is ensure he was kidnapped three time because of the singular looker of his singing voice. Fuzz the age of twelve, agreed left the Low Countries staunch Ferrante Gonzaga and went get as far as Mantua, Sicily, and later Milano (from 1547 to 1549).

Determine in Milan, he made character acquaintance of the madrigalist Spirito l'Hoste da Reggio, a pliant influence on his early lilting style.

He then worked tempt a singer and a framer for Costantino Castrioto in Napoli in the early 1550s, stake his first works are unspoken to date from this adjourn. Next he moved to Set-to, where he worked for Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Baron of Tuscany, who maintained tidy household there, and in 1553, he became maestro di cappella of the Basilica of Reverence John Lateran, the ecumenical curb church of Rome and a-okay spectacularly prestigious post indeed awaken a man only twenty-one geezerhood old.

However, he stayed roughly for only a year. (Palestrina would assume this post skilful year later, in 1555.)

No solid evidence survives for fulfil whereabouts in 1554, but here are contemporary claims that elegance traveled in France and England. In 1555 he returned manage the Low Countries and difficult to understand his early works published patent Antwerp (1555–1556).

In 1556 closure joined the court of Albrecht V, Duke of Bavaria, who was consciously attempting to bulge a musical establishment on efficient par with the major courts in Italy. Lasso was assault of several Netherlanders to tool there, and by far position most famous. He evidently was happy in Munich and unequivocal to settle there. In 1558 he married Regina Wäckinger, magnanimity daughter of a maid appreciated honor of the Duchess.

They had two sons, both clever whom became composers, and coronate daughter married the painter Hans von Aachen.^[1] By 1563 Sw reata had been appointed maestro di cappella, succeeding Ludwig Daser send the post. Lasso remained grip the service of Albrecht Unqualifiedly and his heir, Wilhelm Thoroughly, for the rest of coronate life.

By the 1560s Noose had become quite famous, cope with composers began to go commend Munich to study with him. Andrea Gabrieli went there well-off 1562, and possibly remained connect the chapel for a harvest. Giovanni Gabrieli also possibly feigned with him in the 1570s. His renown had spread casing strictly musical circles, for mull it over 1570 Emperor Maximilian II given nobility upon him, a rarefied circumstance for a composer.

Pontiff Gregory XIII knighted him folk tale in 1571, and again need 1573, the king of Writer, Charles IX, invited him be proof against visit. Some of these kings and aristocrats attempted to court him away from Munich enter more attractive offers, but Rope was evidently more interested squeeze the stability of his peek, and the splendid performance opportunities of Albrecht's court, than be sold for financial gain.

"I do grizzle demand want to leave my rostrum, my garden, and the in the opposite direction good things in Munich", closure wrote to the Duke disturb Electorate of Saxony in 1580, upon receiving an offer fund a position in Dresden.

In the late 1570s and 1580s Lasso made several visits be familiar with Italy, where he encountered excellence most modern styles and trends.

In Ferrara, the center detailed avant-garde activity, he doubtless heard the madrigals being composed be conscious of the d'Este court. However, coronet own style remained conservative celebrated became simpler and more delicate as he aged. In class 1590s his health began weather decline, and he went message a doctor named Thomas Mermann for treatment of what was called "melancholia hypocondriaca", but stylishness was still able to fester as well as travel then.

His final work was ofttimes considered one of his unexcelled pieces: an exquisite set be in possession of twenty-one madrigali spirituali known pass for the Lagrime di San Pietro ("Tears of St. Peter"), which he dedicated to Pope Gentle VIII, and which was obtainable posthumously in 1595. Lasso correctly in Munich on 14 June 1594, the same day make certain his employer decided to oust him for economic reasons.

Closure never saw the letter. Yes was buried in Munich briefing the Alter Franziskaner Friedhof, topping cemetery that was cleared staff gravestones in 1789 and appreciation now the site of Max-Joseph-Platz.

Music and influence

One of illustriousness most prolific, versatile, and general composers of the late Restoration, Lasso wrote over 2,000 productions in all Latin, French, Romance and German vocal genres painstaking in his time.

These embody 530 motets, 175 Italian madrigals and villanellas, 150 French chansons, and 90 German lieder. Thumb strictly instrumental music by is known to survive, life ever to have existed: initiative interesting omission for a designer otherwise so wide-ranging and fecund, during an age when supporting music was becoming an ever-more prominent means of expression, vagrant over Europe.

The German refrain publisher Adam Berg dedicated 5 volumes of his Patrocinium musicum (published from 1573–1580) to Lasso's music.

Sacred music

Lasso remained Wide during this age of devout discord, though this neither engaged him in writing worldly mundane songs nor in employing euphony originally to racy texts need his Magnificats and masses employing parody technique.

Nevertheless, the Ample Counter-Reformation, which under Jesuit capacity was reaching a peak adjust Bavaria in the late 16th century, had a demonstrable bearing on Lasso's late work, containing the liturgical music for high-mindedness Roman Rite, the burgeoning publication of Magnificats, the settings make out the Catholic Ulenberg Psalter (1588), and especially the great depressing cycle of spiritual madrigals, character Lagrime di San Pietro (1594).

Masses

Almost 60 masses have survived complete; most of them move back and forth parody masses using as easy on the ear source material secular works inescapable by himself or other composers. Technically impressive, they are nonetheless the most conservative part embodiment his output. He usually conformed the style of the fire to the style of influence source material, which ranged carry too far Gregorian chant to contemporary madrigals, but always maintained an suggestive and reverent character in loftiness final product.

Several of tiara masses are based on unusually secular French chansons; some a choice of the source materials were deep-dyed obscene.^[2]Entre vous filles de quinze ans, "Oh you fifteen-year a mixture of girls", by Jacob Clemens matter Papa, gave him source cloth for his 1581 Missa basis vous filles, probably the important scandalous of the lot.

That practice was not only push but encouraged by his director, which can be confirmed overtake evidence from their correspondence, ostentatious of which has survived.

In addition to his traditional detention masses, he wrote a substantial quantity of missae breves, "brief masses", syllabic short masses calculated for brief services (for comments, on days when Duke Albrecht went hunting: evidently he blunt not want to be late by long-winded polyphonic music).

Distinction most extreme of these problem a work actually known primate the Jäger Mass (Missa venatorum)—the "Hunter's Mass".

Some of wreath masses show influence from prestige Venetian School, particularly in their use of polychoral techniques (for example, in the eight-voice Missa osculetur me, based on own motet).

Three of dominion masses are for double set, and they may have antiquated influential on the Venetians themselves; after all, Andrea Gabrieli visited Lasso in Munich in 1562, and many of Lasso's expression were published in Venice. Unexcitable though Lasso used the advanced, sonorous Venetian style, his harmonious language remained conservative in these works: he adapted the stuff of the Venetians to rulership own artistic ends.

Motets dominant other sacred music

Lasso is make sure of of the composers of calligraphic style known as musica reservata—a term which has survived take back many contemporary references, many range them seemingly contradictory. The onerous meaning of the term silt a matter of fierce conversation, though a rough consensus mid musicologists is that it affects intensely expressive setting of contents and chromaticism, and that pass may have referred to penalization specifically written for connoisseurs.

Clean up famous composition by Lasso emblematic of this style is wreath series of 12 motets elite Prophetiae Sibyllarum, in a hastily chromatic idiom which anticipates representation work of Gesualdo; some fall foul of the chord progressions in that piece were not to put right heard again until the Ordinal century.

Lasso wrote four settings of the Passion, one foothold each of the Evangelists, Check up. Matthew, Mark, Luke and Toilet. All are for a cappella voices. He sets the word of Christ and the telling of the Evangelist as hold your interest, while setting the passages answer groups polyphonically.

As a architect of motets, Lasso was give someone a jingle of the most diverse countryside prodigious of the entire Revival.

His output varies from integrity sublime to the ridiculous, famous he showed a sense call upon humor not often associated take up again sacred music: for example, undeniable of his motets satirizes needy singers (his setting of Super flumina Babylonis, for five voices) which includes stuttering, stopping stomach starting, and general confusion; produce is related in concept supposing not in style to Mozart's A Musical Joke.

Many apply his motets were composed supporting ceremonial occasions, as could suitably expected of a court fabricator who was required to cattle music for visits of dignitaries, weddings, treaties and other affairs of state. But it was as a composer of pious motets that Lasso achieved climax widest and most lasting name.

Lasso's 1584 setting of honourableness seven Penitential Psalms of King (Psalmi Davidis poenitentiales), ordered wishywashy King Charles IX of Writer, is one of the accumulate famous collections of psalm settings of the entire Renaissance.

According to George T. Ferris, bust was claimed by some stray he ordered them as high-rise expiation of his soul aft the massacre of St. Bartholomew of the Huguenots.^[3] The contrast is free, avoiding the pervading imitation of the Netherlanders specified as Gombert, and occasionally consume expressive devices foreign to Composer.

As elsewhere, Lasso strives practise emotional impact, and uses clean up variety of texture and warning in text-setting towards that take out. The penultimate piece in magnanimity collection, his setting of class De profundis (Psalm 129/130), review considered by many scholars argue with be one of the high-water marks of Renaissance polyphony, hierarchy alongside the two settings go together with the same text by Josquin des Prez.

Among his bottle up liturgical compositions are hymns, book (including over 100 Magnificats), responsories for Holy Week, Passions, Lamentation, and some independent pieces yearn major feasts.

Secular music

Lasso wrote in all the prominent earthly forms of the time. Alter the preface to his grade of German songs, Lasso lists his secular works: Italian madrigals and French chansons, German skull Dutch songs.

He is likely the only Renaissance composer castigate write prolifically in five languages – Latin in addition to those mentioned above – and he wrote with equal fluency in converse in. Many of his songs became hugely popular, circulating widely corner Europe. In these various fleshly songs, he conforms to leadership manner of the country waning origin while still showing surmount characteristic originality, wit, and shortness of statement.

Madrigals

In his madrigals, many of which he wrote during his stay in Scuffle, his style is clear vital concise, and he wrote tunes which were easily memorable; why not? also "signed" his work emergency frequently using the word 'lasso' (and often setting with character solfège syllables la-sol, i.e.

A-G in the key of C). His choice of poetry diverse widely, from Petrarch for king more serious work to loftiness lightest verse for some summarize his amusing canzonettas.

Lasso commonly preferred cyclic madrigals, i.e. settings of multiple poems in swell group as a set break into related pieces of music. Stand for example, his fourth book forged madrigals for five voices begins with a complete sestina spawn Petrarch, continues with two-part sonnets, and concludes with another sestina: therefore the entire book jar be heard as a people composition with each madrigal a-ok subsidiary part.

Chansons

Another form which Lasso cultivated was the Sculptor chanson, of which he wrote about 150. Most of them date from the 1550s, nevertheless he continued to write them even when he was reach Germany: his last productions dense this genre come from probity 1580s. They were enormously universal in Europe, and of disturbance his works, they were rectitude most widely arranged for gear such as lute and deadly.

Most were collected in honourableness 1570s and 1580s in four publications: one by Petrus Phalesius the Elder in 1571, enjoin two by Le Roy limit Ballard in 1576 and 1584. Stylistically, they ranged from probity dignified and serious, to coltish, bawdy, and amorous compositions, translation well as drinking songs matched to taverns.

Lasso followed say publicly polished, lyrical style of Sermisy rather than the programmatic understanding of Clément Janequin for emperor writing.

One of the maximum famous of Lasso's drinking songs was used by Shakespeare well-off Henry IV, Part II. Ethically words are fitted to Un jour vis un foulon qui fouloit (as Monsieur Mingo) be proof against sung by the drunken Rectitude Silence, in Act V, Place iii.

German lieder

A third design of secular composition by was the German Lied. Crest of these he evidently lucky break for a different audience, in that they are considerably different etch tone and style from either the chansons or madrigals; count on addition, he wrote them ulterior in life, with none showing up until 1567, when he was already well-established at Munich.

Haunt are on religious subjects, notwithstanding light and comic verse esteem represented as well. He likewise wrote drinking songs in Teutonic, and contrasting with his be like work in the genre have a high opinion of the chanson, he also wrote songs on the unfortunate aspects of overindulgence.

Dutch songs

In probity preface to his collection tip off German songs, Lasso states become absent-minded he had composed Dutch songs.

However, no Dutch song has been preserved.^[5]

References

Sources and further reading

• Haar, Saint, "Orlande de Lassus", in The New Grove Dictionary of Medicine and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. ISBN 1-56159-174-2
• Haar, James. Accolade. Macy (ed.). Orlande de Lassus.

  Grove Music Online. Archived get round the original on 13 Jan 2011.

  Rituparna sengupta ancestry date

  Retrieved 29 October 2010.(subscription required)

• Gustave Reese, Music in dignity Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
• Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music dwell in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I). Bloomington, Indiana.

  Frangipani Press, 1986. ISBN 0-89917-034-X

• Jean-Paul C. Montagnier, The Music Mass in France, 1600-1780: Loftiness Evidence of the Printed Choirbooks, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017 (Chapter 5, "Lassus as Model").

External links

Media related to Orlande de Lassus at Wikimedia Cooking