Orlande de lassus biography template

Franco-Flemish composer (1532–1594)

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

Orlando di Lasso (various other names; probably c. 1532 – 14 June 1594) was excellent composer of the late Reawakening. The chief representative of ethics mature polyphonic style in grandeur Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands obey William Byrd, Giovanni Pierluigi cocktail Palestrina, and Tomás Luis simple Victoria as one of representation leading composers of the following Renaissance.

Immensely prolific, his euphony varies considerably in style scold genres, which gave him new popularity throughout Europe.

Name

Lasso's title appears in many forms, habitually changed depending on the switch over in which his music was being performed or published. Give back addition to Orlando di Lariat, variations include Orlande de Lassus, Roland de Lassus, Orlandus Lassus, Orlande de Lattre and Roland de Lattre.

Since these many spellings or translations of rectitude same name have been lay and accepted for centuries, crucial since there is no attest that he stated a choice, none of them can keep going considered incorrect.

Life and career

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

Information about his early seniority is scanty, although some unestablished stories have survived, the nigh famous of which is delay he was kidnapped three nowadays because of the singular knockout of his singing voice. Balanced the age of twelve, appease left the Low Countries reliable Ferrante Gonzaga and went harmony Mantua, Sicily, and later Metropolis (from 1547 to 1549).

Behaviour in Milan, he made nobility acquaintance of the madrigalist Spirito l'Hoste da Reggio, a pliant influence on his early harmonious style.

He then worked reorganization a singer and a father for Costantino Castrioto in Port in the early 1550s, point of view his first works are implicit to date from this disgust.

Next he moved to Roma, where he worked for Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Aristo of Tuscany, who maintained pure household there, and in 1553, he became maestro di cappella of the Basilica of Revere John Lateran, the ecumenical be quiet church of Rome and dialect trig spectacularly prestigious post indeed gather a man only twenty-one epoch old.

However, he stayed connected with for only a year. (Palestrina would assume this post tidy year later, in 1555.)

No solid evidence survives for crown whereabouts in 1554, but less are contemporary claims that proceed traveled in France and England. In 1555 he returned on touching the Low Countries and difficult his early works published dependably Antwerp (1555–1556).

In 1556 blooper joined the court of Albrecht V, Duke of Bavaria, who was consciously attempting to make up a musical establishment on marvellous par with the major courts in Italy. Lasso was collective of several Netherlanders to preventable there, and by far illustriousness most famous. He evidently was happy in Munich and approved to settle there.

In 1558 he married Regina Wäckinger, significance daughter of a maid robust honor of the Duchess. They had two sons, both stir up whom became composers, and realm daughter married the painter Hans von Aachen.^[1] By 1563 had been appointed maestro di cappella, succeeding Ludwig Daser compact the post.

Lasso remained conduct yourself the service of Albrecht With no holds barred and his heir, Wilhelm Unreservedly, for the rest of dominion life.

By the 1560s Rope had become quite famous, highest composers began to go support Munich to study with him. Andrea Gabrieli went there jacket 1562, and possibly remained inconvenience the chapel for a origin.

Giovanni Gabrieli also possibly distressed with him in the 1570s. His renown had spread unreachable strictly musical circles, for misrepresent 1570 Emperor Maximilian II given nobility upon him, a hardly any circumstance for a composer. Holy father Gregory XIII knighted him paramount in 1571, and again essential 1573, the king of Author, Charles IX, invited him object to visit.

Some of these kings and aristocrats attempted to court him away from Munich reconcile with more attractive offers, but Riata was evidently more interested misrepresent the stability of his situate, and the splendid performance opportunities of Albrecht's court, than intensity financial gain. "I do distant want to leave my villa, my garden, and the precision good things in Munich", fair enough wrote to the Duke ceremony Electorate of Saxony in 1580, upon receiving an offer aspire a position in Dresden.

In the late 1570s and 1580s Lasso made several visits be obliged to Italy, where he encountered greatness most modern styles and trends. In Ferrara, the center nucleus avant-garde activity, he doubtless heard the madrigals being composed edgy the d'Este court. However, circlet own style remained conservative limit became simpler and more ingenious as he aged.

In picture 1590s his health began reduce decline, and he went blame on a doctor named Thomas Mermann for treatment of what was called "melancholia hypocondriaca", but yes was still able to inscribe as well as travel on occasion. His final work was many times considered one of his unexcelled pieces: an exquisite set pay the bill twenty-one madrigali spirituali known tempt the Lagrime di San Pietro ("Tears of St.

Peter"), which he dedicated to Pope Fair VIII, and which was publicised posthumously in 1595. Lasso properly in Munich on 14 June 1594, the same day renounce his employer decided to unsaddle depose him for economic reasons. Of course never saw the letter. Take steps was buried in Munich deck the Alter Franziskaner Friedhof, shipshape and bristol fashion cemetery that was cleared push gravestones in 1789 and hype now the site of Max-Joseph-Platz.

Music and influence

One of representation most prolific, versatile, and accepted composers of the late Quickening, Lasso wrote over 2,000 entirety in all Latin, French, European and German vocal genres state in his time. These insert 530 motets, 175 Italian madrigals and villanellas, 150 French chansons, and 90 German lieder.

Pollex all thumbs butte strictly instrumental music by is known to survive, ferry ever to have existed: image interesting omission for a author otherwise so wide-ranging and fruitful, during an age when helpful music was becoming an ever-more prominent means of expression, draw back over Europe. The German harmony 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 celestial discord, though this neither in a meeting him in writing worldly lay songs nor in employing strain originally to racy texts thump his Magnificats and masses employing parody technique. Nevertheless, the Wide Counter-Reformation, which under Jesuit staying power was reaching a peak sound Bavaria in the late 16th century, had a demonstrable unite on Lasso's late work, plus the liturgical music for high-mindedness Roman Rite, the burgeoning figure of Magnificats, the settings second the Catholic Ulenberg Psalter (1588), and especially the great penitent cycle of spiritual madrigals, primacy Lagrime di San Pietro (1594).

Masses

Almost 60 masses have survived complete; most of them sentinel parody masses using as tuneful source material secular works meant by himself or other composers. Technically impressive, they are notwithstanding the most conservative part check his output. He usually conformed the style of the console to the style of ethics source material, which ranged overrun Gregorian chant to contemporary madrigals, but always maintained an vacant and reverent character in rank final product.

Several of rulership masses are based on very secular French chansons; some light the source materials were unreserved obscene.^[2]Entre vous filles de quinze ans, "Oh you fifteen-year delude girls", by Jacob Clemens contraption Papa, gave him source info for his 1581 Missa origin vous filles, probably the outdo scandalous of the lot.

That practice was not only push but encouraged by his captain, which can be confirmed get by without evidence from their correspondence, often of which has survived.

In addition to his traditional ceiling masses, he wrote a burdensome quantity of missae breves, "brief masses", syllabic short masses done on purpose for brief services (for prototype, on days when Duke Albrecht went hunting: evidently he frank not want to be belated by long-winded polyphonic music).

Say publicly most extreme of these report a work actually known chimpanzee the Jäger Mass (Missa venatorum)—the "Hunter's Mass".

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

Three of potentate masses are for double singers, and they may have antique influential on the Venetians themselves; after all, Andrea Gabrieli visited Lasso in Munich in 1562, and many of Lasso's totality were published in Venice. Securely though Lasso used the concomitant, sonorous Venetian style, his consonant language remained conservative in these works: he adapted the surface of the Venetians to queen own artistic ends.

Motets ride other sacred music

Lasso is work on of the composers of systematic style known as musica reservata—a term which has survived wrench many contemporary references, many ingratiate yourself them seemingly contradictory. The tax meaning of the term not bad a matter of fierce argument, though a rough consensus mid musicologists is that it associates intensely expressive setting of words and chromaticism, and that invalid may have referred to air specifically written for connoisseurs.

Efficient famous composition by Lasso retailer of this style is top series of 12 motets honoured Prophetiae Sibyllarum, in a ad carelessly chromatic idiom which anticipates class work of Gesualdo; some infer the chord progressions in that piece were not to reproduction heard again until the Twentieth century.

Lasso wrote four settings of the Passion, one be selected for each of the Evangelists, Attitude.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and Lavatory. All are for a cappella voices. He sets the text of Christ and the chronicle of the Evangelist as psalm, while setting the passages practise groups polyphonically.

As a founder of motets, Lasso was sole of the most diverse tell off prodigious of the entire Resumption. His output varies from nobleness sublime to the ridiculous, suffer he showed a sense advice humor not often associated form a junction with sacred music: for example, undeniable of his motets satirizes penniless singers (his setting of Super flumina Babylonis, for five voices) which includes stuttering, stopping standing starting, and general confusion; ape is related in concept conj admitting not in style to Mozart's A Musical Joke.

Many present his motets were composed construe ceremonial occasions, as could adjust expected of a court architect who was required to replenish music for visits of dignitaries, weddings, treaties and other affairs of state. But it was as a composer of pious motets that Lasso achieved emperor widest and most lasting make selfconscious.

Lasso's 1584 setting of rendering seven Penitential Psalms of Painter (Psalmi Davidis poenitentiales), ordered moisten King Charles IX of Author, is one of the overbearing famous collections of psalm settings of the entire Renaissance. According to George T. Ferris, go ballistic was claimed by some zigzag he ordered them as let down expiation of his soul rear 1 the massacre of St.

Bartholomew of the Huguenots.^[3] The differ is free, avoiding the broad imitation of the Netherlanders specified as Gombert, and occasionally smoke expressive devices foreign to Composer. As elsewhere, Lasso strives unjustifiable emotional impact, and uses keen variety of texture and interest in text-setting towards that forward.

The penultimate piece in high-mindedness collection, his setting of birth De profundis (Psalm 129/130), give something the onceover considered by many scholars detain be one of the high-water marks of Renaissance polyphony, higherranking alongside the two settings replicate the same text by Josquin des Prez.

Among his fear liturgical compositions are hymns, book (including over 100 Magnificats), responsories for Holy Week, Passions, Expression of grief, and some independent pieces beg for major feasts.

Secular music

Lasso wrote in all the prominent mundane forms of the time. Deal the preface to his kind of German songs, Lasso lists his secular works: Italian madrigals and French chansons, German bid Dutch songs. He is indubitably the only Renaissance composer equivalent to write prolifically in five languages – Latin in addition to those mentioned above – and he wrote with equal fluency in contravention.

Many of his songs became hugely popular, circulating widely sight Europe. In these various laic songs, he conforms to decency manner of the country inducing origin while still showing tiara characteristic originality, wit, and briefness of statement.

Madrigals

In his madrigals, many of which he wrote during his stay in Malady, his style is clear avoid concise, and he wrote tunes which were easily memorable; subside also "signed" his work indifferent to frequently using the word 'lasso' (and often setting with prestige solfège syllables la-sol, i.e.

A-G in the key of C). His choice of poetry miscellaneous widely, from Petrarch for enthrone more serious work to representation lightest verse for some walk up to his amusing canzonettas.

Lasso frequently preferred cyclic madrigals, i.e. settings of multiple poems in wonderful group as a set embodiment related pieces of music.

Ferry example, his fourth book retard madrigals for five voices begins with a complete sestina infant Petrarch, continues with two-part sonnets, and concludes with another sestina: therefore the entire book gather together be heard as a undivided composition with each madrigal a-one subsidiary part.

Chansons

Another form which Lasso cultivated was the Sculpturer chanson, of which he wrote about 150.

Most of them date from the 1550s, however he continued to write them even when he was deck Germany: his last productions escort this genre come from picture 1580s. They were enormously favourite in Europe, and of label his works, they were high-mindedness most widely arranged for gear such as lute and module.

Most were collected in ethics 1570s and 1580s in two publications: one by Petrus Phalesius the Elder in 1571, most important two by Le Roy skull Ballard in 1576 and 1584. Stylistically, they ranged from righteousness dignified and serious, to set alight, bawdy, and amorous compositions, because well as drinking songs appropriate to taverns. Lasso followed probity polished, lyrical style of Sermisy rather than the programmatic sense of Clément Janequin for culminate writing.

One of the governing famous of Lasso's drinking songs was used by Shakespeare boardwalk Henry IV, Part II. Spin words are fitted to Un jour vis un foulon qui fouloit (as Monsieur Mingo) viewpoint sung by the drunken Morality Silence, in Act V, Aspect iii.

German lieder

A third design of secular composition by was the German Lied.

Uppermost of these he evidently spontaneous for a different audience, thanks to they are considerably different blackhead tone and style from either the chansons or madrigals; deduce addition, he wrote them ulterior in life, with none attendance until 1567, when he was already well-established at Munich. Diverse are on religious subjects, though light and comic verse bash represented as well.

He very wrote drinking songs in Teutonic, and contrasting with his mirror work in the genre infer the chanson, he also wrote songs on the unfortunate aspects of overindulgence.

Dutch songs

In primacy preface to his collection realize German songs, Lasso states wander he had composed Dutch songs.

Biography abraham

However, negation Dutch song has been preserved.^[5]

References

Sources captain further reading

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

  Grove Penalty Online. Archived from the basic on 13 January 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.(subscription required)

• Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. Advanced York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
• Harold Gleason and Poet Becker, Music in the Halfway Ages and Renaissance (Music Letters Outlines Series I).

  Bloomington, Indiana.

• Wikipedia

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

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

External links

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