Franco-Flemish Composers, 1450-1520 (Chapter 9)

I. Political Change and Consolidation

A. English defeat in Hundred Year’s War, period of relative insularity
B. Other major powers gained ground on the Continent
C. Duchy of Burgundy under control of France
D. France consolidated into strong, centralized state
E. Hapsburg Empire ruled by Charles V (r. 1419-1556)
1. unification of Austria, the Low Countries, southern Italy, Spain, Spanish Americas
F. Italy continued to be independent city-states
1. Italian courts and cities among most generous patrons of art and music
II. Ockeghem and Busnoys
A. Most renowned musicians of generation after Du Fay
1. music widely distributed, performed, imitated
2. laid foundation for later generations
3. Jean de Ockeghem [Johannes Okeghem] (ca. 1420-1497)
a. celebrated as singer, composer, teacher
b. esteemed especially for his masses
c. born in northeastern France
d. served three French kings for more than 4 decades
e. career and music less cosmopolitan
f. relatively small output: 13 masses, Requiem Mass, 5 motets, 21 chansons
4. Antoine Busnoys (or Busnois, ca. 1430-1492)
a. most prolific chansons composer of his time
b. served in Burgundian courts, and Hapsburg Empire
B. Chansons
1. blend traditional and new features
2, 3-voices, formes fixes, especially rondeau form
3. new features:
a. longer-breathed melodies
b. increased use of imitation
c. greater equality between voices
d. frequent use of duple meter
4. Jen e puis vivre (NAWM 39), virelai by Busnoys
a. refrain in triple meter, b section in duple
b. prevalence of imitation
c. imitation between tenor and cantus accompanied by free counterpoint in contratenor
d. varied with sections of brief homophony
5. Busnoys characteristics:
a. clear tonal direction of melody confirmed by a cadence
b. turning points in melody emphasize triad
6. Ockeghem:
a. more diffuse and meandering melodic style
b. tonal direction less clear
c. less predictable
7. both mark transition between older counterpoint and late 15th century style
8. chansons were quite popular
a. appear frequently in manuscripts from many different countries
b. large number of reworkings
C. Masses
1. Ockeghem and Busnoys

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 a. most are 4 voices
b. voice parts cover wider ranges, extend 12th or more
i. mostly into lower ranges
c. highly individual cantus-firmus masses
i. Ockeghem: Missa De plus en plus cantus firmus tenor of Binchois’s chanson (NAWM 35)
ii. cantus firmus in tenor, freely paraphrases it
d. profoundly influenced next generation
2. Ockeghem’s other masses
a. most are motto masses
b. one plainsong mass
c. Requiem, also plainsong
3. Ockeghem’s Missa cuiusvis toni and Missa prolationum
a. exceptional compositional virtuosity
b. Missa cuiusvis toni (Mass in any mode)
i. can be sung in mode 1, 3, 5, or 7
ii. read music according to 1 of 4 different clef combinations using musica ficta
c. Missa prolationum
i. notated 2 voices but sung in 4
ii. uses 4 prolations of mensural notation (Kyrie NAWM 40)
4. canon (Latin for “rule”): 2 or more voices derived from single notated line
a. instructions also called a canon, e.g. inversion, retrograde
b. mensuration canon: 2 voices sing same part using different durations (Missa prolationum)
c. double canon: 2 canons sung simultaneously (Missa prolationum)
5. Ockeghem’s musical characteristic’s:
a. long phrases, overlapped voices, continuous flow
b. melodies more diffuse, less predictable
c. emphasizes decoration and drive
III. The Generation of 1480-1520
A. Three most eminent Franco-Flemish composers: Jacob Obrecht, Henricus Isaac, Josquin Desprez
1. all born and trained in the Low Countries
2. traveled widely, working at courts and churches in different parts of Europe, including Italy
3. careers illustrate lively interchange between Franco-Flemish and Italian center
B. General traits
1. structure largely determined by the text
2. standard 4-voice texture, up to 5 and 6
a. imitative counterpoint and homophony
b. borrowed melodies often distributed among the voices
c. smooth melodies, motivic relationships
3. full harmonies
a. full triadic sonorities predominated; replaced open 5ths and octaves at cadences
b. bass replaced tenor as foundation
C. Jacob Obrecht (1457 or 1458-1505)
1. works: about 30 masses, 28 motets, numerous chansons, songs in Dutch, instrumental pieces
2. imitation:
a. cantus firmus masses, various treatments of borrowed material
b. imitation more frequent and extensive
c. point of imitation: series of imitative entrances
3. clarity:
a. clear tonal centers, confirmed by cadences
b. melodic ideas short and well-defined
c. structure and shape easily apparent

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 D. Role of imitation
1. Du Fay
a. brief moments of imitation
b. short, seldom involve all voices
c. incidental to fixed forms
2. Busnoys and Ockeghem
a. more extensive imitation, involves all voices
b. longer phrases
3. Obrecht
a. frequent points of imitation in all voices
b. series strung together interspersed with other textures
c. common way to organize pieces
4. imitation related to, yet differs from, canon
a. voices are similar, but not the same
b. identical for a few notes, melodies diverge
c. creates variety: allows cadences, changes of texture
E. Henricus Isaac (or Heinrich Isaac, ca. 1450-1517)
1. church positions in Florence; court composer for Holy Roman emperor Maximilian I, Vienna and
Innsbruck
a. output is more pan-European
b. sacred works, large number of songs
c. Choralis constantinus, cycle of settings, Proper for most of church year
2. homophonic textures
a. Florence: canti carnascialeschi (carnival songs)
i. predominantly homophonic style
ii. festive processions and pageants, trade guilds promoted products
b. German Lieder: Italian style adopted
i. Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (NAWM 41)
3. 16th century: homophonic texture appears alongside and alternating with imitative texture
F. Text setting
1. concern for fitting music to words
2. carefully matched accents in music to important words
3. text underlaid clearly and completely
IV. Josquin Desprez [Jossequin Lebloitte dit Desprez] (ca. 1450-1521)
A. Regarded as the greatest composer of his time
1. born near Ath, northern France
2. Italy: served Sforza family, 1484-89; Sistine Chapel, 1489-94
3. French and Burgundian courts, 1498-1503
4. 1503: maestro di cappella to Duke Ercole I d’Este in Ferrara, highest salary in that court’s history
5. 1504: provost at church of Notre Dame
6. compositions appeared in largest number of manuscripts and collections than any other composer
before 1550
7. music expressed emotions: humanist
8. through late 16th century, compositions emulated and reworked
9. major works: at least 18 masses, over 50 motets, 65 chansons, instrumental works
B. Chansons
1. show characteristics of Obrecht and Isaac
2. formes fixes abandoned
3. strophic texts, simple 4 or 5-line poems
4. 4 to 6 voices, all meant to be sung
5. equal melodic interest in all parts

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 6. Faulte d’argent (NAWM 42) (ca. late 1490s or early 1500s),
a. 5-voice setting of existing popular monophonic song
b. brief and humorous text
c. source melody in canon between tenor and quinta pars (fifth voice)
d. varied number and grouping of voices; almost constant change of texture
e. borrowed melody in all voices
7. Mille regretz (NAWM 43) (ca. 1520)
a. 4-voice chanson
b. authorship questioned by some scholars
c. texture alternates between homophony and imitation between all 4 voices
d. each phrase of text receives its own particular treatment
C. Motets
1. exemplify diversity of his style
2. variety of texts: Mass Proper or other sources
3. style example: Ave Maria …virgo serena (NAWM 44) (ca. 1485)
a. earliest and most popular
b. words drawn from 3 different texts, all addressed to Virgin Mary
i. opening lines of a sequence
ii. hymn in 5 stanzas hailing 5 major feasts for Mary
iii. prayer asking for her aid
c. music crafted to fit words
i. each segment given unique musical treatment and concluding cadence
ii. sensitive declamation and projection of text
d. constantly changing texture
i. several overlapping points of imitation
ii. presence of paraphrases of source melody in all voices, suffusing the texture
iii. hymn text: homophonic phrases, diversity in style of homophony
iv. closing prayer: plainest chordal homophony in long notes
D. Masses
1. 18 masses, varied, technical ingenuity
a. 9 use secular tune as cantus firmus
b. masses based on chant
c. freely composed double-canons
d. subjects derived from solmization syllables
2. style example: Missa Pange lingua (NAWM 45), paraphrase mass
a. based on plainchant hymn, Pange lingua gloriosi
b. paraphrased in all 4 voices, in each movement
c. paraphrase in points of imitation
d. phrases adapted as motives, treated in imitation (Kyrie, NAWM 45a)
e. phrases in homophonic declamation (Credo, NAWM 45b)
f. movements resemble motets
g. paraphrase mass: mass based on paraphrased monophonic melody, appears in all voices
E. Music as expressive of feelings and ideas
1. text expression: conveying through music the emotions or overall mood suggested by the text
a. Faulte d’argent: surprising turn of harmony parallels irony in text
b. Mille regretz, descending lines reflect sadness
c. Ave Maria …virgo Serena: slow simple chordal homophony, signifies quiet feeling of deep
prayer
2. text depiction: using musical gestures to reinforce visual images in text
a. Mille regetz: poet line “habandonner,” left dangling without proper cadence

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 b. Ave Maria …virgo serena voices sing together in rhythmic unison: full chordal texture evokes
fullness
c. Credo of Missa Pange lingua “Et resurrexit” new burst of energy, imitative entrances
V. Masses on Borrowed Material
A. Previous generations
1. cantus firmus mass: borrowed tune in tenor as a cantus firmus
2. cantus-firmus/imitation mass: tenor plus other voices from polyphonic work
B. End of 15th century
1. paraphrase mass: chant melody
a. rework monophonic melody in context of new style
b. paraphrase in all voices in points of imitation
2. imitation mass: all voices borrowed from polyphonic work
VI. Old and New
A. Ockeghem, Busnoys, Obrecht, Isaac, and Josquin all acclaimed in life and after in death
B Ockeghem: only few works known in 16th century
C. Josquin’s music continued in circulation far longer
1. performed and emulated through end of 16th century
2. works cited by theorists and written histories of music late 18th and 19th centuries
3. complete works transcribed and published beginning in 1921

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