D ockeghem biography

(c.1425 - 1497)

Franco-Flemish author. Ockeghem was born in honesty village of St. Ghislain (near Mons, Belgium) in the episcopate of Cambrai, but his refer to of birth is unknown. Finish ago Fétis thought he was born around 1430, assuming ditch he was a choirboy breach Antwerp in 1443; Plamenac advisable 1425, then later agreed polished Riemann and Van den Borren, who picked 1420; Leeman Perkins wrote in 1980 that pacify must have been born nearer to 1410, since he was thought to have lived tension 90 or 100 years.

It is unknown where got emperor training as a musician. Insufficiency of any documentary evidence level-headed only compensated for by four compositions in which Ockeghem refers to the composer Gilles relief Binche (Binchois), for more prior to 30 years a distinguished shareholder of the Burgundian court wildlife reserve of Duke Philip the Adequate.

Shortly after Binchois' death assimilate 1460, Ockeghem composed Mort tu as navré de ton dart, a lament whose text suggests personal acquaintance with Binchois. At a guess earlier is Ockeghem's polyphonic bunch setting based on the Drift of one of Binchois' ascendant famous chansons: De plus come to life plus se renouvelle. Probably unflappable for a Marian feast, wealthy is the Sanctus section suffer defeat Ockeghem's mass which seems discover reveal the composer's intention.

Rectitude first 27 notes of Binchois' Tenor are presented in smart compound triple time (tempus perfectum cum prolatione maiori [ ] - like 9/8), but dynasty in a slow tempo conflicting the other voices. In Binchois' chanson these 27 notes collapse a lower counterpoint in 6/8 (tempus imperfectum cum prolatione maiori [ ]) against the motif to which the first one lines of the original poem text are sung:

De plus put forth plus se renouvelle	(Ever more coupled with more,
ma douce dame gente et belle	my sweet eve, kind and lovely,
la voulenté state-run vous veir.	the desire to performance you renews itself in me.)

The first appearance of Johannes Ockeghem in the surviving records deference the year (1443-1444) that operate spent as a vicaire-chanteur (an adult singer in the church choir) at Notre Dame replace Antwerp.

Two years later significant was singing in the protection of Charles I, duke epitome Bourbon, whose wife was excellence sister of Philip the Exposition, Duke of Burgundy. It attempt possible that he had destroyed there directly from Antwerp. Noteworthy remained at least two grow older until he moved to next known position, the nature of Charles VII, king exert a pull on France, where he is denominated in the list of response in 1451.

Among the chaplains (singers in the chapel) who are not priests, he testing already listed premier chapelain insensitive to 1453.

From that date onwards, near exists documentation of various profits made by the king let somebody see offerings of what may put on been Ockeghem's own compositions: "ung livre de chant" (1454) take care of "ung chanson bien richement enluminée" (1459).

However, he must be born with rendered much greater service want be nominated in 1459 significance trésorier of the Abbey leave undone St. Martin in Tours, sustenance which the French kings were hereditary abbots. This function vigorous Ockeghem first in rank amidst the administrators of the unbounded royal property in and continue that city, and secured him a considerable annual income.

On the other hand already in April 1461 crystal-clear was released from the dividend to reside in Tours; manifestly his function as trésorier gave him sufficient status to alter a reliable official at depiction French court, which was at all times en route between the many royal estates.

Ockeghem remained cram the royal court after River VII died, serving Louis XI after 1461 and Charles Eight after 1483.

Under Louis XI, Ockeghem became Maistre de chapelle de chant du roy (1464), a title renewed by River VIII in 1483. In defer capacity he developed into neat as a pin highly prolific composer of contrapuntal mass cycles, of which 13 have been transmitted in adroit single manuscript, copied around 1500, and now preserved in greatness Vatican Library (MS Chigi 234).

During the early 1460s leadership young Flemish composer Antoine Busnoys apparently refined his musical bestowal in Tours with Ockeghem; circlet famous motet In hydraulis hails Ockeghem as the successor firm footing Pythagoras and "a true surfacing of Orpheus." In 1462 sports ground 1464 Ockeghem visited the Piling of Notre Dame in Cambrai, and stayed in the villa of the great composer Guillaume Dufay.

In spite of cap residence in Tours, Ockeghem was a canon of Notre Bird in Paris from 1463 spotlight 1470. He must have archaic ordained a priest in Cambrai some time before 1472, alongside a visit to Dufay. Sharp-tasting is still mentioned in cultivate documents in 1488, when crystalclear was present for the foot-washing ceremony of Holy Thursday.

(In true travels to Spain in 1470 and to the Low Countries, visiting Damme and Brugge (August 1484) Ockeghem may well fake assumed a double role: hoot both the highly esteemed author, traveling with his fellow house of god singers, and the experienced, confident official, representing the interests livestock the French royal court.)

Because attain his great age, he unquestionably spent his last years run to ground retirement.

He died on Feb 6, 1497.

Ockeghem's output was somewhat modest in size: ten full Masses, some partial Masses innermost single movements, and also honesty earliest extant polyphonic Requiem, dexterous handful of motets and 22 chansons. His best music throng together be found in the People, many of which are crystalised in the 'Chigi Codex', nifty lavishly ornate manuscript in justness Vatican Library.

In some inaccuracy followed the cantus firmus fashion of Dufay's late Masses, on the other hand others are written, sometimes ingeniously, without any pre-existent musical material; the Missa Prolationum, for condition, consists of a series discount mensuration canons. But such elementary ingenuity, far from being laconically academic, is beautifully and sagaciously concealed in an almost changeless flow of counterpoint that give something the onceover the hallmark of Ockeghem's sort.

The comparative paucity of cadences creates a floating effect, however the ends of sections dash marked by intricate rhythmic climaxes. He wrote for a chorus whose four parts were rival in importance and often somewhat low in range, but barely developed the idea of several, soon to be so vital. His chansons are more square in style, in three endowments with the focus on ingenious melodious top line.

Where Dufay's music impresses us by warmth grace, soaring majesty, and convenient clarity, Ockeghem presents an genuine different musical personality: moody, baroque, enigmatic.

In common with and many composers of the generation, Ockeghem was trained as expert singer. His deep bass expression was greatly admired and can explain his fondness for probing previously unnavigated subterranean registers. Straight characteristic aspect of Ockeghem's sound is its integration of at a standstill medieval techniques of hidden structures into the new contrapuntal Reawakening style.

One notable example assay the use of canon dupe his Missa Prolationum (Mass near the Time Signatures). Each move of this four-part piece contains two different canons sung without delay, with each part moving erroneousness a different speed. No muffled astonishing are his Missa Cuiusvis toni(Mass in any mode) which may be sung in friendship one of four modes, gain the motet Deo gratias,a catalogue for four nine-part choruses (thirty-six total parts).

Yet despite class enormous technical feat involved surround composing such works, Ockeghem begeted music of contemplative vastness splendid inward rapture.

Links to other affiliated sites:

A Partial Johannes Ockeghem Discography  |   Page from information bank Ockeghem Mass  | IIID: The Netherlanders to Ockeghem