Johannes Ockeghem (also Jean de; surname Okeghem, Ogkegum, Okchem, Hocquegam, Ockegham; other variant spellings are also encountered) (c. 1410, Saint-Ghislain, Belgium – February 6, 1497, Tours, France) was the leading composer of the second generation of the Franco-Flemish School. Ockeghem is often considered the most important composer between Dufay and Josquin des Prez, and was one of the most famous composers in Europe in the latter half of the 15th century. Johannes Ockeghem - detail of painting This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... March 29 - The Aragonese capture Oristano, capital of the giudicato di Arborea in Sardinia July 15 – Battle of Grunwald (also known as Tannenberg or Zalgiris). ... Saint Ghislain (d. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1497 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tours is a city in France, the préfecture (capital city) of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. ... In music, the Dutch School refers, somewhat imprecisely, to the style of polyphonic vocal music composition in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. ... Du Fay (left), with Gilles Binchois Guillaume Dufay (Du Fay, Du Fayt) (?August 5, 1397 – November 27, 1474) was a Franco-Flemish composer and music theorist of the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance. ... Josquin des Prez Josquin Des Prez (French rendering of Dutch Josken, diminutive of Joseph; latinized Josquinus Pratensis, alternatively Jodocus Pratensis) (c. ...

Life

The spelling of Ockeghem's name comes from a supposed autograph of his which survived as late as 1885, and as reported by E. Giraudet, a historian in Tours; the document has since been lost. In 15th century sources, the spelling "Okeghem" predominates.

The birthdate of Ockeghem is controversial, and dates as early as 1410, and as late as 1430 have been proposed.^[1] The earlier date is based on the possibility that he knew Binchois in Hainaut before the older composer moved from Mons to Lille in 1423, and when Ockeghem was still a choirboy: Ockeghem would have to have been younger than 15 at the time. This particular speculation derives from Ockeghem's reference, in the lament he wrote on the death of Binchois in 1460, to a Binchois chanson dated to that time.^[2] The comment by the poet Guillaume Crétin, in the lament he wrote on Ockeghem's death in 1497, "it was a great shame that a composer of his talents should die before 100 years old", is also often taken as evidence for the earlier date. Gilles de Binchois or Bins (c. ... The virtually independent county of Hainaut emerged from chaotic conditions at the end of the 9th century as a semi-independent state, at first a vassal of the crown of Lotharingia. ... Geography Country Belgium Region Walloon Region Community French Community Province Hainaut Arrondissement Mons Coordinates Area 146. ... New city flag Traditional coat of arms Motto: – Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Nord-Pas de Calais Department Nord (59) Intercommunality Urban Community of Lille Métropole Mayor Martine Aubry  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 39. ...

Recent research has shown that Ockeghem was born in the town of Saint-Ghislain; many older biographies state that he was either born in the town of his name or in the neighboring town of Dendermonde in East Flanders (now part of modern Belgium), part of the Duchy of Burgundy. Details of his early life are lacking. Like many composers in this period, he started his musical career as chorister, and the first record of his musical activity comes from the cathedral of Notre Dame in Antwerp, where he was employed in 1443 and 1444. Between 1446 and 1448 he served Charles, Duke of Bourbon, in Moulins (France). Around 1452 he moved to Paris where he served as maestro di cappella to the French court, as well as treasurer to the St. Martin cathedral in Tours. In addition to serving at the French court – both for Charles VII and Louis XI – he held posts at Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Benoît. He is known to have traveled to Spain in 1470, as part of a diplomatic mission, which was an attempt to arrange a marriage between Isabella of Castile and Charles, Duke of Guyenne (the brother of king Louis XI). After the death of Louis XI (1483), not much is known for certain about Ockeghem's whereabouts, though it is known that he went to Bruges and Tours, and he probably died in the latter town since he left a will there. Dendermonde (French: Termonde) is a city and municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of East Flanders. ... East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. ... The following is a list of the Dukes of Burgundy Richard of Autun, the Justicier (880–921) Rudolph of Burgundy (king of France from 923) (921–923) Hugh the Black (923–952) Gilbert of Chalon (952–956) Odo of Paris (956-965) Otto-Henry the Great... For other uses, see Antwerp (disambiguation). ... Events Albanians, under Skanderbeg, defeat the Turks John Hunyadi defeats Turks at the Battle of Nis Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II. Births January 27 - Albert, Duke of Saxony (died 1500) February 23 - Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (died 1490) May 17 - Edmund... Events March 2 - Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian resistance April 16 - Truce of Tours. ... Events Mehmed II Sultan of the Ottoman Empire is forced to abdicate in favor of his father Murad II by the Janissaries. ... Events January 5/ 6 - Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden dies with no designated heir leaving all three kingdoms with vacant thrones. ... Charles I of Bourbon (1401–1456, Château de Moulins) was Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis from 1424, and Duke of Bourbon and Auvergne from 1434 to his death, although due to the imprisonment of his father after the Battle of Agincourt, he acquired control of the duchy before this... Events October - English troops under John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, land in Guyenne, France, and retake most of the province without a fight. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Tours is a city in France, the préfecture (capital city) of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. ... Charles VII the Victorious, a. ... Louis XI the Prudent (French: Louis XI le Prudent) (July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483), also informally nicknamed luniverselle aragne (old French for universal spider), or the Spider King, was King of France (1461–1483). ... This article is about the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. ... Events May 15 - Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. ... Isabella of Castile Isabella I (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was Queen regnant of Castile and Leon. ... Events The São Tomé settlement is founded. ... Geography Country Belgium Region Flemish Region Community Flemish Community Province West Flanders Arrondissement Bruges Coordinates Area 138. ... Tours is a city in France, the préfecture (capital city) of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. ...

Ockeghem probably studied with Gilles Binchois, and at the very least was closely associated with him at the Burgundian court. Since Antoine Busnois wrote a motet in honor of Ockeghem sometime before 1467, it is probable that those two were acquainted as well; and writers of the time often link Dufay, Busnois and Ockeghem. Although Ockeghem's musical style differs considerably from that of the older generation, it is probable that he acquired his basic technique from them, and as such can be seen as a direct link from the Burgundian style to the next generation of Netherlanders, such as Obrecht and Josquin. Gilles de Binchois or Bins (c. ... Manuscript of Missa O Crux Lignum, a mass by Busnois. ... Events October 29 - Battle of Brusthem: Charles the Bold defeats Liege Beginning of the Sengoku Period in Japan. ... Jacob Obrecht Jacob Obrecht (November 22, 1458 – late July, 1505) was a Dutch composer of the Renaissance. ...

Music and influence

Very few of his works have survived: some 14 masses and a Requiem mass, 5 motets, a motet-chanson (a deploration on the death of Binchois), and 21 chansons. Thirteen of Ockeghem's masses are preserved in a late Fifteenth century Flemish manuscript known as the Chigi codex. His Missa pro Defunctis is the earliest surviving example of a polyphonic Requiem mass (a setting by Dufay, possibly earlier, has been lost). In addition to his small surviving output, some of the works attributed to him have been questioned: for example the amazing technical tour-de-force for 36 voices, Deo gratias is very likely by someone else, but this remains in dispute; and several of his chansons and motets, while anonymous in the sources, are attributed to him on stylistic grounds. The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the fixed portions of the Eucharistic liturgy (principally that of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, generally known in the US as the Episcopal Church, and also the Lutheran Church) to music. ... The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass, also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in the United States. ... In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions. ... The motet-chanson was a specialized musical form of the Renaissance, developed in Milan during the 1470s and 1480s, which combined aspects of the contemporary motet and chanson. ... Chanson is a French word for song, and in English-language contexts is often applied to any song with French words, particularly a cabaret song. ... The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the fixed portions of the Eucharistic liturgy (principally that of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, generally known in the US as the Episcopal Church, and also the Lutheran Church) to music. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... An illuminated opening from the Chigi Codex featuring the Kyrie of Ockeghems Missa Ecce ancilla Domini. ... The Requiem, by Johannes Ockeghem (c. ...

A strong influence on Josquin Des Prez, Ockeghem was famous throughout Europe for his expressive music and his technical mastery. His technical prowess is demonstrated most clearly in the astonishing Missa Prolationum, which consists entirely of mensuration canons, and the 'Missa cuiusvis', to be performed in different modes, but even these technique-oriented masterpieces demonstrate his insightful use of vocal ranges and uniquely expressive tonal language. Being a renowned bass singer himself, his use of wide-ranging and rhythmically active bass lines sets him apart from many of the other composers in the Netherlandish Schools. Josquin des Prez Josquin Des Prez (French rendering of Dutch Josken, diminutive of Joseph; latinized Josquinus Pratensis, alternatively Jodocus Pratensis) (c. ... A prolation canon is a type of musical canon. ... A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ...

To commemorate his death, Josquin Des Prez composed the motet La déploration de la mort de Johannes Ockeghem, a setting of the poem Nymphes des bois by Jean Molinet. Josquin des Prez Josquin Des Prez (French rendering of Dutch Josken, diminutive of Joseph; latinized Josquinus Pratensis, alternatively Jodocus Pratensis) (c. ... A lament composed by Josquin des Prez on the occasion of the death of his predecessor Johannes Ockeghem in February 1497. ... Jean Molinet (1435—1507) was a French poet and chronicler. ...

Works

Masses

1. Missa sine nomine
2. Missa sine nomine (incomplete: only Kyrie, Gloria and Credo exist)
3. Missa Au travail suis
4. Missa Caput
5. Missa cuiusvis toni
6. Missa De plus en plus
7. Missa Ecce ancilla Domini
8. Missa Fors seulement (has not survived complete: only Kyrie, Gloria and Credo remain)
9. Missa L'homme armé
10. Missa Ma maistresse
11. Missa Mi-mi (also known as the Missa quarti toni)
12. Missa prolationum
13. Missa quinti toni
14. Missa pro defunctis (Requiem)

The Requiem, by Johannes Ockeghem (c. ...

Motets

Marian antiphons

1. Alma Redemptoris mater
2. Ave Maria
3. Salve regina

Others

1. Intemerata Dei mater (possibly written 1487)^[3]
2. Ut heremita solus

Motet-chanson

1. Mort tu as navré/Miserere (lamentation on the death of Gilles Binchois, probably written in 1460)

Gilles de Binchois or Bins (c. ...

Chansons

Three voices

1. Aultre Venus estes
2. Au travail suis (attrib: possibly by Barbingant)
3. Baisiés moy dont fort
4. D'un autre amer
5. Fors seulement contre
6. Fors seulement l'attente
7. Il ne m'en chault plus
8. La despourveue et la bannie
9. L'autre d'antan
10. Les desléaux ont la saison
11. Ma bouche rit
12. Ma maistresse
13. Prenez sur moi
14. Presque transi
15. Quant de vous seul
16. Se vostre cuer eslongne
17. Tant fuz gentement resjouy
18. Ung aultre l'a

Three or four voices

1. J'en ay dueil

Four voices

1. S'elle m'amera/Petite camusette

He had an affinity for boys.

References

• Leeman Perkins: "Johannes Ockeghem", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed January 16, 2007), (subscription access)
• Article "Johannes Ockeghem." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. (ISBN 1-56159-174-2)
• Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. (ISBN 0-393-09530-4)
• Fabrice Fitch, Johannes Ockeghem: Masses and Models. Paris, Honoré Champion Éditeur, 1997. ISBN 0-2-85203-735-1
• Jeffrey Dean: "Okeghem's valediction? the meaning of 'Intemerata Dei mater'", in Johannes Ockeghem: Actes du XL^e Colloque international d'études humanistes. Éditions Klincksieck, 1998. ISBN 2-252-03214-6

Gustave Reese (November 29, 1899 – September 7, 1977) was an American musicologist and teacher. ...

Notes

Recordings

• Flemish Masters, Virginia Arts Recordings, VA-04413, performed by Zephyrus. Includes the Ockeghem Alma Redemptoris mater, the Obrecht Missa Sub tuum presidium, as well as motets by Willaert, Clemens non Papa, Des Prez, Mouton, and Gombert.

External links

• Free scores by Johannes Ockeghem in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Ockeghem biography and discography
• Free scores by Johannes Ockeghem in the Werner Icking Music Archive