Johannes Ockeghem

Johannes Ockeghem

Source: Wikipedia

Born circa 1410 (perhaps as late as 1430) in Belgium, Johannes (Jan, Jean) Ockeghem was a composer of the Franco-Flemish School that was the greater expansion of the Burgundian School out of which the musical Renaissance developed. Ockeghem composed motets, masses and secular chansons (songs). He may have been a student of Gilles Binchois and a teacher of Josquin des Prez, both of whom he likely knew.

Like many medieval composers, Ockeghem probably began his career as either a choir singer or choirmaster. The first record of his employment dates from 1433, in which he is a singer in the choir of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe cathedral in Antwerp. Though likely under the direction of composer, Johannes Pullois (Pullois' first employment at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe cathedral that same year), Ockeghem would eventually come to greater renown than his choirmaster. He is believed to have sung bass for its emphasis in his works.

Ockeghem worked for both Church (as a treasurer for a time) and Court. He began in the latter capacity in 1446 as a singer for Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, who died in 1456. Ockeghem is found in Paris prior to that in 1452 where he served King Charles VII who died in 1461, then his son, King Louis XI until the latter's death in 1483. Among Ockeghem's extra-musical duties to the crown was a diplomatic mission to Spain in 1470. Also a music teacher, Ockeghem held posts at Notre Dame and St. Benoit.

Extant works by Ockeghem barely exceed forty, leaving behind only 10 motets, 13 or 14 masses and 20 chansons (songs). His relatively small legacy for a period of musical activity well exceeding sixty years is probably due to duties in nonmusical capacities such as mentioned above, yet concerning which little is known. Very few of his compositions can be estimated to the year, and "circa" can be a wide window. He is otherwise copied into numerous codices (manuscript collections) including the Chigi Codex (V-CVbav) begun in Flanders sometime between 1498 and 1503. The Chigi is also known as the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (V-CVbav). The Stadtarchiv, Musiksammlung (D-HBa) is another codex in which Ockeghem is found.

Early in 11th century Italian music theorist, Guido of Arezzo, had developed solmization in which ut, re, mi, fa, sol and la got assigned to pitches on a single scale. That gradually developed into solfège or, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti. But when it came to two voices or more (polyphony) at least two scales were required. The relationship between two or more melodies is called counterpoint. Ockeghem early used a device called imitative counterpoint in which two or more parts repeat the melody in some manner. The canon is an instance of imitative counterpoint in which multiple voices repeat a melody as canons of the original. One famous example of such is the repetitive rounds of 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' published by Eliphalet Oram Lyte in 1852.

Among Ockeghem's earlier sacred works may have his imitation Mass, 'L'homme armé', of perhaps as early as 1454 [Dickey]. Wikipedia places its composition in the fifties, Scott Metcalfe in the early sixties. it is also estimated to at least 1468 or later [Dickey]. The imitation Mass incorporates a pre-existing melody into the liturgical Ordinary Mass. The Mass Ordinary is distinguished from the Mass Proper in that texts of the Ordinary are invariably permanent. Other polyphonic techniques using pre-existing melodies are the cantus firmus in which the "fixed melody" is typically a Gregorian chant, and the more elaborate paraphrase Mass. The cantus firmus is documented to as early as the ninth century in the anonymous treatises on polyphony called the Musica enchiriadis and the Scolica enchiriadis. The paraphrase technique which more obscures the original cantus firmus arose with the Burgundian School, though John Dunstaple across the Channel in England also used it. The fauxbourden harmonic technique between voices developed by DuFay permitted both cantus firmus and paraphrasing together. Another method of composing melodies for the Mass Ordinary was the cyclic Mass, arising around the same time, in which the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei share the same musical theme, generally a cantus firmus of a Gregorian chant, though secular chansons were also used. No complete cyclic Mass is known to exist. Josquin des Prez would employ a method called soggetto cavato drawing from the solmization of Arregio.

Ockeghem's 'Missa L'homme armé' is imitative of an anonymous but popular secular tune called 'L'homme armé' documented to as early as 1453. The application of secular melodies to sacred texts had probably begun in the latter fourteenth century in France. Its application to major works like Masses began with the Burgundian School. Setting sacred texts to secular music became so common in the fifteenth century as to raise criticism of "permissive" mixtures. Such views, including Erasmus, didn't, however, prevent 'Missa L'homme armé' from being employed by numerous composers of the Mass. Combining the sacred with the secular was a trademark of the Burgundian school which wasn't going to disappear now that it was started, regardless of purist complaints. Ockeghem's entire 'Missa L'homme armé' ('The Armed Man') is copied into both the V-CVbav MS Chigi C.VIII.234 (Chigi Codex) and the V-CVbav MS Capp. Sist. 35.

'Missa L'homme armé'   Imitation Mass by Johannes Ockeghem

Possibly 1454 to as late as the sixties

Possibly as late as Charles the Bold's (Burgundy) induction into the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1468

Ensemble Voix Fort Cleres directed by David Schiller   June 1988

Ockeghem may have written his chanson for 3 voices, 'Ma Maitresse', about 1455. 'Ma Maitresse' comes in two parts for three voices: 'Ma maitresse et ma plus grande amie' and 'Hellas, de vous'. It has been copied into numerous codices. Ockeghem used 'Ma Maitresse' in another imitation Mass called 'Missa Ma Maitresse' of which only the Kyrie and Gloria are known to exist, transcscribed into the Chigi Codex.

'Ma Maitresse'   Chanson by Johannes Ockeghem   Circa 1455

Blue Heron directed by Scott Metcalfe

'Missa Ma Maitresse'   Imitation Mass by Johannes Ockeghem   Circa 1455-60

Blue Heron directed by Scott Metcalfe

Upon the death of his friend, Binchois, in 1460 Ockeghem composed his deploration, 'Mort tu as navré de ton dart/Miserere'. This work is found in the Biblioteca dell'Abbazia (I-MC)and the Dijon Chansonnier (F-Dm).

'Mort tu as navré de ton dart/Miserere'   Plaint by Johannes Ockeghem   Prob 1460

Graindelavoix directed by Björn Schmelzer

Ockeghem is the original composer of the Requiem Mass or, Mass for the Dead. He may have written his 'Missa Pro Defunctis' for the funeral of Charles VII in 1461. A much later date of 1483 is also posited, occasioned by the death of death of Louis XI. This Missa is found in the Chigi Codex.

'Missa Pro Defunctis'   Requiem Mass by Johannes Ockeghem   Poss 1461 or 1483

Musica Ficta directed by Bo Holten

Found in the Chigi Codex, Ockeghem's Ordinary Mass, 'Missa Au travail suis' for four voices is another imitation Mass set with a secular chanson, 'Au travail suis' ('I Am in Such Torment'). 'Au travail suis' had been composed by Pierre Barbingant sometime in the early sixties. Ockeghem applied its melody to his Missa perhaps as late as circa 1470.

'Missa Au travail suis'   Imitation Mass by Johannes Ockeghem   Circa 1470

'Au travil Suis' ('I Am in Such Torment') composed by Pierre Barbigant c 1460-65

The Tallis Scholars   1997

Ockeghem's Ordinary Mass, 'Missa: Prolationum', examples the proportional canon also known as the mensuration or prolation canon. Unlike 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' which canonical method has multiple parts starting successively, the proportional canon has voices starting simultaneously, but differing in the lengths or values of their notes. The 'Missa Prolationum' is estimated to circa 1470 and is also found in the Chigi Codex.

'Missa Prolationum'   Imitation Mass by Johannes Ockeghem   Circa 1470

Cappella Nova    November 1978

Ockeghem's secular works included the rondeau, 'Quant de vous seul je pers la veue' ('When I lose sight of you alone') put to paper circa 1470. It is found in the Dijon Chansonnier. The rondeau had long since become a familiar form by Ockeghem's time, arriving in the latter 13th century.

'Quant de vous seul je pers la veue'   Rondeau by Johannes Ockeghem   Circa 1470

'When I lose sight of you alone'

Ferrara Ensemble    1997

Ockeghem used another secular chanson to set his 'Missa De Plus en Plus'. Binchois composed the rondeau, 'De plus en Plus', about 1425. Ockeghem therefore had about half century to author the Missa before it was transcribed into the Biblioteca dell'Abbazia (I-MC) circa 1475-1480. It also appears in the Chigi Codex.

Agnus dei of the 'Missa De plus en plus'   Johannes Ockeghem   Sometime 1425-1475

Blue Heron directed by Scott Metcalfe   First Church of Cambridge   21 February 2015

Ockeghem's 'Deo Gratias' might have arrived in as late as early 1497. It was, anyway, among his latter works. Up to this time most motets were written for two to five voices, making the 'Deo Gratis' for 36 voices a unique departure from the norm. The 'Deo Gratis' was arranged into 4 canons of nine voices each, though no more than 18 voices sing at one time. It is found in the Stadtarchiv, Musiksammlung codex.

'Deo Gratias'   Motet for 36 voices by Johannes Ockeghem   No later than early 1497

Huelgas Ensemble directed by Paul Van Nevel

Ockeghem's motet, 'Salve Regina' ('Holy Queen'), is probably another late work, possibly even 1497. It is found in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (V-CVbav).

'Salve Regina'   Motet for 4 voices by Johannes Ockeghem   No later than early 1497

Hilliard Ensemble   April 1988

Ockeghem's 'Qu'es mi vida, preguntais' is an arrangement for 4 voices of Spanish composer, Juan Cornago's, 'Qu'es mi vida preguntays' for three voices. DIAMM has 'Qu'es mi vida preguntays' transcribed into the Biblioteca dell'Abbazia (I-MC) and the Cancioniero de la Colombina (E-Sc) of Seville under both Cornago and Ockeghem. The date of neither Cornago's composition nor Ockeghem's arrangement are known, though the latter may have been a result of Ockeghem's trip to Spain for King Louis XI in 1470.

'Qu'es mi vida, preguntais'   Song for 4 voices by Johannes Ockeghem   Poss 1470 or later

'What is my life, you ask'

Arrangement of Juan Cornago's 'Qu'es mi vida preguntays'

La Capella Reial de Cataluny directed by Jordi Savall

Despite Ockeghem's obscure history, he is considered the principle composer of the latter 15th century and is known to have arrived to a rather notable prestige before his death in Tours, France, on 6 February 1497. Upon his passing Josquin des Prez composed his lament for Ockeghem titled 'Nymphes des bois'.

Composers Works Directories & Thematic Catalogs: ClassicalNet