Manuscript of Missa O Crux Lignum, a mass by Busnois. The date is not certain but probably mid 15th century.

Antoine Busnois (also Busnoys) (c. 1430 – November 6, 1492) was a French composer and poet of the early Renaissance Burgundian School. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 - 1600 The Burgundian School is a term used to denote a group of composers active in the 15th century in what is now northern and eastern France, Belgium, While also noted as a composer of sacred music, such as motets, he was one of the most renowned 15th-century composers of secular chansons. In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions A chanson ( French for " Song " from Latin cantio) is in general any lyric -driven French songs usually Polyphonic He was the leading figure of the late Burgundian school after the death of Guillaume Dufay. Guillaume Dufay ( Du Fay, Du Fayt) ( August 5, 1397 ? &ndash November 27, 1474) was a Franco-Flemish composer

Biography

While details of his early life are largely conjectural, he was probably from the vicinity of Béthune in the Pas de Calais, possibly from the hamlet of Busnes, to which his name seems to refer. Béthune (Betun is a city and commune of northern France, sous-préfecture of the Pas-de-Calais département Pas-de-Calais is a department in northern France. Its name is the French language equivalent of the Strait of Dover, which it borders He may have been related to the aristocratic family of Busnes; in particular, a Philippe de Busnes, canon of Notre-Dame in Lens, could have been a relative. Lens is a commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. He clearly received an excellent musical education, probably at a church choir school somewhere in northern or central France. An aristocratic origin may explain his early association with the French royal court: as early as the 1450s references to him appear there, and in 1461 he was a chaplain at Tours. Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river That he was not entirely a man of peace is indicated by a petition for absolution he filed in Tours, dated February 28, 1461, in which he admitted to being part of a group that beat up a priest, "to the point of bloodshed", not one but five times. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule ^[1] While in a state of anathema he was foolhardy enough to celebrate mass, an act which got him excommunicated; however Pope Pius II pardoned him. Anathema (in Greek Ανάθεμα meaning originally something lifted up as an offering to the gods later with evolving meanings it came to mean to be formally Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini ( Latin Aeneas Sylvius; October 18, 1405 &ndash August 14, 1464)

He moved from the cathedral to the collegiate church of St. Martin, also in Tours, where he became a subdeacon in 1465. Johannes Ockeghem was treasurer at that institution, and the two composers seem to have known each other well. Johannes Ockeghem (also Jean de; surname Okeghem, Ogkegum, Okchem, Hocquegam, Ockegham; other variant spellings are also Later in 1465 Busnois moved to Poitiers, where he not only became "maîtrise" (master of the choirboys), but managed to attract a flood of talented singers from the entire region; by this time his reputation as singing teacher, scholar, and composer seems to have spread widely. Poitiers is a town on the Clain River in west central France. However he departed just as suddenly as he came, in 1466; no reason was given, but the former maîtrise was given his old job back. Busnois then moved to Burgundy. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls)

By 1467 Busnois was at the court of Burgundy, and he had begun composing for them immediately before the accession of Charles to the title of Duke on June 15, since one of his motets — in hydraulis — contains a dedication indicating that he was still Count. Charles the Bold or Charles the Rash (Charles le Téméraire ( 21 November 1433 &ndash 5 January 1477) baptised Charles Martin Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Charles, on becoming Duke of Burgundy, quickly became known as Charles the Bold, for his fierce and sometimes reckless military ambitions (which indeed got him killed ten years later). Charles the Bold or Charles the Rash (Charles le Téméraire ( 21 November 1433 &ndash 5 January 1477) baptised Charles Martin In addition to his love of war, however, Charles loved music, and in his employ Busnois was appreciated and rewarded. Also in 1467 Busnois was listed along with Hayne van Ghizeghem and Adrien Basin as a "chantre et valet de chambre" to Charles. Hayne van Ghizeghem (c 1445 &ndash 1472 or possibly later New Grove says he died between 1472 and 1497 was a Flemish composer of the early Renaissance Burgundian Adrien Basin (fl 1457 &ndash 1476 died after 1498 was a Franco-Flemish composer singer and diplomat of the Burgundian school of the early Renaissance Valet de chambre, or varlet de chambre, was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards

In addition to his duties as a singer and a composer, Busnois accompanied the Duke on his military campaigns, as did Hayne van Ghizeghem. Hayne van Ghizeghem (c 1445 &ndash 1472 or possibly later New Grove says he died between 1472 and 1497 was a Flemish composer of the early Renaissance Burgundian Busnois was at the siege of Neuss in Germany in 1475, and survived (or did not attend) the disastrous Battle of Nancy in 1477 at which Charles was killed and the expansion of Burgundy was forever stilled. Neuss (ˈnɔʏs is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Battle of Nancy was the final and decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars, fought outside the walls of Nancy, France on

Busnois remained in the employ of the Burgundian court until 1482, but nothing exact is known about his exploits between then and 1492, when he died. At the time of his death, he was working for the church of St. Sauveur in Bruges. Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Throughout this time he was exceptionally well-known as a composer, and his music circulated widely.

Works and Style

The contemporary reputation of Busnois was immense; he was the probably the best-known musician in Europe between the time of Guillaume Dufay and Johannes Ockeghem. Guillaume Dufay ( Du Fay, Du Fayt) ( August 5, 1397 ? &ndash November 27, 1474) was a Franco-Flemish composer Johannes Ockeghem (also Jean de; surname Okeghem, Ogkegum, Okchem, Hocquegam, Ockegham; other variant spellings are also

Busnois wrote sacred and secular music. Of his sacred music, two cantus firmus masses and eight motets survive (most likely many others are lost). In Music, a cantus firmus ("fixed song" is a pre-existing Melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition. For other uses see Mass (disambiguation The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions He wrote several settings of the Marian antiphon Regina coeli. Marian antiphons are a group of sacred devotional songs in the Gregorian chant repertory of the Roman Catholic Church sung in honor of the Virgin Mary. Stylistically, his music can be heard as a mid-point between the simplicity and homophonic textures of Dufay and Binchois, and the pervading imitation of Josquin and Gombert. In Music, homophony (hoʊˈmɒfəni from Greek "homófonos" where ομοιο = the same and φωνή = a sound tone is a texture in which two or more Gilles Binchois, also known as Gilles de Binche or Gilles de Bins (c In music imitation is when a musical gesture is repeated later in a different form but retaining its original character Josquin des Prez (c 1450 to 1455 &ndash August 27 1521 often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. Nicolas Gombert (c 1495 &ndash c 1560 was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He uses imitation skillfully but occasionally, writes smooth and singable melodic lines, and has a strong feeling for triadic sonorities, anticipating 16th-century practice. In Music and Music theory, a triad is a three- note chord that can be stacked in thirds

According to Pietro Aron, Busnois may have been the composer of the famous tune L'homme armé, one of the most widely distributed melodies of the Renaissance, and the one more often used than any other as a cantus firmus for mass composition. Pietro Aron, also known as Pietro Aaron (1489 &ndash after 1545 was an Italian music theorist and Composer. L'homme armé was a French secular song from the time of the Renaissance. For other uses see Mass (disambiguation The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that Whether or not he wrote the first mass based on L'homme armé, his was by far the most influential; Obrecht's mass, for example, closely parallels the setting by Busnois, and even the mass by Dufay quotes from it directly. Jacob Obrecht (1457/1458 &ndash late July 1505 was a Dutch composer of the Renaissance. Guillaume Dufay ( Du Fay, Du Fayt) ( August 5, 1397 ? &ndash November 27, 1474) was a Franco-Flemish composer Busnois may even be the composer of a cycle of six masses all based on the same tune, found in Naples, based on stylistic comparison.

Busnois also wrote chansons, French secular songs, and these are the work on which his reputation mainly rests. A chanson ( French for " Song " from Latin cantio) is in general any lyric -driven French songs usually Polyphonic Most are rondeaux, but they include some bergerettes as well; many of these compositions became popular songs, and some were perhaps based on popular songs, now lost. He probably wrote his own texts for almost every one. Some of his tunes were used as source material for cantus firmus mass composition more than a generation after he died, for instance Fortuna desperata (which was used both by Obrecht and Josquin). Fortuna desperata is a secular Italian song possibly originally by Busnois, (but others credit Antoine Brumel) Jacob Obrecht (1457/1458 &ndash late July 1505 was a Dutch composer of the Renaissance. An unusual chanson is Terrible dame, which not only is an antiphonal dialogue, unique in the chanson literature, but has an Old French title which requires no specialized skill to translate. An Antiphonary, Antiphonal, or Antiphoner (Latin antiphonarium antiphonarius antiphonarius liber antiphonale; Greek ’antíphonon antiphon antiphone

While most of Busnois's secular songs are based on French texts, there are also at least two on Italian texts and one on a Flemish text. Most are for three voices, although there are a few for four.

Works

Masses

1. Missa L'homme armé;
2. Missa O crux lignum;
3. Patrem Vilayge.

Masses conjecturally attributed to Busnois

1. Missa L'Ardent desir;
2. Missa L'homme armé (I);
3. Missa L'homme armé (II);
4. Missa L'homme armé (III);
5. Missa L'homme armé (IV);
6. Missa L'homme armé (V);
7. Missa L'homme armé (VI) (these six masses from Naples, attributed based on stylistic similarity);
8. Missa sine nomine;
9. Missa Quant ce viendra.

Motets and magnificats

1. Ad coenam agni providi;
2. Alleluia, verbum caro factum est;
3. Anima mea liquefacta est / Stirps Jesse;
4. Anthoni usque limina;
5. Asperges me (lost);
6. Conditor alme siderum;
7. Gaude coelestis domina;
8. In hydraulis;
9. Lamentation on the death of Guillaume Dufay (probably written in 1474, lost);
10. Magnificat sexti toni;
11. Noel, noel;
12. Regina caeli (I);
13. Regina caeli (II);
14. Victimae paschali laudes.

Magnificats and motets, conjecturally attributed to Busnois

1. Magnificat octavi toni;
2. Magnificat secundi toni;
3. Incomprehensibilia / Preter rerum ordinem.

Secular music

1. Acordes moy;
2. Advegne que advenir pourra;
3. Amours nous traicte / Je m'en vois;
4. A qui vens tu tes coquilles;
5. Au gré de mes iculx;
6. A une dame;
7. Au povre par necessité;
8. A vous, sans autre;
9. Bel acueil;
10. Bone chére;
11. Ce n’est pas moy;
12. C'est bien maleur;
13. C'est vous en qui;
14. Con tutta gentileça;
15. Corps digne / Dieu quel mariage;
16. Cy dit benedicite;
17. En soustenant;
18. En tous les lieux;
19. En voyant sa dame;
20. Esaint-il merci;
21. Faictes de moy;
22. Faulx mesdisans;
23. Fortuna desperata;
24. (O) Fortune, trop tu es dure;
25. Ha que ville;
26. In myne zynn;
27. Ja que lui ne;
28. J'ay mayns de bien;
29. J'ay pris amours tout au rebours;
30. Je m'esbaïs de vous;
31. Je ne demande aultre degré;
32. Je ne demande lialté;
33. Je ne puis vivre ainsi;
34. Joye me fuit;
35. Laissez dangier;
36. L'autrier la pieça /En l'ombre du buissonet / Trop suis jonette;
37. L'autrier que passa;
38. Le corps s'en va;
39. Le monde a tel;
40. Ma damoiselle;
41. Maintes femmes;
42. Ma plus qu'assez;
43. Ma tres souveraine princesse;
44. M'a vostre cueur;
45. Mon mignault / Gracieuse, playsant;
46. Mon seul et sangle souvenir;
47. On a grant mal / On est bien malade;
48. Pour entretenir mes amours;
49. Pucellotte;
50. Quant j'ay au cueur;
51. Quant vous me ferez;
52. Quelque povre homme;
53. Quelque povre homme;
54. Resjois toy terre de France / Rex pacificus;
55. Seule a par moy;
56. Soudainementmon cueur;
57. Terrible dame;
58. Une filleresse / S'il y a compagnion / Vostre amour;
59. Ung grand povtre homme;
60. Ung plus que tous;
61. Vostre beauté / Vous marchez;
62. Vostre gracieuse acointance. Fortuna desperata is a secular Italian song possibly originally by Busnois, (but others credit Antoine Brumel)

Works with conflicting attribution

1. Amours, amours, amours;
2. Amours fait moult / Il est de binne heure né /Tant que nostre argent dura;
3. Cent mile escus;
4. Et qui la dira;
5. J'ay bien choisi;
6. Il sera pour vous canbatu / L'homme armé;
7. Je ne fay plus;
8. Je suis venu;
9. Le serviteur;
10. Quant ce vendra;
11. Sans avoir (‚S' amours vous fiu' or 'Malagrota');
12. Se brief puis.

References

• Paula Higgins: "Antoine Busnoys", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed November 5, 2005), (subscription access)
• Articles "Antoine Busnois", "Burgundian School" in 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. Gustave Reese ( November 29 1899, New York City – – September 7 1977, Berkeley California) was an American New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
• Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I). Bloomington, Indiana. Frangipani Press, 1986. ISBN 0-89917-034-X
• Paula Higgins, ed. Antoine Busnoys: Method, Meaning, and Context in Late Medieval Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-198164068

Notes

External links

• Free scores by Antoine Busnois in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)