Nationality:
French
Born:
c1300, Machaut
Died:
Rheims, April 1377
Specialist Genres: Sacred
music, Secular music
Major
works: Notre-Dame mass, Motets, Secular
songs.
Guillaume
de Machaut was one of the most important composers of the 14th
Century, composing a great deal more than any of his contemporaries
in this period. His works also varied greatly in style.
He
served John, King of Bohemia from c1323 and
acted as a courtier, travelling around Europe until the King was
killed at the battle of Crecy in 1346. After John's death, Guillaume
continued to serve the French Nobility, including King Charles V. He
composed the Mass for his coronation.
His
music is divided between sacred and secular music. The Notre-Dame
Mass is his most famous piece but he also wrote over 20 Motets. His
secular music includes ballades, rondeaux and virelays, which were
the main types of vocal music at the time. His music is of the “Ars
Nova” movement, or “new style” and often had complex Rhythms.
He
was a virtual contemporary of Chaucer, and inspired some of his
poetry.
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