Johannes Ockeghem

Nationality: Flemish

Born: c1410/1425

Died: February 6, 1497

Specialist Genres: Polyphonic Sacred music

Major works: 14 Masses

Ockeghem was one of the composers who visited Guillaume Dufay in Cambrai and went on to become the most celebrated composer of the last half of the 15^th Century.

He entered the service of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, at Moulins in France. In the early 1450's he was employed by Charles VII of France as a Chaplain and it seems as if he remained in royal service until he died.

Relatively few of his works have survived. One being a polyphonic requiem Mass, which is the earliest surviving example. Also 9 Motets and a few secular chansons.

The earlier Masses are based, like Dufay's, on an existing melody, but the later ones are more original. Ockeghem shared the cantus firmus between the voices (not keeping it just in the tenor part) which created texture and contrapuntal complexity.

He is the first composer known to have used melodies from his own songs for the Cantus firums of a mass setting. This technique is called “parody mass” and can be found in his Masses “Fors Seulement”, 'Au travail suis' and 'Ma maistresse'.

Some of his works, most notably 'Missa prolationum', do not rely on the Cantus firmus but are written in a free form.