The Composers' Journey
Gabriel Perez
Music Teachers, This is for you.
Have you ever dreamed of reliving important moments of the history of music? Do you want to visit some of the most influential places for vocal music? Then our tour is right for you! This tour covers an extent of stops throughout all of Europe to show you the sights to see as a music fanatic of the Renaissance period.
First Stop: Paris, France
Our first stop will be in Paris; the city of love. Paris is also known for great music, as it was in the Renaissance time period. We will be visiting this city to experience the location in which Gilles Binchois worked, beginning in 1424. At this time, he worked as a composer for William de la Pole. Some of his best works were composed here, and I'm sure he was influenced heavily by the city's culture.
Second Stop: Chapel of Phillip III
Next, we will visit the grand, majestic Chapel of Phillip III. This was a key location in the life of Gilles Binchois, as he worked here immediately after finishing his work in Paris. From 1430 until death, he worked tirelessly at the chapel, producing many masterpieces of the time.
Third Stop: Antwerp Cathedral
Afterwards, we will head to the beautiful city of Antwerp, one of the most vital cities in the development of vocal music of the Renaissance. Specifically, we focus upon the Antwerp Cathedral, where Jean de Ockeghem began his musical career. From 1443-1443, Jean sung alongside a vocal ensemble in this cathedral.
Fourth Stop: Deventer
As we move further along our journey, we will reach the region of Deventer. This region was placed between two largely musical cities, being Amsterdam and Antwerp respectively. This was the birthplace of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelnick, a very important contributor to the development of vocal music during the later time period of the Renaissance musical era.
Fifth Stop: Amsterdam
As previously mentioned, Amsterdam played a key role in the flourishing of vocal music. Consequently, many famous composers lived and worked in the city. Sweelnick lived and worked here for the majority of his life, and, as with Binchois, I'm sure the musical environment played heavily into the quality and expression of his pieces.
Sixth Stop: Munich
Munich wasn't quite the busy city musically as Antwerp and Amsterdam at the time, but some composers still chose to move there for the solitude factor, as it suits their working style. As a composer, Orlando di Lasso decided he would move here in 1556, when he had already composed several pieces.
Seventh Stop: Rome
Ah, Rome. It's a marvelous city, full of many forms of art. Although much musical activity was kept to the low countries at the time, Rome still had many brilliant composers at it's disposal. In his earlier years, Orlando di Lasso actually worked as a choirmaster in Rome. He liked the environment so much that he decided to stay for an entire decade, showing how musically strong the city was.
Contact Us
Email: contact@composerjourney.com
Website: composerjourney.com
Location: Paris, France
Phone: 01 42 40 96 97
Facebook: facebook.com/composerjourney
Twitter: @ComposerJourney