Roland de Lassus

1532-1594

As with so many early composers some of the details of the life of Roand de Lassus are sketchy. He was born in Mons and belongs firmly to the school of Franco-Flemish composers albeit he is at the later end of their period of musical dominance.

His fame rested with his beautiful singing voice and it is said he was kidnapped frequently in his youth by those who would have him for their choirs.

He moved to Italy aged just 12 and travelled from court to court expanding his musical knowledge and developing his singing talents. His travels took in Mantua, Naples and Rome.

He was back in the Low Countries by 1555 and had already published a number of works in his own name. But a year later had moved to Munich where he served the Dukes of Bavaria, first Albrecht V and latterly Wilhelm V.

His fame grew as a composer and other composers came to Munich to study his work. The Emperor Maximillian II ennobled him and the pope knighted him.

Frequent attempts to persuade him to move to other courts with generous financial offers failed to impress him.

If his style was not perhaps the most original his work took the polyphonyst’s art to a new level. He composed a vast volume of work including 60 masses, four pieces for the Passion, numerous madrigals, motets, lieder and chansons.

His religious music is enchanting (the source material he used was occasionally anything but religious!), the voices soar and bring an ethereal quality to his work.