Gérard de Turnhout

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Gérard de Turnhout (Flemish: Geert van Turnhout; * around 1520 in Turnhout ; † September 15, 1580 in Madrid ) was a Franco-Flemish composer , singer and conductor of the Renaissance .

Live and act

There is no information about Gérard de Turnhout's early years or training. He had a younger brother, Jean de Turnhout , who also became a composer. Gérard appears for the first time around 1545, as a chorister at the Church of Our Lady in Antwerp ; there he was appointed vicarius chori (choir director) on April 13, 1558 . Another year later, on April 3, 1559, he became conductor at the Saint-Gommaire cathedral in Lierre . After three more years (1562) he returned to the Church of Our Lady Antwerp and took over the position of music master ( maître de musique ). In addition to this activity, he worked from 1569 to 1572 as chaplain of the teachers' guild in this city. When Margaret of Austria , the regent of the Netherlands, moved into Antwerp in 1564, the composer wrote a Te Deum for the occasion . After the religious turmoil of 1566, iconoclasts destroyed the cathedral's music collection and organs; Gérard de Turnhout took part in the repair of the damage and its reparation. He also chaired the commission that checked Gillis Brebos' new organs.

Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the 3rd Duke of Alba, engaged the composer on May 2, 1571 as Kapellmeister of King Philip II of Spain in Madrid for his Capilla flamenca as the successor to Jean de Bonmarché , who had recently died. Turnhout traveled to Spain accompanied by some choirboys, including Jean Leroy and Philippe Rogier , and took up his new post there in 1572. There are reports that he was held in high esteem by the king and held numerous benefices, including in Anderlecht , Béthune , Tournai and Namur . He remained in this office until his death in September 1580; he was succeeded by George de La Hèle.

meaning

Turnhout's only mass , “O Maria vernans rosa”, is remarkable for its length. Melodic motifs in this composition are reminiscent of the hymn “Ave maris stella” and the antiphon “Assumpta est Maria”. In the Agnus Dei of this fair, these two important motifs are used simultaneously. The “Sacrarum ac aliarum cantonum” collection is dedicated to the Antwerp notary Adrian Dyck and contains prayers at table, chants for Advent, Christmas and Lent as well as sentences for the “song of songs” and a song of thanks that refers to the composer's loyalty to the Spanish king . His motets are largely imitative , while the French chansons have rapidly moving melodies.

Works (with place and year of publication)

  • Te Deum, Antwerp 1564
  • “Liber primus sacrarum cantionum” with four to five voices, Löwen 1568, printed by Pierre Phalèse
  • "Sacrarum ac aliarum cantonum trium vocum" to three voices, lions 1569 (content: 20 motets, 2 French chansons sacrées and 18 secular French chansons)
  • Missa “O Maria vernans rosa” with five voices, Löwen 1570
  • 3 Latin chansons for two voices and 11 French chansons for two voices, Leuven / Antwerp 1571
  • 4 Flemish chansons with four to five voices, Leuven 1574
  • 8 French chansons for three voices, Leuven 1574
  • 7 French chansons sacrées for three voices, Geneva 1577

Literature (selection)

  • P. Bergmans: Gérard de Turnhout , in: Biographie nationale [belge], Volume 25, Brussels 1930, Columns 840-845
  • G. van Doorslaer: Notes sur la Chapelle Musicale de l'église Saint-Gommaire à Lierre , in: Musica sacra (Bruges) No. 30, 1937, pages 35-64
  • G. Spiessens: Family bands van de componisten Geert en Jan van Turnhout , in: Musica antiqua No. 4, 1987, pages 58-59
  • H. Vanhulst: Catalog des éditions de musique publiées à Louvain par Pierre Phalèse et ses fils 1545–1578 , Brussels 1990

Web links

swell

  1. ^ Sandrine Thieffry:  Turnhout, Gérard de. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 16 (Strata - Villoteau). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2006, ISBN 3-7618-1136-5  ( online edition , subscription required for full access)
  2. ↑ Lavern J. Wagner:  Turnhout, Geert van [Gérard de]. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
personal data
SURNAME Turnhout, Gerard de
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Turnhout, Geert van
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Franco-Flemish composer, singer and bandmaster of the Renaissance
DATE OF BIRTH around 1520
PLACE OF BIRTH Turnhout
DATE OF DEATH September 15, 1580
Place of death Madrid