Henry Fresneau

Henry Fresneau ( bl. 1538–1554) was a French composer of the Renaissance .

The compositions handed down by Fresneau allow the conclusion that he worked in Lyon from 1538 to 1554 . His work includes the motet Miser ubi parebo , which appeared in Jacques Modernes Motetti del Fiore alongside the work of contemporary masters, which speaks for his reputation at the time, and 24 or 25 four-part chansons , which are mainly in the series Le paragon des chansons and Le Difficile des chansons from the same printer. The better-known include Trac c'est le beau-père , Oeil importun and Peine et travail .

The third book of the Paragon contains the well-known fricassée ( French for “small slices”), which quotes around 100 incipits and themes . As the most extensive collection of popular themes from the French Renaissance to the present, it is of great musical historical value.

Fresneau's work was not typical of the Parisian chanson. He used more complex counterpoint than other chanson composers of the era, the melodic lines spread out and the music begins to interpret the poetic content of the words. However , he did not use the imitation technique of the Franco-Flemings .

literature

• Regina Jaschke: The French “fricassée” as a musical example of the “esprit rabelaisien” in the music of the 16th century . Vienna 1998