Philippe de Monte

Philippe de Monte (* 1521 in Mechelen ; † July 4, 1603 in Prague ) was a Franco-Flemish composer , singer and conductor of the late Renaissance .

Live and act

Raphael Sadeler (1561–1630): Philippe de Monte at the age of 73

No information has been passed on about the family of origin of Philippe de Monte; Information from his will about relatives only indicates that he had at least two siblings. He probably received his first musical lessons as a choirboy at the Saint-Rombout cathedral in his native city. Nothing is known about his further training. He can be traced back to 1540 in Naples as a music teacher ( praeceptor musicae ) for the children of the banker Domenico Pinelli from Genoa . In 1548 and later several times until 1556, a Philippe de Monte appears as petit vicaire at the Cathedral of Cambrai ; whether this is the composer is not entirely certain. De Montes first book of madrigals appeared in Rome in 1554 with a dedication that did not come from him, which indicates that he was no longer in Italy at that time. When King Philip II of Spain traveled to England in 1554/55 on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Tudor , Philippe de Monte was in his entourage. He met William Byrd there, but apparently soon left the king's court orchestra. The composer later dedicated his eight-part motet “Super flumina Babylonis” to William Byrd . From 1556 onwards, many of his madrigals appeared in collective prints in Italy, and in 1557 he wrote the dedication madrigal “Il più forte di Roma” for the wedding of Isabella de 'Medici with Paolo Giordano I Orsini ; he remained in close contact with both families. He wrote the dedication preface for his next madrigal book in Naples. He was also apparently known in Venice because he was shortlisted to succeed Adrian Willaert as Kapellmeister at San Marco in 1562. When Johanna von Österreich , sister of Emperor Maximilian II , married Francesco de 'Medici in 1565/66 , the composer traveled to the wedding celebration in the wake of Cardinal Flavio Orsini , to whom he dedicated many books of motets.

After searching for candidates for over a year and after the failure of negotiations with Palestrina , Philippe de Monte was appointed as the successor to Jacobus Vaet as conductor of the court orchestra of Maximilian II in Vienna in 1568 . From then on his résumé is well documented, and the most fruitful period of his compositional career began. One of his tasks was to win musicians and singers for the service of the court orchestra; a corresponding trip to his hometown is also documented in 1570. Other well-known musicians of his time were also active in Vienna. A few years later, Orlando di Lasso even praised the special quality of chamber music in Vienna. The last years of Maximilian II's reign were a golden age for de Monte. A special highlight at this time was the wedding of Archduke Karl II. To Maria Anna of Bavaria on August 26th, 1571. The festivities of this occasion were musically accompanied by three court orchestras: the Viennese court orchestra under the direction of Philippe de Monte, the court orchestra of Herzog Albrecht V of Bavaria under the direction of Orlando di Lasso and the court orchestra of Charles II under the direction of Annibale Padovano . For key moments in the celebration, de Monte had written Latin madrigals. Other important musicians of the time were also present at the wedding, and both de Monte and di Lasso received generous monetary gifts from Emperor Maximilian for the music prints dedicated to him. When the later Emperor Rudolf II was crowned King of Hungary in Pressburg in the following year , many of the musicians who participated in the last wedding were again involved.

Shortly afterwards, Emperor Maximilian II appointed the composer treasurer of the Cathedral of Cambrai, which was connected with a benefice , probably in recognition of his special services to date. The cathedral chapter of Cambrai refused to accept him, however, and a long-standing legal dispute arose over the right of appointment, which finally ended in 1578 with a confirmation of the privilege. In the meantime, however, Maximilian II had died on October 12, 1576, and his successor Rudolf II had awarded the composer the position of canon at the same cathedral. Then Philippe de Monte asked his employer to retire to Cambrai, but Rudolf II refused. In a letter to Orlando di Lasso from 1578, the composer complained that the emperor had reacted with derision to his resignation and had prevented him from retiring and living close to his family. Unlike his father, Rudolf II was hardly enthusiastic about music, but he kept the court orchestra and other musical facilities because they were part of the imperial representation. Also, because of his high reputation, he did not want to let the composer go without a successor. On the other hand, this benefited from the location of the imperial court in the middle of the empire. This was compounded when the imperial residence and court were relocated to Prague in 1580.

Prague became a meeting place for nobles and diplomats from all over Europe. Philippe de Monte probably met future patrons here, such as Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini , and other famous musicians, such as Claudio Monteverdi . He was probably also a member of the Confraternitas Corpore Christi , a brotherhood from four nations founded in 1588, which was musically active and met regularly in the St. Thomas Church at the foot of Prague Castle. De Monte wrote in letters that he lived in the old town not far from the imperial palace and that he also suffered from gout . Elsewhere he mentioned performances of his works during visits by dignitaries that may have taken place in his home. In his will from 1603, he wished to be buried in the Church of St. Jakub in Prague's old town. He had previously made his great-nephew Pierre Baral his main heir and, with the help of Cardinal Aldobrandini, ensured that he could take over his benefit despite his relatively young years .

meaning

Philippe de Monte wrote for all the important vowel forms of his time, with the exception of the light forms such as canzonettes or villanelles . He has left an extensive compendium of sacred music; however, the total scope of his secular compositions was even greater. Most of his 40 or so masses remained unpublished during his lifetime, while the majority of his more than 250 motets appeared in print between 1572 and 1600. Most of his masses are parody masses ; all seven masses in the 1st Book of Messengers from 1587 are based on their own motets. Further templates for masses come from Jachet de Mantua , Josquin Desprez , Orlando di Lasso, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Cipriano de Rore , Alessandro Striggio the Elder , Philippe Verdelot and Giaches de Wert . Some masses also have chansons and madrigals as models. As a particular stylistic feature of this group of works, a certain degree of moderation in expression can be determined. In view of the variety of spiritual and secular models and their masterful redesign, the composer is one of the main representatives of the parody mass of the 16th century.

The motet style of Philippe de Monte is reminiscent of Palestrina in its composition and expressive balance. His compositions embody a classical late Renaissance style, in which the sensibilities of his madrigals recede in favor of reserved and controlled expression. The motets are mostly in five parts; the only four-part book of motets from 1596 is incomplete. The pieces are largely geared towards the content and structure of the text; they are expressive, but controlled, chromatic voice guides are rare. In the choice of modes and the vocal scoring, the composer shows his own feeling for the predominant textual affect; overall, the motets rely more on unobtrusive technique than on high artistry. De Monte reached a special artistic height with his impressive and expressive motet "O suavitas et dulcedo" from the Libro quarto de motetti of 1575. The composer's motets for several choirs have also survived, in the six- and twelve-part collection that was only published in 1685 Works; here is the last composition, “Benedictio et claritas” for three four-part choirs. His spiritual madrigals are very close to the secular ones; de Monte wrote more works for this type than any of his contemporaries.

Philippe de Monte composed over 1200 madrigals from 1554 to 1603, which were published in 34 books by the most prestigious Venetian publishers; This makes him the most productive composer in the history of this genre. Only the first four madrigal books were printed during his time in Italy; all others appeared during his time at the Habsburg court. Before 1580 the texts mostly go back to Francesco Petrarca , later to Pietro Bembo , Ludovico Ariosto and Jacopo Sannazaro . His first madrigal book (Rome 1554) still shows a very conservative style. The following books show a development towards greater stylistic diversity and the progressive adoption of contemporary achievements (Adrian Willaert and Cipriano de Rore), namely more colorful harmony and linear chromatics. During his time as the imperial court conductor, his musical style became increasingly individual in the direction of his own personal style. A highlight of his madrigal work is his 10th book of madrigals with pieces such as “Scipio, l'acerbo caso” and the fascinating eight-part cycle “Già havea l'eterna man”, the latter based on the “Orlando furioso” by Ariosto. A certain change in style can be seen after 1581 in de Montes turn to the mixed form of the canzonette madrigal with a more transparent, more homophonic spelling and lively rhythm on texts by Giovanni Battista Guarini and Torquato Tasso in his 11th book of madrigals with five voices. Towards the end of his life the composer returned to a more complex polyphony and harmony and dealt with the textual and contrapuntal potential of six- and seven-part compositions, for example in his last three publications “La fiammetta” (1599), “Musica sopra Il pastor fido ”(1600) and the 9th six-part book of madrigals (1603). Here the 80-year-old composer shows his sovereignty in the combination of expressiveness and perfect technique.

The secular works of Philippe de Monte were sung all over Europe; his success and the great respect and esteem he achieved results from the widespread distribution of his works in prints and manuscripts, from the numerous reprints of his madrigal books and the large number of recordings of his pieces in collective prints of his time. Well-known students of the composer were Jean de Macque , Carl Luython , Lambert de Sayve and Giovanni Battista Dalla Gostena .

Works

• Total expenditure:
  • Philippe de Monte: Opera , edited by Charles van den Borren and Georges van Doorslaer, Bruges 1927–1939
  • Philippi de Monte Opera: New Complete Edition , edited by RB Lenaerts and others, Löwen 1975 and following
• measure up
  • Missa ad modulum “Benedicta es” for six voices, Antwerp 1579
  • Liber primus [7] missarum for five, six and eight voices, Antwerp 1587
  • Missa “Anchor che col partire” with four voices, only tenor preserved
  • Missa “Aspice Domine” with six voices
  • Missa “Cara la vita mia” with five voices
  • Missa “Inclina cor meum” with five voices
  • Missa “La dolce vista” with eight voices
  • Missa “Nasce ma pena mia” with six voices
  • Missa “O altitudo divitiarum” with five voices
  • Missa pro defunctis with five voices
  • Missa “Quando lieta speray” with five voices
  • Missa “Reviens vers moi” with four voices
  • Missa “Ultimi miei sospiri” with six voices
  • Missa sexti toni to six voices
  • Missa septimi toni to five voices
  • Missa septimi toni to six voices
  • Missa ad tonum peregrinum to six voices
  • 5 further masses (untitled) with four voices
  • 4 further masses (untitled) with five voices
  • 5 further masses (untitled) with six voices
  • 1 further mass (without title) to eight voices
• Motets and related genres
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber primus to five votes, 1572
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber secundus to five votes, 1573
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber tertius to five votes, 1574
  • Libro quarto de motetti for five voices, 1575
  • Sacrarum cantionum [...] liber quintus to five voices, 1579
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber sextus to five voices, 1584, missing
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber primus 6 to twelve votes, 1585
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber secundus to six votes, 1587
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber primus to four votes, 1596
  • Sacrarum cantionum […] liber septimus to five voices, 1600
  • 28 further motets with 3 to six parts in the Florilegium musicum motectorum, Bamberg 1631
  • 3 Odes in the Florilegium musicum motectorum, Bamberg 1631
  • 2 litanies in the Florilegium musicum motectorum, Bamberg 1631
  • “Asperges me” to five voices
  • “Audi, filia, et vide” with seven voices
  • "Ave regina coelorum" to four voices (attribution uncertain)
  • "Beati omnes" (only old tradition)
  • "Expurgate verus" (only old tradition)
  • “Laudate Dominum” with eight votes
  • Magnificat to four votes
  • “Pulchra es et decora” to seven voices
  • "Salve regina" to five votes (anonymous, only old tradition)
  • "Super flumina Babylonis" with eight voices (only Alt II survived)
• Spiritual madrigals
  • Il primo libro de madrigali spirituali for five voices, 1581
  • Il primo libro de madrigali spirituali for six voices, 1583
  • Il secondo libro de madrigali spirituali for six to seven voices, 1589
  • Il terzo libro de madrigali spirituali for six voices, 1590
  • "Eccellenze di Maria vergine" for five voices, 1593 (only alto, bass and quintus survived)
  • 1 further spiritual madrigal for six voices (incomplete)
• Secular madrigals
  • Madrigali […] libro primo to five voices, Rome 1554
  • Il primo libro de madrigali for four voices, 1562
  • Il secondo libro de madrigali for five voices, 1567
  • Il primo libro de 'madrigali for six parts, 1569 (first print lost)
  • Il secondo libro delli madrigali for six voices, 1569
  • Il secondo libro delli madrigali for four voices, 1569
  • Il terzo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1570
  • Il quarto libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1571
  • Madrigali [...] libro quinto to five voices, 1574
  • Il sesto libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1575
  • Il terzo libro de madrigali for six voices, 1576
  • Il settimo libro delli madrigali for five votes, 1578
  • Il quarto libro de madrigali for six voices, 1580
  • L'ottavo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1580
  • Il nono libro de madrigali for five voices, 1580
  • Il decimo libro delli Madrigali for five voices, 1581
  • Il quarto libro de madrigali for four voices, 1581
  • Il primo libro de madrigali for three voices, 1582
  • Il quinto libro de madrigali for six voices, 1584
  • Il terzo libro de madrigali for four voices, 1585 (first print lost)
  • L'undecimo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1586
  • Il duodecimo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1587
  • Il terzodecimo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1588
  • Il quartodecimo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1590
  • Il sesto libro de madrigali for six votes, 1591
  • Il settimo libro de madrigali for six votes, 1591, lost
  • Il quintodecimo libro de madrigali for five voices, 1592
  • Il sestodecimo libro de madrigali for five voices, 1593
  • L'ottavo libro de madrigali for six voices, 1594
  • Il decimosettimo libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1595
  • Il decimottavo libro de madrigali for five voices, 1597
  • Il decimonono libro delli madrigali for five voices, 1598
  • La fiammetta […] libro primo for seven voices, 1599
  • Musica sopra Il pastor fido […] libro secondo to seven voices, 1600
  • Il nono libro di madrigali for six voices, 1603, lost
  • 54 further madrigals in various collections, 1558–1601
  • 1 third book of madrigals with seven voices, mentioned by Alfred Einstein (1949), lost
• Chansons
  • “Sonetz de Pierre de Ronsard […] mis en musique” with five to seven voices, Paris / Leuven 1575
  • 22 chansons with four to six voices in various collections, 1567–1597

Literature (selection)

• Georges van Doorslaer: La Vie et les Œuvres de Philippe de Monte , Brussels 1921
• Alfred Einstein: Filippo de Monte as a madrigal composer. In: Congress Report Lüttich 1930, Guilford 1930, pp. 102-108
• Paul M. Oberg: The Sacred Music of Philippe de Monte , Rochester 1944
• M. Antonowytsch: The motet "Benedicta es" by Josquin des Prez and the masses "Benedicta" by Willaert, Palestrina, de la Hêle and de Monte , Utrecht 1951
• George A. Michael: The Parody Mass Technique of Philippe de Monte , dissertation at New York University 1959
• Robert Lindell: Studies on the six- and seven-part madrigals by Filippo di Monte , Ann Arbor / Michigan 1980
• Brian R. Mann: The secular madrigals of Filippo de Monte 1521-1603 , Ann Arbor / Michigan 1983
• René Bernard Lenaerts: De componist Philippus de Monte en de nieuwe uitgave van zijn werk. In: Academiae analecta No. 64, 1983, No. 2, pages 25-39
• Raymond Gobin: The Madrigal Cycles of Philippe de Monte , Ann Arbor / Michigan 1984
• René Bernard Lenaerts: Philippus de Monte as a motet composer. In: Kirchenmusikalisches Jahrbuch Nr. 66, 1984, pages 49–58
• Robert Lindell: The new appointment of the Hofkapellmeister position at the Imperial Court in the years 1567–1568: Palestrina or Monte? In: Studien zur Musikwissenschaft 37, 1985, pp. 35-52
• Robert Lindell: The Letters Filippo di Montes - An inventory. In: Studien zur Musikwissenschaft 39, 1988, pp. 37-54
• Robert Lindell: The wedding of Archduke Charles and Maria of Bavaria in 1571. In: Early Music 18, 1990, pages 253-269
• Robert Lindell: An unknown letter of Filippo di Monte to Orlando di Lasso. In: Festschrift for Horst Leuchtmann on his 65th birthday, edited by Stephan Hörner and Bernhold Schmid , Tutzing 1993, pages 261–271
• J. Hale: The Sacred Motets of Philippe de Monte: An Analytic Overview of the First Book of Five-Voice Motets (1572) , Ann Arbor / Michigan 1996
• Robert Lindell: Monte, Filippo di. In: Neue Deutsche Biografie (NDB), Volume 18, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-428-00199-0 , page 42 and following
• Jacquelin Hale: The Sacred Motets of Philippe de Monte: An Analytical Overview of the First Book of Five-Voice Motets (1572) , Master of Music-Thesis (University of North Texas 1996), Ann Arbor / Michigan 1997
• Thorsten Hindrichs: Philipp de Monte (1521-1603) - composer, conductor, correspondent , Göttingen 2002
• Michael Silies: Die Motetten des Philippe de Monte (1521-1603) (= Treatises on the History of Music, Volume 16), Göttingen 2009, ISBN 978-3-89971-708-2 ( limited preview in the Google book search)

Web links

Commons : Philippe de Monte  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Works by and about Philippe de Monte in the catalog of the German National Library
• Sheet music and audio files by Philippe de Monte in the International Music Score Library Project
• Sheet music in the public domain by Philippe de Monte in the Choral Public Domain Library - ChoralWiki (English)
• Philippe de Monte in the Bavarian Musicians' Lexicon Online (BMLO)
• Philippe de Monte on MusicBrainz (English)

swell

1. ↑ The Music in Past and Present (MGG), Person Part Volume 12, Bärenreiter and Metzler, Kassel and Basel 2004, ISBN 3-7618-1122-5
2. ↑ Marc Honegger, Günther Massenkeil (ed.): The great lexicon of music. Volume 5: Köth - Mystical Chord. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1981, ISBN 3-451-18055-3 .