List of Renaissance composers explained

Renaissance music flourished in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The second major period of Western classical music, the lives of Renaissance composers are much better known than earlier composers, with even letters surviving between composers. Renaissance music saw the introduction of written instrumental music, although vocal works still reigned in popularity. There is no strict division between period, so many later medieval and earlier Baroque composers appear here as well.

Renaissance composers

Name! scope="col"
LifetimeNationalityWorks and remarks
Italian
Italian
Serbian
German
ItalianAlso known as Jovannes de Florentia, Giovanni degli Organi and Giovanni di Niccol
EnglishHas works preserved in the first layer of the Old Hall Manuscript and elsewhere. His identity is unclear; probably English, but possibly from France.
French
English
ItalianAlso known as Gratiosus de Padua
ItalianAlso known as Antonius de Civitate Austrie
French
German
Italian
Italian
French
Polish
Franco-Flemish
French
ItalianAlso known as Ugolino da Orvieto
Italian
French
Franco-Flemish
FrenchAlso known as Bertrand di Vignone
Italian
French
EnglishVery likely to be Henry V of England (1387–1422)
Franco-FlemishAlso spelled Lymburgia; also called Johannes Vinandi
English
English
French[1]
French
Burgundian
Italian
Spanish
Burgundian
French
French
French
Franco-Flemishespecially active in German-speaking areas during the early Reformation period
German
Italian
English
Franco-Flemish[2]
Franco-Flemish
French
English
ItalianDance master
French
Franco-Flemish
French
Franco-Flemish
French
French
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish
Franco-FlemishActive in the Low Countries and Italy
SpanishOr Johannes de Wreede
EnglishEnglish theorist and composer mainly active in Italy.
English-Burgundian
French[3]
English
ItalianDancing master
Franco-Flemish
English
EnglishSome of his music is collected in the Eton Choirbook.
French
Franco-Flemish[4]
English
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish
Spanish
Italian
French
Spanish
French
German
Polish
English
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish
German
Franco-Flemish
Serbian
Franco-Flemish
French
French
French
Franco-Flemish
EnglishHas a number of works preserved in the Eton Choirbook; at least three Magnificat settings and two masses have been lost.
English
EnglishMajor contributor to the Eton Choirbook.
Franco-Flemish
German
French
French
GermanOr Judenkönig
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish[5]
Italian
Franco-FlemishActive in Italy
EnglishPresumably identical with the Sturton who composed the six-part Ave Maria ancilla Trinitatis in the Lambeth Choirbook, he contributed a Gaude virgo mater Christi to the Eton Choirbook, the six voices of which cover a fifteen-note range
FrenchBrother of Antoine de Févin
Franco-Flemish
EnglishHas a single surviving work, a setting of Salve regina, in the Eton Choirbook; a work known as Haycomplayne's Gaude, dated 1529, has been lost
Franco-Flemish
FrenchAlso known as Lourdault
French
German
Franco-Flemish
Franco-FlemishMost famous composer of the Grande chapelle of the Habsburg court
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish
French
Spanish
Spanish
English
German
Portuguese
EnglishMajor contributor to the Eton Choirbook
Italian
EnglishProbably the son of William Cornysh the elder
Spanish
EnglishMajor contributor to the Eton Choirbook
FrenchActive in Lorraine
Scottish
Spanish
FrenchBrother of Robert de Févin
Italian
Italian
French
Franco-Flemish
GermanActive in the Low Countries
English
French
Franco-Flemish
Italian
Italian
EnglishRepresented by a work in the Gyffard partbooks and manuscript sources
Italian
FrenchActive in Italy
Franco-Flemish
Spanish
English
French
Italian
Englishhas two surviving pieces, a five-part Magnificat and a seven-part Gaude flore virginali, in the Eton Choirbook.
German
Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish
Franco-FlemishServed Mary, Queen of Hungary for most of his career
French
Italian
Italian
Franco-FlemishAlso called Jacob Godebrye
French
Franco-Flemish
SpanishOr Mateu Fletxa el Vell
German
French
German
German
Polish
French
ItalianEarly madrigalist, active at Ferrara
English
ScottishWrote a mass on L'Homme armé (the only known by a British composer) and a nineteen-part O bone jesu
English
Franco-FlemishActive in France
SwissActive in Germany
EnglishOne of the main contributors to The Mulliner Book
German
English
German
Italian
Italian
Franco-FlemishPopular composer of chansons in the 1530s
Italian
Franco-Flemish-German
English
PolishAlso known as Sebastian Herburt
Swiss
FrenchAlso known as Pierre Regnault
French
Franco-Flemishfounder of the Venetian School; active in Italy; influential as a teacher as well as a composer
ItalianPossibly the earliest composer of madrigals, though not in name
ItalianEarly composer of madrigals; possibly related to Costanzo Festa
Italian
English
ItalianIn the employ of the Medici; music teacher to sculptor Benvenuto Cellini
Franco-Flemish
FrenchBest known as a printer, especially of Parisian chansons
German
French
German
Czech
German
Franco-Flemishprominent contrapuntist of generation after Josquin; worked for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
ItalianEarly composer of madrigals; member of Sistine Chapel choir
German
Italian
Italian
German
Franco-Flemish
Spanish
Spanish
Spanish
Italian
Spanish
Spanish
Franco-FlemishActive at Venice, and assisted in the development of the instrumental ricercar
Portuguese
Franco-FlemishActive in England
Franco-FlemishMusic director for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in the 1540s and 1550s, after Nicolas Gombert
Portuguese
PolishAlso known as Mikołaj z Krakowa
Spanish
French
Italian
Portuguese
Franco-FlemishEarly madrigalist
Spanish
English
Franco-FlemishA member of Charles V's imperial chapel
English
Franco-Flemish
ItalianAlso known as Ambrosio Lupo, de Almaliach and Lupus Italus; active in England
Franco-Flemish
CzechActive in Kutná Hora
Hungarian
Franco-FlemishMost famous of the early madrigalists
ItalianAlso known as Paolo Antonio del Bivi
ItalianRore Also an instrumentalist; active in Ferrara
German
ItalianMusic printer
French
French
Italian
Spanish
Franco-FlemishAlso spelled Tylman; was also an influential music publisher
Spanish
Spanish
Spanish
Spanish
Franco-FlemishActive in northern Italy
French
Franco-FlemishActive in Spain
Italian
French
Hungarian
EnglishProduced the first musical setting for the English liturgy, publishing The Booke of Common Praier Noted, 1549; surviving works include a Missa Per arma iustitie; almost burnt as a heretic in 1543
Franco-Flemishactive in Italy and southern France
Franco-FlemishAlso known as Jacques Clément
Italian
German
Franco-Flemish
Scottish
French
DutchActive in Rome
Italian
EnglishAlso spelled Parsely; wrote a set of Lamentations for Holy Week
French
Franco-FlemishMaestro di capilla for Philip II of Spain after Cornelius Canis
ItalianMadrigalist; father of Alfonso Ferrabosco
Franco-Flemishactive in Rome
ItalianAlso a trombonist; active at Lucca
French
English
Franco-Flemish
German
Dutch
ItalianCalabrian madrigalist, active in Sicily
Spanish
Italian
Franco-FlemishActive at Ghent; influenced by Josquin
Italian
Franco-Flemish
ItalianMaestro di cappella at Ferrara after
Italian
French
Greek
French
ItalianMadrigalist, active at Ferrara
French
Italian
EnglishMiserere for keyboard in a British Museum MS
ItalianMadrigalist, active at Milan and Bergamo
English
Portuguese
FrenchActive in Rome
Polish
Franco-Flemish
French
FrenchActive at Cambrai
French
German
ItalianMadrigalist, native of Padua
ItalianFather of composer Michelagnolo Galilei and astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei
English
Spanish
Franco-Flemish
Italian
Franco-FlemishProlific composer of madrigals
Czech
ItalianMinor member of the Venetian School
French
Franco-Flemish
Italian[6]
Italian
Italian
French
English
English
Spanish
Franco-FlemishActive in Italy
ItalianMinor madrigalist, active at Treviso; follower of Willaert
German
Italian
English
Spanish
Czech
EnglishFather of John Mundy; his output includes fine examples of both the large-scale Latin votive antiphon and the short English anthem, as well as Masses and Latin psalm settings; his style is vigorous and eloquent; represented in The Mulliner Book and in the Gyffard partbooks
Italian
Franco-Flemish
French
EnglishComposed 12 Offertory settings for keyboard, including the popular Felix namque, and an alternatim organ Mass for Easter, containing the only known sequence setting of the time; his keyboard writing is extremely virtuosic for the period
German
Cuban
Portuguese
French
French
ItalianFather of Lodovico Agostini
Italian
Italian
French
Czech
French
Dutch
Franco-Flemish
SpanishActive in Guatemala and Mexico
Franco-Flemish
ItalianUncle of Giovanni Gabrieli
Italian
Italian
Franco-Flemish
Italian
ItalianIllegitimate son of Agostino Agostini
ItalianMadrigalist in Milan; follower of Cipriano de Rore
EnglishLatin music includes antiphons, Credo quod redemptor, Domine quis habitabit, Magnificat and Jam Christus astra; also three responds from the Office of the Dead, songs (including Pandolpho), In nomine settings for ensemble, and a galliard
ItalianActive in several cities in northern Italy; composed both sacred and secular music
ItalianMadrigalist and teacher of Monteverdi; active at Cremona
ItalianMadrigalist; founder of the Sicilian school
Italian
Polish
Italian
Polish
Franco-FlemishActive in Italy
ItalianDance master
Italian
Italian
French
French
English
Italian
Franco-Flemish
French
Italian
ItalianMusician to the Medici; composer of the colossal 60-voice Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno
ItalianActive in Italy and Germany
EnglishAlso spelled Strowger, Strowgers; three (probably four) keyboard pieces in a Christ Church, Oxford, manuscript, and a Fantasia in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (No. 89); an In nomine exists in a Bodleian manuscript
Italian
Franco-Flemish
Italian
Franco-FlemishActive in Venice, Italy
PolishAlso known as Marcin ze Lwowa
English
Italian
EnglishAlso spelled Woodcoke, Woodecock; his Browning my dear is one of several pieces of the period based on a popular tune, also known as The leaves be green
Italian
German
ItalianComposed liturgical music and madrigals; active at Mantua and Graz
Spanish
Franco-Flemish
ItalianAlso known as Gioseffo da Lucca
ItalianAlso spelled Nanini; brother of Giovanni Bernardino Nanino
ItalianActive in England
Italian
Italian
Franco-FlemishFlemish composer in the Spanish Netherlands
English
ItalianActive at Milan; madrigalist and organist
English
Spanish
PolishAlso known as Jacob Polonais, Jakub Reys, Jacques le Polonois and Jacob de Reis; active in France
ItalianLate madrigalist at Ferrara
SpanishActive in Palermo, Sicily and later in Salamanca; published motets in 1588
French
Portuguese
Italian
Franco-FlemishActive in Stuttgart and Munich
Franco-FlemishActive in the Habsburg chapels of Spain and the Low Countries
Italian
Italian
Spanish
Spanish[7]
Franco-FlemishActive in Italy
French
French
Italian
Italian
Italian
Italian
Italian
Italian
English
Spanish
ItalianEarliest known Jewish composer of polyphonic music, active at Mantua
Italian
FrenchActive in England and Germany
Spanish
Czech
Spanish
Polish
Portuguese
SlovenianAlso known as Jacob Handl; active in Moravia and Bohemia
Czech
Polish
Italian
ItalianOne of the founders of opera
Spanish
Italian
Italian
German
German
EnglishAlso spelled Hoop; contributed to Michael East's psalter and William Leighton's Teares, and wrote some intensely expressive anthems; has two keyboard pieces in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
EnglishAlso spelled Inglott; two keyboard pieces in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book; there is also an untitled keyboard piece by 'Englitt' in a MS in the British Museum
Italian
Italian
Italian
Franco-FlemishActive in Italy
ItalianNephew of Andrea Gabrieli
Italian
Franco-Flemish
Italian
EnglishPossibly Welsh
Spanish
Portuguese
Italian
EnglishSon of William Mundy; published a volume of Songs and Psalms in 1594, contributed to the Triumphs of Oriana, composed English and Latin sacred music, and is represented with five pieces in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book; his Goe from my window variations are a particularly fine example of the genre
German
Polish
Franco-Flemish
French
English
Dutch
Italian
Italian
English
English
Italian
EnglishAlso known as Sir Ferdinando Heybourne; there survives a keyboard Pavan and Galliard, each with variation, in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Franco-Flemish
Italian
ItalianMaestro di cappella at Vicenza
Italian
German
English
EnglishExiled to Flanders
ItalianBrother of Giovanni Francesco Anerio
Polish-Lithuanian-ItalianWorked all his life in Poland
EnglishOrganist at Norwich Cathedral (from 1594 to 1608); a single piece by him exists in Ravenscroft's 1621 collection
Spanish
EnglishActive in Denmark and Germany
English
ItalianBrother of Giovanni Maria Nanino
Italian
Italian
German
Italian
Italian
Italian
Italian
Irish
Franco-FlemishActive in Spain
Italian
ItalianAlso known as Spongia
German
Spanish
EnglishExiled to the Netherlands
French
Franco-Flemish
German
Franco-Flemish
English
English
EnglishFather of the poet John Milton; composed madrigals, one of which was printed in The Triumphs of Oriana, as well as anthems, Psalm settings, a motet, and some consort music including a six-part In nomine
Czech
German
EnglishAlso spelled Danyell; brother of the poet Samuel Daniel (spellings of the names of the two brothers differ)
Italian
Italian
English
EnglishProbably father of John Hilton 'the younger' (1599–1657)
German
English
English
EnglishLutenist
Italian
English
Italian
Italian
Portuguese
Italian
Portuguese
Portuguese
FrenchAlso a lutenist
Italian
Burgundian
French
German
Italian
Dutch
Italian
ItalianBrother of Felice Anerio
Italian[8]
EnglishAlso spelled Campian; the only English composer to experiment with musique mesurée, and the first to imitate the Florentine monodists
German
Italian
Italian
Spanish
English
EnglishResponsible for the earliest known use of col legno in Western music
English
Italian
Franco-Flemish
Spanish
Dutch-Danish
English
Italian
Italian
French
Italian
German
English
Italian
EnglishAlso known as Thomas Lupo The Elder; composer of several works, but solid attribution of many works to him or another of his relatives is difficult
English
German
Portuguese
Italian
ItalianActive in Florence. Collaborated with Giulio Caccini on the early opera Il rapimento di Cefalo
EnglishContributed to Michael East's psalter and The Triumphs of Oriana and more
German
English
English
Czech
German
French
EnglishMay be the same person as Martin Pearson; four keyboard pieces in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book; many works also published
EnglishBrother of Orlando Gibbons
Italian
Franco-FlemishActive in Spain and the Netherlands
Danish
German
English
Franco-FlemishActive in Italy
Italian
ItalianBelieved to be the same person as Raffaella Aleotti (c. 1570 – after 1646)
English
Portuguese
Italian
English
English
English
Portuguese
French
ItalianActive in Bavaria and Poland; son of composer Vincenzo Galilei; brother of astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei
Italian
Italian
EnglishIllegitimate son of Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder
English
EnglishPrimarily known from one published work, The XIII Wonders of the World, published in London in 1611; It contains twelve songs, six duets for lute and viol, and seven pieces for lyra viol with optional bass viol
Italian
Italian
Italian
EnglishPublished five volumes of simple and melodious lute songs, and one of madrigals
Italian
English
German
English
Irish
EnglishAlso spelled Cosin, Cosens; compiler of the manuscript Cosyn's Virginal Book
Danish
Irish
English
English
German
EnglishPublished a volume of five- and six-part madrigals in 1619; his best-known piece is Sweet Suffolk Owl
EnglishThere survive nine plainsong settings, one hexachord, and three voluntaries for double organ in a Christ Church autograph MS, among others
Italian
German
Italian
EnglishProbably the son of Thomas East
Italian
EnglishHis Canzonets to Three Voyces, although clearly the work of an amateur, have charm and individuality
Italian
German
German
Italian
ItalianBrother of Domenico Allegri
EnglishPublished a book of psalms amongst others
Italian
Italian
Italian
EnglishActive in Denmark
EnglishActive in England and Scotland
Italian
English
German
Danish
Italian
Dutch
Italian
German
German
Italian
ItalianBrother of Gregorio Allegri
Italian
German
Italian
German
German
Italian
German
Italian
German
German
French
Italian
French
English
German
Croatian
English
French
EnglishMadrigalist; publications include instrumental toccatas, sinfonias and ritornellos as well as vocal pieces
Italian
Polish
EnglishBook of Ayresin MS bears a dedication to Prince Henry dated 1609, but was never published
English
Italian
Italian
German
Portuguese
Danish
EnglishComposed mythological and biblical dialogues, such as Dives and Abraham, Saul and the Witch of Endor, and Orpheus and Pluto
Polish
Polish
German
Dutch
EnglishTwo 18th-century arrangements for viols of keyboard pavans in a MS in the British Museum survive
EnglishSon of John Dowland; only three works are definitely ascribed to him: two lute pieces in the 'Varietie of Lute Lessons' and one in the 'Margaret Board Lutebook'
French
English
Dutch
German
German
German
English
English
German
Dutch
French
French
Swedish
German
German
English
French
French
Czech
German
EnglishComposed English and Latin church music, and consort songs, in humorous rather than melancholy vein, and contributed to The Triumphs of Oriana
English
Portuguese
English
English
Portuguese
English
English
Spanish
English
English
Polish
English
French

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: Planchart . Alejandro Enrique . Alejandro Planchart . 2004 . 2001 . . Du Fay [Dufay; Du Fayt], Guillaume ]. . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.08268 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .
  2. Encyclopedia: Perkins . Leeman L. . 2009 . 2001 . . Ockeghem [Okeghem, Hocquegam, Okegus etc.], Jean de ]. . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.20248 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .
  3. Encyclopedia: Higgins . Paula . 2001 . . Busnoys [Busnois, Bunoys, de Busnes], Antoine ]. . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.04437 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .
  4. Encyclopedia: Woodley . Ronald . 2010 . 2001 . . Tinctoris, Johannes . . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.27990 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .
  5. Encyclopedia: Macey . Patrick . Noble . Jeremy . Jeremy Noble (musicologist) . Dean . Jeffrey . Reese . Gustave . Gustave Reese . 2011 . 2001 . Grove Music Online . Josquin (Lebloitte dit) des Prez . . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.14497 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 17 January 2022 .
  6. Encyclopedia: Lockwood . Lewis . Lewis Lockwood . O'Regan . Noel . Owens . Jessie Ann . Jessie Ann Owens . 2001 . . Palestrina [Prenestino, etc.], Giovanni Pierluigi da ]. . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.20749 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .
  7. Encyclopedia: Stevenson . Robert . Robert Stevenson (musicologist) . 2001 . . Victoria, Tomás Luis de . . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.29298 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .
  8. Encyclopedia: Carter . Tim . Tim Carter (musicologist) . Chew . Geoffrey . Geoffrey Chew (musicologist) . 2001 . . Monteverdi [Monteverde], Claudio ]. . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.44352 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 9 July 2023 .