Orlando di Lasso

(ca. 1532-1594)
His name is used in different forms: often in Latin (Orlandus Lassus), Italian (Orlando di Lasso, this option is preferred to the composer himself), sometimes in French (Roland de Lattre). In the Russian musicology into use Italian version.
Lasso was born in Mons (now Belgium). Biographers tell us about his childhood musician unlikely stories. Allegedly, when Lasso boy sang in the choir of the Cathedral of Mons, his wonderful voice charmed the viceroy of Sicily, Fernando Gonzaga, who had fought in the Netherlands in the army of Emperor Charles V, and is against the will of the parents took the child with him to Italy. However, in the archives of the cathedral there is no mention of such facts. It is true that later Lasso lived in Naples, apparently in the house of another patron, and perhaps he visited Rome, where, according to the story, at age 22 served as head of the choir in the church of San Giovanni in Laterano.

Later, Lasso returned to Mons, and to learn about the death of parents, went to France, and by some accounts, made a journey to England. At some time he stayed at Antwerp: they were printed in his early motets and madrigals. During his stay in this city he received an invitation from the ruling Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria to be a musician at his court in Munich. Lasso arrived in Munich in 1556 or 1557 and soon was given the position of court Kapellmeister.

In an era when musicians were often simply the servants of the nobility homes (even Bach, a century later, in his youth wore a lackey's livery), Lasso was able to quickly win the respect of his master. He married the daughter of a court lady, and, apparently, became a friend of the Duke and his family: in any case, the Duke took a musician from invitations to dinner. Ducal family consisted of passionate music lovers, . but we can assume, . that Lasso Duke valued not only a brilliant professional, . and witty, . merry companion: Lasso, often entertaining anecdotes about the owners of original music and musicians and even put in the court of his own musical comedy,
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Life Lasso flowed relatively smoothly, and thanks to the patronage of the Duke, he could fully devote composing and publishing his works - the endless stream of music. As can be seen interludes Lasso trip to France and Italy (where the Pope granted a musician in the Knights of the Order of the Golden Spur).

Thank Lasso spread throughout Europe, and his second visit to France was associated with an invitation to take up his post at court. There were suggestions from the King of Saxony and various Italian princes. However, the Duke of Bavaria, not wanting to lose a musician, took appropriate measures: signed a lifetime contract.

In the last years of life Lasso fell into melancholy, which obviously affected his health: Duke musician freed from court duties, gave him a higher pension and gave the country house. Lasso, died June 14, 1594 and was buried in the Franciscan cemetery of Munich. Now, his tombstone is located in the Bavarian National Museum.

Creativity. Looking at the vast artistic heritage Lasso - fifteen hundred motets, . 53 Mass., . hundred Magnificat and other liturgical works, . one hundred and fifty madrigals, . Hundreds of French chanson, . German songs (Lieder), . Villanelle, . Moresco (literally, 'Moorish' - music and dance form, in this case, the sketch of the Negro slaves in Naples) and other small pieces - Handel's witty remark comes to mind about his contemporary, Telemann: 'He could set to music of any text, . even poster ',
. Lasso considered music as a mirror, reflecting all aspects of life.

Thank Lasso as a church composer, related mainly to its unsurpassed motet. His Masses are beautiful, but can hardly be described as deeply spiritual works, fully responsible liturgical purposes. It is believed that Lasso goes sometimes too far in this direction: for example, he introduces the theme song of the liturgy with the eloquent title 'I never eat pork', 'Good Wine', 'Let's pulled barley', adapting to them the words of St.. Scripture. One of the best mess Lasso written to the charming melody of songs with quite frank called 'Sweet memories'. Of course, the composer is not always used in church music song theme, several excellent mess Lasso have no relation to secular tunes

. Fully dramatic, . narrative and visual quality of the composer's talents are revealed in his motet, . illustrating almost all evangelical events and scenes, . and also in the works, . based on the prose and poetic texts of the Divine Liturgy,
. Highest achievement Lasso in church music strict style - Seven Penitential Psalms. In one of the motets - an elegant three-part hymn at Christmas - you can find some anticipation of Wagner's leitmotivs technology: the wise men during their journey to the manger babe all the time, they exclaim: 'In Bethlehem! " Created music composer a hundred versions of the Magnificat, . generators, . by one writer aptly, . 'spiritual bouquet, . the presented Blessed Virgin ', . - A unique monument of artistic inspiration and also one of the peaks of creativity Lasso,
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In the field of secular music Lasso has no rivals among his contemporaries. It opens a wide field for his tendency to joke and satire, and this is particularly evident in the concise pieces - sketches of characters and scenes from everyday life. Here and young wife, complaining to the callousness of the old husband, a funny and magistrate, and a young monk, and a soldier, mercenary, appealing to the lady of the heart, and serenade a lover, and a portrait of the beloved. Already in his youth, while in Italy, Lasso turned to the genre of madrigal, and he drew his poems from the treasury of Renaissance poetry, as the Italian and French - Petrarch, Ariosto, Ronsard, and their contemporaries, and embodied inspirational lines in music.

Lasso is considered the last of the Netherlands masters who dominated on the European music scene for over a century, in fact, his work demonstrates the merger of the Netherlands and Italian style. The influence of Italian madrigalistov transforms old Netherlands polyphonic letter, based on the equality of all voices in a more contemporary style and rich opportunities. Lasso - one of the greatest artists of the era when the lifetime of two generations of emerging new technology homophonic-harmonic writing (melody with accompaniment) in the major-minor modal system.