Franchinus Gaffurius

Franchinus Gaffurius (January 14, 1451 – June 25, 1522) was an Italian music theorist and composer of the Renaissance. He was an almost exact contemporary of Josquin Des Prez and Leonardo da Vinci, the latter of whom was a personal friend. He was one of the most famous musicians in Italy in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Life

He was born in Lodi to an aristocratic family. Early in life he entered a Benedictine monastery, where he acquired his early musical training; later he became a priest. Later he lived in Mantua and Verona before settling in Milan as the maestro di cappella at the cathedral there in 1484.

Related Topics:
Lodi - Benedictine - Priest - Mantua - Verona - Milan - 1484

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During the previous decade the Sforza family, using the composer Gaspar van Weerbeke as a recruiter, had built the choir at their chapel in Milan into one of the largest and most distinguished musical ensembles in Europe: composer-singers such as Josquin, Alexander Agricola, Loyset Compère and Johannes Martini had all been employed there. While the membership of the choir at the Milan cathedral was mostly Italian, the cross-influence between his choir and the group at the Sforza chapel was significant. Gaffurius retained the post at the cathedral for the rest of his life, and it was in Milan that he knew Leonardo da Vinci.

Related Topics:
Sforza - Gaspar van Weerbeke - Alexander Agricola - Loyset Compère - Johannes Martini

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