About
Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1377) was the most important French poet and composer of the 14th century. Probably born in Machault, Champagne, he entered the service of John of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia, as chaplain and secretary in 1323. Appointed canon of Reims Cathedral in 1337, he spent the rest of his life there. A leading figure of the Ars Nova style, he composed the Messe de Nostre Dame, the first complete polyphonic setting of the Mass Ordinary in Western music history. His literary work, including Le Voir Dit, blends lyric poetry and music, and he played a central role in popularizing the formes fixes (ballade, rondeau, virelai).
* 1300-01-01 — † 1377-01-01
Major works
- Messe de Nostre Dame (c. 1364)polyphonic mass
- Le Voir Dit (c. 1362-65)narrative poem
- Le Remède de Fortunedit
- Jugement du roy de Behaingedit
- Jugement du roy de Navarredit
Key milestones
- 1323Entered the service of John of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia, as chaplain and secretary.
- 1337Appointed canon of Reims Cathedral.
- c. 1364Composed the Messe de Nostre Dame, the first complete polyphonic mass by a single composer.
Themes
courtly lovefortunemusic and poetryallegoryautobiographical narrative
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordbibliographies.com · kennedy-center.org