Introduction
During the 15th century, the political and social changes in Europe caused by the significant historical processes such as the Hundred Year War, the growth of the Spanish kingdom, and the cultural progress of Italy affected the development of Franco-Flemish composers’ dominance in music of the Renaissance period. The school of Franco-Flemish composers developed, and the impact of the composers with the Burgundian and Netherlandish roots became significant in Italy, Austria, and France. The tradition to invite the Franco-Flemish composers to the courts influenced the development of music tendencies during the 15th century. That is why, it is possible to speak about Franco-Flemish composers’ musical dominance in Europe. The accents are made on the development of the sacred and liturgical genres. Thus, Franco-Flemish composers are famous for changing the particular features of styles in composing and developing the melodies of masses and motets used in the European churches and chapels. It is important to focus on the names of Johannes Ockeghem and Antoine Busnoys, Jacob Obrecht, Henricus Isaac, and Josquin des Prez whose approaches to composing music in the 15th century influenced the further tendencies in developing music genres and styles.
The Music of Johannes Ockeghem and Antoine Busnoys
Today, the names of Johannes Ockeghem and Antoine Busnoys are closely associated with each other, and it is possible to speak about the significant influence of each composer on the works of the other one. Johannes Ockeghem came from St. Ghislain located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. Ockeghem was known as a singer at the cathedral of Notre Dame in Antwerp during the first half of the 15th century. However, Ockeghem developed his skills in composing masses and motets, and later he was known as the favourite composer of Charles VII. It is possible to rely on this fact as the turning point in Ockeghem’s musical career (Taruskin, 2009, p. 454). The biographers of Ockeghem state that he was one of the most influential Europeans of his period and rich property owner (Taruskin, 2009, p. 454-455). According to different data, Ockeghem’s music heritage includes 14 masses, 5 motets, and more than 20 chansons. Nevertheless, the composer’s fame is associated with a chanson-lament or a deploration which was composed on the death of Binchois in 1460 (Taruskin, 2009). The particular features of Ockeghem’s music style which can be described in relation to Missa Cuiusvis toni or Missa prolationum are the orientation to the polyphonic masses, cantus firmus technique, vocal ranges, and variety of rhythms with accents on the low voices (Burkholder, Grout, & Palisca, 2009).
Antoine Busnoys is famous for his work as a musician and composer at the court of Burgundy. Busnoys also specialized in composing the sacred music, cantus firmus masses and motets. In his motet In hydraulis, Busnoys concentrates on the personality of Ockeghem and compares him with Pythagoras and Orpheus. In his motet, the composer uses the repetitive tenor phrase developed in three notes. Ockeghem answered to the motet in the form of his own Ut heremita solus …