JohannesOckeghem(c.

1410/14301497)
FrancoFlemishcomposerinbetweenDufayandDesPrez
BorninSaintGhislainnearMons,intheprovinceofHainut,Belgium,eventuallysettledin
Francewhereheworkedforthecourtchapel(assinger/composer)forthreemonarchs(Charles
VII,LouisXI,CharlesVIII).Besidesmusicalduties,heworkedasdiplomatforthecourt.
Wellknownandrespectedinhistime.

Mostofhisoutputhasbeenlostsurvivingare14masses,lessthan10motets,andabout20
chansons.FromOxford:H isstyleischaracterizedbyitsrichpolyphonictexture,inwhichall
voicesaremelodicallysignificant,hierarchicallyequal,andthematicallyindependentofone
another.Unlikeother15thcenturycomposersheshowsrelativelylittleinterestinimitative
exchangesordeclamatorywordsetting,preferringinsteadthecontinuousunfoldingofpure
melody,andaneverchangingarrayoftexture,harmony,andsonority.

[Requiem(MissaproDefunctis)
earliestsurvivingpolyphonicrequiemmass(anearlierbyDufayhasbeenlost)

1.Requiem
2.Kyrie
3.Graduale:Siambulem(score??)
4.Tractus:Sicutcervus
5.Offertorium:DomineJesu]

Missaprolationum
writtenforfourvoices(thesevoiceschangetessiture/clef)
composedentirelyofcanons
notablethatthesecanonswereallnewlycomposedandnotbasedonpreexisting
material(chantorpopularsong)
varioustypesofmensurationcanonsexplorationofcanonsatvariousandpreviously
imperfectintervals(second,third,sixth,andseventh)
usualmovementsofordinarymass:
Kyrie
Gloria(needsincipit)
Credo(needsincipit)
SanctusBenedictus(repeatedosanna)
AgnusDei(allthreeset)
fromsecondhalfof15thcentury(nodefinitivewaytodatethework)
T herearetwosourcespreservingthemass.OneistheC higiCodex,whichwascopiedfor
PhilipIofCastilesometimebetween1498and1503,shortlyafterOckeghem'sdeath.Theother
oneistheViennamanuscript(?)

Kyrie KyrieI Superius(soprano) S/Ccanonatunison

(3iterations) Contratenor Slead(C1.5[Kyrie
(soprano) elei])
Tenor(tenor)
Bass(tenor) T/Bcanonatunison,
Tlead(B1.5[Kyrie])

Christe SameasKyrieI Twosetsofduos

(4iterations)
Technicallycanonat
thesecond(but
neveroverlapping)
C/Scanon(Clead)
B/Tcanon(Blead)

C/B1st(F/Bbresp.)
S/T2nd(G/Cresp.)
C/B3rd(C/Aresp.)
S/T4th(D/Bresp.)

KyrieII S(soprano) S/CcanonatthirdS

(2iterations) C(mezzo) lead(C1.5)
T(tenor
B(baritone?) T/BcanonatthirdB
lead(T1.5)
clefsmakeit
appearasthough
S/CandT/Bare
readingsamenotes
(!)

Gloria Etinterrapax S(soprano) S/Ccanonatfourth

(needsincipit) C(soprano) Slead(C1.5[Et])
T(tenor)
B(tenor) T/Bcanonat4thT
lead(B
doesnot
beginatthesame
time)

canonscontinue
rigorously
Amenappearsin
SandTatendofthis
canon

Quitollispeccata S(soprano) S/Ccanonatfourth

mundi C(alto)
 T(tenor) T/Bcanonatfourth
B(bass) staggeredentry
withS/Tlead
visuallylookslike
canonatthesecond canonscontinue
rigorously
again,Amenonly
appearsinSandT

**extensive
melismaticwritingat
endforAmenand
JesuChriste.Cum
SanctoSpiritu,in
gloriaDeiPatris

Credo Patrem S(soprano) S/CcanonatfifthC

(needsincipit) omnipotentem C(alto) lead(S1.5[Patrem
T(alto) omnipotentem])
B(tenor)
T/BcanonatfifthB
visuallylookslike lead(T1.5[Patrem
canonatunison om])

continuesuntil
passusetsupultus
estCandBrepeat
textnearmomentof
quasiorganumon
thisrepetition

Etresurrexittertia S(soprano) S/CcanonatfifthC

die C(alto) lead(S1.5[Et])
T(alto)
B(tenor) T/BcanonatfifthB
lead(staggered)
T/Bdontenter
untiltextofcuius
regninonerit

onlyC/Bsing
Amen(at
completionofmain
text)

Sanctus Sanctus S(soprano) S/CcanonatsixthC

C(alto) lead(staggered)
 T(tenor)
B(tenor) T/BcanonatsixthB
lead(staggered)

Plenisuntcoeli Duo: S/Ccanonat

S(soprano) (descending)
C(tenor) seventhSlead

Osanna S(soprano) S/Ccanonatoctave

C(tenor) Slead(C1.5
T(alto) [Osanna,o])
B(bass)
T/Bcanonatoctave
Tlead(B1.5
[Osanna,o])

Benedictus S(soprano) S/Ccanonatfourth

C(alto) Slead(staggered)
T(tenor)
B(baritone?) T/Bcanonatfourth
Tlead(staggered)

canonutilizes
differenttext!

AgnusDei AgnusDeiI S(soprano) S/Ccanonatfourth

C(alto) Slead(staggered)
T(tenor)
B(tenor) T/Bcanonatfourth
Tlead(staggered)

AgnusDeiII Duo: Mesurationcanonat

S(soprano) thefifth(Ctwiceas
C(alto) slow)

AgnusDeiIII S(soprano) S/CcanonatfifthC

C(alto) lead
T(alto)
B(tenor) T/BcanonatfifthB
lead