Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Slovenia

Birth

:

1550 in Carniola, Slovenia

Death

:

July 18, 1591 in Prague, Czech Republic

Period

:

Renaissance

Genre

:

Choral

 

Jacobus Handl, also known as Jacobus Gallus, was a prominent composer of the late Renaissance period. He was born in 1550 in the small town of Reifnitz, located in present-day Slovenia. Handl was the son of a peasant farmer, and his early life was marked by poverty and hardship. Despite these challenges, he showed an early aptitude for music and began his musical education at a young age. Handl's first musical training came from the local church choir, where he learned to sing and play various instruments. He later moved to nearby Graz, where he studied under the renowned composer and music theorist Andreas Pevernage. Under Pevernage's tutelage, Handl developed a deep understanding of music theory and composition, and he began to compose his own works. In 1574, Handl was appointed as the choirmaster at the cathedral in Prague, where he remained for the rest of his life. During his time in Prague, Handl composed a vast body of work, including over 500 motets, 150 masses, and numerous other sacred and secular pieces. His music was highly regarded by his contemporaries, and he was considered one of the leading composers of his time. One of Handl's most famous works is his Missa super "Ecce quam bonum," which was composed in 1584. This mass is notable for its use of polychoral techniques, which involve dividing the choir into multiple groups and having them sing in antiphonal fashion. The mass is also notable for its use of chromaticism, which was a relatively new technique at the time. Another notable work by Handl is his motet "Omnes de Saba venient," which was composed in 1582. This motet is based on a text from the Book of Isaiah and is notable for its use of imitative polyphony, in which different voices sing the same melody at different times. The motet also features a complex harmonic structure and a richly textured sound. Handl's music was highly influential in his time and had a significant impact on the development of music in the Baroque period. His use of polychoral techniques and chromaticism was particularly influential, and many later composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, were influenced by his work. Despite his success as a composer, Handl's personal life was marked by tragedy. He lost his wife and several children to the plague, and he himself suffered from poor health for much of his life. Despite these challenges, he continued to compose music until his death in 1591. Today, Handl's music is still widely performed and admired for its beauty and complexity. His works continue to be studied by music scholars and are considered an important part of the musical canon of the late Renaissance period.

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