Obrecht’s Missa Fortuna desperata

Program: #06-04   Air Date: Jan 16, 2006

This program is Free for all, thanks to this generous Preservation Grant:

We continue our long and fruitful association with our partners at Radio Netherlands in presenting a series of concerts from the Holland Festival of Early Music at Utrecht. Please visit their web site, which will provide more in-depth information about the music and performers we hear as well as more information about the festival:

www.rnmusic.nl

NOTE: All of the music on this program is performed by the ensemble Odhecaton directed by Paolo da Col. It is primarily dedicated to composer Jacob Obrecht, who was born c. 1457, studied in Bergen-op-Zoom., and graduated from the University at Leuven. He was master of the children at Cambrai (1484–5), worked at St. Donatien in Bruges, and became choir master at the great cathedral of Antwerp (1491–6). He fell ill (almost retiring) in 1496; in 1503 Petrucci dedicated one of his early mass books to Obrecht. The composer took the job at the Este court in Ferrara vacated by Josquin Des Prez, who left because of the plague. Obrecht died victim of the same plague shortly thereafter (summer of 1505).

Composer Info

Jacob Obrecht (1457/58-1505), Francesco Spinacino (active appr.1507)