Antoine Busnois facts for kids
Antoine Busnois (also spelled Busnoys) was a French composer, singer, and poet who lived around the 1400s during the early Renaissance. He was born around 1430 and passed away before November 6, 1492. Busnois and his friend Johannes Ockeghem were two of the most important composers in Europe during the second half of the 15th century. They were key figures in the early Franco-Flemish School, a famous group of musicians.
While Busnois also wrote sacred music like motets, he was especially known for his many secular (non-religious) polyphonic chansons. These were French songs with multiple voice parts. He was one of the most important French song composers between Guillaume Du Fay and Claudin de Sermisy.
Life and Career of Antoine Busnois
We don't know many exact details about Antoine Busnois's early life. He was probably from an area in France called Pas-de-Calais, near a town called Béthune. His name might even come from a small village there called Busnes. He likely came from a wealthy family, which could explain why he was connected to the French royal court early on.
Busnois received an excellent music education, probably at a church choir school. By the 1450s, he was already mentioned at the French court. In 1461, he worked as a chaplain in Tours. He wasn't always peaceful, though. Records show he got into some trouble with the church and was later forgiven by Pope Pius II.
In 1465, he moved to the church of St. Martin in Tours, where he became a subdeacon. Johannes Ockeghem also worked there, and the two composers seemed to know each other well. Later in 1465, Busnois moved to Poitiers. There, he became the master of the choirboys and attracted many talented singers. His reputation as a singing teacher, scholar, and composer was growing. However, he left Poitiers suddenly in 1466 and then moved to Burgundy.
Busnois joined the Burgundian court by 1467. He started composing for them right away. One of his motets, In hydraulis, was dedicated to Charles, who was about to become the Duke of Burgundy. Charles was known for his brave, sometimes reckless, military adventures. But he also loved music and rewarded Busnois for his work. Busnois was listed as a "singer and valet de chambre" (a personal attendant) to Charles in 1467, along with other composers like Hayne van Ghizeghem.
Busnois not only sang and composed for Charles but also went with him on military campaigns. He was at the siege of Neuss in Germany in 1475. He was not at the Battle of Nancy in 1477, where Charles was killed.
Busnois continued to work for the Burgundian court until 1482. We don't know much about what he did between then and his death in 1492. At the time of his death, he was working for the church of St. Sauveur in Bruges.
Busnois's Music
Busnois was incredibly famous during his time. He was probably the most well-known musician in Europe between Guillaume Dufay and Johannes Ockeghem. He wrote both sacred (religious) and secular (non-religious) music.
For his sacred music, we have two Masses and eight motets that have survived. Many others were likely lost. He also set the Marian antiphon Regina coeli several times. His music style was a bridge between the simpler, more homophonic (melody with chords) music of Dufay and Binchois, and the more complex imitative counterpoint (melodies copying each other) that would become popular with composers like Josquin. Busnois used imitation skillfully and created smooth, singable melodies. He also had a strong sense of triads (three-note chords), which was ahead of his time.
Some people believe Busnois might have composed the famous tune L'homme armé (The Armed Man). This melody was one of the most popular tunes of the Renaissance and was used more than any other as a main melody (cantus firmus) in Mass compositions. Whether he wrote the first Mass based on L'homme armé or not, his version was very influential. Other composers, like Obrecht and even Dufay, borrowed from his setting.
However, Busnois is most famous for his polyphonic chansons, which are French secular songs. Most of these are rondeaux, a type of song with a repeating refrain. Many of his chansons became very popular. He probably wrote the words for almost all of his songs himself. Some of his tunes were even used as main melodies for Masses composed long after his death, like Fortuna desperata. One unusual chanson is Terrible dame, which is a unique dialogue song.
Most of Busnois's secular songs are in French, but he also wrote at least two in Italian and one in Flemish. Most of his songs are for three voices, but a few are for four voices.
Works
Certain Attributions
Masses
- Missa L'homme armé
- Missa O crux lignum
- Patrem Vilayge
Motets and Magnificats
- Ad coenam agni providi
- Alleluia, verbum caro factum est
- Anima mea liquefacta est / Stirps Jesse
- Anthoni usque limina
- Gaude coelestis domina
- In hydraulis
- Magnificat sexti toni
- Noel, noel
- Regina caeli (I)
- Regina caeli (II)
- Victimae paschali laudes
Secular Music
- Acordes moy
- Advegne que advenir pourra
- Amours nous traicte / Je m'en vois
- A qui vens tu tes coquilles
- Au gré de mes iculx
- A une dame
- Au povre par necessité
- A vous, sans autre
- Bel acueil
- Bone chére
- Ce n’est pas moy
- C'est bien maleur
- C'est vous en qui
- Con tutta gentileça
- Corps digne / Dieu quel mariage
- Cy dit benedicite
- En soustenant
- En tous les lieux
- En voyant sa dame
- Esaint-il merci
- Faictes de moy
- Faulx mesdisans
- Fortuna desperata?
- (O) Fortune, trop tu es dure
- Ha que ville
- In myne zynn
- Ja que lui ne
- J'ay mayns de bien
- J'ay pris amours tout au rebours
- Je m'esbaïs de vous
- Je ne demande aultre degré
- Je ne demande lialté
- Je ne puis vivre ainsi
- Joye me fuit
- Laissez dangier
- L'autrier la pieça /En l'ombre du buissonet / Trop suis jonette
- L'autrier que passa
- Le corps s'en va
- Le monde a tel
- Ma damoiselle
- Maintes femmes
- Ma plus qu'assez
- Ma tres souveraine princesse
- M'a vostre cueur
- Mon mignault / Gracieuse, playsant
- Mon seul et sangle souvenir
- On a grant mal / On est bien malade
- Pour entretenir mes amours
- Pucellotte
- Quant j'ay au cueur
- Quant vous me ferez
- Quelque povre homme
- Quelque povre homme
- Resjois toy terre de France / Rex pacificus
- Seule a par moy
- Soudainementmon cueur
- Terrible dame
- Une filleresse / S'il y a compagnion / Vostre amour
- Ung grand povtre homme
- Ung plus que tous
- Vostre beauté / Vous marchez
- Vostre gracieuse acointance
Conjectural Attributions
Masses
- Missa L'Ardent desir
- Missa L'homme armé (I)
- Missa L'homme armé (II)
- Missa L'homme armé (III)
- Missa L'homme armé (IV)
- Missa L'homme armé (V)
- Missa L'homme armé (VI) (these six Masses from Naples are thought to be by Busnois due to similar styles)
- Missa sine nomine
- Missa Quant ce viendra
Magnificats and Motets
- Magnificat octavi toni
- Magnificat secundi toni
- Incomprehensibilia / Preter rerum ordinem
Conflicting Attributions
- Amours, amours, amours
- Amours fait moult / Il est de binne heure né /Tant que nostre argent dura
- Cent mile escus
- Et qui la dira
- J'ay bien choisi
- Il sera pour vous canbatu / L'homme armé
- Je ne fay plus
- Je suis venu
- Le serviteur
- Quant ce vendra (attributed to Busnoys in Dijon MS 517)
- Sans avoir (‚S' amours vous fiu' or 'Malagrota')
- Se brief puis
See also
In Spanish: Antoine Busnoys para niños
