Johannes Brassart facts for kids

Johannes Brassart (also known as Jean Brasart) was a talented composer from the early Renaissance period. He was part of a famous group of musicians called the Burgundian school. Brassart lived from around 1400 until before October 22, 1455. We only have his religious vocal music today, which shows us what music was like in the early 1400s.

Life of Johannes Brassart

Johannes Brassart was probably born in a small village called Lauw. This village is near Tongeren in what was then the prince-bishopric of Liège (today it's in Limburg, Belgium). We don't know his exact birth date, just that it was around 1400.

From 1422 to 1431, Brassart worked at the Collegiate Church of St John the Evangelist in Liège. He was a succentor there, which means he helped lead the singing.

Around the mid-1420s, he visited Rome. In 1431, he moved to Rome and started working in the Pope's chapel as a singer. He likely composed music there too. Other famous composers like Arnold de Lantins and Guillaume Dufay were also in the choir at the same time. During this period, Brassart probably wrote his motet O flos fragrans. This piece was very popular and can be found in several old music books. He also wrote Te dignitas presularis.

In 1432, Brassart moved to Basel, where he sang in the council chapel. Two years later, Emperor Sigismund hired him as the leader of his chapel. Brassart kept this important job until 1443.

By 1445, he was back in Liège. He worked at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul. Records from October 22, 1455, show that he had recently passed away.

Brassart's Music Style

It's hard for us to find music from this time because many old music sources were destroyed. For example, when Charles the Bold attacked Liège in 1468, many musical works were lost. Luckily, some of Brassart's music survived! We have 11 motets, 8 introits, and many separate parts of masses.

What Makes His Music Special?

Brassart's music is a great example of the early Burgundian style. Here are some of the musical techniques he used:

• Fauxbourdon: This is a special way of writing music where two voices sing above the main melody. They often move in parallel, creating a smooth sound.
• Isorhythm: This technique uses repeating patterns of rhythm and melody.
• Burgundian under-third cadence: This is a specific ending sound that was common in Burgundian music.

All of Brassart's surviving music is religious. It includes parts of the Mass, introits, and many motets. One of his pieces even has German words, which he probably wrote when he worked for the Emperor. He often used a technique called cantus firmus, where he based a new piece on an existing melody. He also frequently put the main melody in the highest voice.

Introits and Mass Movements

Brassart's introits are some of the earliest known pieces of music written for multiple voices (called polyphony) for this part of the Mass.

His mass movements, which are all for three voices, mostly use the fauxbourdon style. His motets, on the other hand, are usually isorhythmic. Many of his motets are written for four voices.

One cool thing about his motets is that they often start with a duet for two high voices. Then, the other voices join in. This became a common feature of the Burgundian style. His most famous motet, O flos fragrans, was inspired by a similar piece by Dufay. This suggests that the two composers might have known each other well.