Johannes Pullois facts for kids

Johannes Pullois (also known by names like Pillays or Pylois) was a talented composer from the Renaissance period. He lived in the 1400s and came from the Low Countries, which are now parts of Belgium and the Netherlands. Pullois was important because he helped bring a special style of music called polyphony from his home region to Italy. Polyphony means music with several independent voice parts singing or playing at the same time.

A Composer's Journey

Johannes Pullois was probably born in a town called Pulle, near Antwerp. We don't know much about his early life. His first known job was in 1443. He became a zangmeester, which means a singing master, at a church in Antwerp.

Later, Pullois tried to get a job with a very important group of musicians. This was the court chapel of Philip the Good, a powerful duke. But he didn't get the position. After this, in 1447, he moved to Rome, Italy. There, he sang in the Pope's chapel for many years, until 1468.

After his time in Rome, Pullois returned to Antwerp. He became a canon at the same church where he had worked before. He stayed there until he passed away in 1478. During his career, he worked alongside other famous composers, including Johannes Ockeghem.

Pullois's Music

Pullois wrote different kinds of music. One of his most important surviving pieces is a complete cyclic mass called Missa sine nomine. A mass is a musical setting for parts of a church service. This particular mass was written for three voices. It was likely composed in the 1450s. It is one of the earliest complete masses of its kind written in mainland Europe. This mass even sounded so much like English music that people sometimes thought an English composer wrote it!

He also wrote a motet for Christmas. A motet is another type of sacred choral music. This motet was called Flos de spina. Its style is similar to music by his colleague, Ockeghem. Pullois might have written it while he was living in Italy. Another motet, Victime paschali laudes, also survived. He also created three sacred songs by changing the words of secular (non-religious) songs.

Besides church music, Pullois wrote 14 secular songs. These songs were not for religious services. They can be found in music collections from Italy and Germany.

Works by Johannes Pullois

Johannes Pullois composed various musical pieces. Here are some of the types of works he created:

Masses

• Missa sine nomine (for 3 voices)
• Gloria (a part of a mass, for 4 voices)

Motets

• Flos de spina (for 4 voices)
• Victime paschali laudes (for 3 voices)
• Other motets that were adapted from secular songs.

Secular Songs

• Pullois wrote 14 secular songs. These were not for church.
• Many of them were rondeaux, a popular song form of the time.
• Some examples include De ma dame and Puisque fortune.