| Adrian Willaert (* about 1490; † 7. December 1562 in Venice) was a Flemish composer and the founder of the Venetian School.
His birth place is unknown; he either originates from Bruges or Roeselare.
Willaert studied in Paris under Jean Mouton and Josquin Desprez and went to Rome in 1516 and later to Ferrara, where he served cardinal Ippolito I. d’Este and probably went with him to Hungary between 1517 and 1519.
After Ippolitos death in 1520 he worked for Duke Alfonso and stayed there until 1527 when he was appointed choral director of St. Mark in Venice. Although he was deeply rooted in the principles of contrapuntal composition Willaert was soon influenced by the new style which places the harmonious element above the melodic element and which was developed in Florence.
Willaert had an important part in the creation of the madrigal and the “double choric”. He was a renowned teacher. The composers Cypriano de Rore, Constanzo Porta, Francesco della Viola, Gioseffo Guami and Andrea Gabrieli as well as the music theorists Nicola Vicentino and Gioseffo Zarlino were – amongst others – his pupils. Willaert created a considerable work: 8 masses, more than 50 hymns and psalms, more than 150 motets, about 60 chansons, more than 70 madrigals and several instrumental works (Ricercares). |
