Certon, Pierre

Certon, Pierre, significant French composer; b. c. 1510; d. Paris, Feb. 22, 1572. He was made matins clerk at Notre Dame in Paris (1529), then clerk (1532) and master of the choristers (1536) at the Sainte-Chapelle. He was “compositeur de musique de la chapelle du Roy” from c. 1570 and also held a canonry at Notre Dame in Melun. For modem editions of his works, see F. Lesure and R. de Morcourt, eds., Psaumes de P. C. réduits pour chant et luth par G. Money (Paris, 1957), A. Seay, éd., P. C: Zehn Chansons zu 4 Stimmen, Das Chorwerk, LXXXII (1961), A. Agnel, éd., Chansons de P. C, Cahiers de polyphonie (Paris, 1965), H. Expert and A. Agnel, eds., P. C: Chansons polyphoniques publiées par P. Attaingnant, Maîtres Anc iens de la Musique Française, I-III (Paris, 1967-68).

Works

masses:Missae tres... for 4 Voices (Paris, 1558); others in contemporary collections. motets:Recens modulorum editio...24 motettorum, liber secundus (Paris, 1542); others in contemporary collections. psalms, chansons, and spirituellesTrente et un pseaumes for 4 Voices (Paris, 1546); Premiere livre de[13] psalmes...reduitz en tabulature de leut par Maistre G. Morlaye (Paris, 1554); Cinquante pseaulmes de David for 4 Voices (Paris, 1555); Les Meslanges: 15 chansons spirituelles for 4, 5, and 6 Voices (Paris, 1570). chansonsPremier livre de [16] chansons for 4 Voices (Paris, 1552); Les Meslanges: 84 chansons (Paris, 1570); others in contemporary collections.

Bibliography

S. Van Solkema, The Liturgical Music of P C.(diss., Univ. of Mich., 1962).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire