Janequin (Jannequin), Clément

Janequin (Jannequin), Clément, important French composer; b. Châtellerault, c. 1485; d. Paris, 1558. He is first mentioned as a clerc in the service of Lancelot du Fau, a man of the court and church, in 1505. His patron became Bishop of Luçon in 1515, and he appears to have remained in the bishop’s service until 1523, at which time he entered the service of Jean de Foix, bishop of Bordeaux. Having become a priest, he received several minor prebends there. He became canon of St. Emilion in 1525, then procureur des âmes there in 1526. He was named curé of St. Michel de Rieufret in 1526, then of St. Jean de Mezos in 1530, and also doyen of Garosse that same year. With the death of his patron in 1529, he lost his prebends. However, he had become known as a composer through Pierre Attaingnant’s publication of some of his chansons. Janequin served as master of the choirboys at Auch Cathedral in 1531, then was made curé of Avrille in 1533; he was also maître de chapelle of Angers Cathedral (1534–37), and subsequently curé of Unverre. In 1549 he settled in Paris, being listed as a student at the Univ. He wrote a chanson on the siege of Metz, which brought him the honorary title of chapelain to the Duc de Guise. He later was made chantre ordinaire du roi and then compositeur ordinaire du roi. Janequin was an outstanding composer of chansons and chansons spirituelles, of which more than 400 are extant. His mastery is evidenced both in his brief and witty settings and in those more lengthy and programmatic. Among his finest are Le Chant des oiseaux, La Chasse, Les Cris de Paris, and his most celebrated work, La Bataille, most likely written to commemorate the battle of Marignano. Pierre Attaingnant publ, several of his chansons between the 1520s and the 1530s; others appeared in various collections of the time. A. Merritt and F. Lesure éd. Clément Janequin (c. 1485-1558): Chansons polyphoniques (Monaco, 1965-71).

Works

masses:Missa super “L’Aveuglé Dieu,” Missae duodecim (Paris, 1554); Missa super “La Bataille” (1532). MOTETS: Attaingnant is believed to have publ, a vol. of his motets in Paris in 1533; however, no copy of the vol. has been found. The motet Congregati sunt (1538) is extant. psalms and chansons spirituelles:Premier livre contenant XXVIII pseaulmes de David…for 4 Voices (Paris, 1549); Premier livre contenant plusieurs chansons spirituelles, avec les lamentations de Jeremie (Paris, 1556); Proverbes de Salomon…for 4 Voices (Paris, 1558); Octante deux pseaumes de David…for 4 Voices (Paris, 1559).

Bibliography

J. Levron, C. J.,musicien de la renaissance: Essai sur sa vie et ses amis (Grenoble and Paris, 1948).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire