Waelrant, Hubert

Waelrant, Hubert, Flemish singer, teacher, music editor, and composer; b. between Nov. 20, 1516, and Nov. 19,1517; d. Antwerp, Nov. 19,1595. He was active mainly in Antwerp, where he began his career as a tenor soloist at the Cathedral (1544-45); taught music in a school operated by his landlord, Gregorius de Coninck (1553-56). From 1554 to about 1566 he served as music ed. for the printer Jean de Laet. He was a fine composer of motets. He has been credited with abandoning the old system of solmization by hexachords and introducing a new system of the 7 tone-names, bo ce di ga lo ma ni (hence called “bocedization”; also ’voces Belgicae”).

Works

(all publ. in Antwerp unless otherwise given): (15) Sacrarum cantionum...liber sextusfor 5 to 6 Voices (1556?); several other motets in contemporary collections; metrical Psalms: 9 in various contemporary collections; chansons: II primo libro de madrigali et[11] canzoni francezifor 5 Voices (1558); other chansons in contemporary collections; madrigals: II primo libro de[9] madrigali et canzoni francezifor 5 Voices (1558); other madrigals in contemporary collections; napolitane: Le[30] canzoni napolitanefor 4 Voices (Venice, 1565); other napolitane in contemporary collections.

Bibliography

G. Becker, H. W. et ses psaumes: Notice biographique et bibliographique (Paris, 1881); R. Weaver, The Motets of H. W. (c. 1517-1595) (diss., Syracuse Univ., 1971).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire