Pierre de la Rue (c. 1452 – 1518) was a
Franco-Flemish (modern day Belgium) composer and singer
of the Renaissance. His name also appears as Piersson
or variants of Pierchon and his toponymic, when
present, as various forms of de Platea, de Robore, or
de Vico. A member of the same generation as Josquin des
Prez, and a long associate of the Habsburg-Burgundian
musical chapel, he ranks with Agricola, Brumel,
Compère, Isaac, Obrecht, and Weerbeke as one of the
most famous and influential c...(+)
Pierre de la Rue (c. 1452 – 1518) was a
Franco-Flemish (modern day Belgium) composer and singer
of the Renaissance. His name also appears as Piersson
or variants of Pierchon and his toponymic, when
present, as various forms of de Platea, de Robore, or
de Vico. A member of the same generation as Josquin des
Prez, and a long associate of the Habsburg-Burgundian
musical chapel, he ranks with Agricola, Brumel,
Compère, Isaac, Obrecht, and Weerbeke as one of the
most famous and influential composers in the
Netherlands polyphonic style in the decades around
1500.
La Rue wrote masses, motets, Magnificats, settings of
the Lamentations, and chansons, a diverse range of
compositions reflective of his status as the primary
composer at one of Europe's most renowned musical
institutions, surrounded by other similarly creative
people. Some scholars have suggested that he only
composed music for about the last 20 years of his life,
mainly when he was in the imperial service; but it has
proven difficult to date any of his works precisely,
although it has been possible to suggest groupings
based on a rough chronology. Stylistically, his works
are more similar to Josquin than to any other composer
working at the same time. In fact, misattribution of
doubtful works has gone both ways.
Yet there are some unique features to La Rue's style.
He had a liking for extreme low voice ranges,
descending sometimes to C or even the subterranean B
flat below the bass staff; he employed more
chromaticism than most of his contemporaries; and much
of his work is rich in dissonance. He also broke up
long, dense textures by inserting contrasting passages
for two voices only, something done also by Ockeghem
and Josquin. He was one of the first routinely to
expand vocal forces from the standard four, to five or
six. One of his masses for six voices, the Missa Ave
sanctissima Maria, is a six-voice canon, a technically
difficult feat reminiscent of some of the work of
Ockeghem. This is also the earliest six-voice mass
known to exist.
"Vexilla regis" is a Latin hymn in long metre by the
Christian poet and saint Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop
of Poitiers. It takes its title from its incipit, or
opening stanza:
Vexilla regis prodeunt, The Banners of the King
issue forth,
fulget crucis mysterium, the mystery of the Cross
does gleam,
quo carne carnis conditor where the Creator of
flesh, in the flesh,
suspensus est patibulo. by the cross-bar is hung.
The hymn was first sung in the procession (November 19,
569) when a relic of the True Cross, sent by the
Byzantine Emperor Justin II from the East at the
request of St. Radegunda, was carried in great pomp
from Tours to her monastery of Saint-Croix at Poitiers.
Its original processional use is commemorated in the
Roman Missal on Good Friday, when the Blessed Sacrament
is carried in procession from the Repository to the
High Altar. Its principal use however, is in the Divine
Office, the Roman Breviary assigning it to Vespers from
the Saturday before Passion Sunday daily to Maundy
Thursday, and to Vespers of feast of the Exaltation of
the Holy Cross (September 14), and in pre-Vatican II
breviary also for the feast of the Finding (May 3), and
of the Triumph of the Holy Cross (July 16).
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexilla_regis).
Although originally scored for Voices (SATB) I created
this Arrangement of the "Vexilla regis prodeunt" for
Bassoon Quartet.
