Jacques Arcadelt (also Jacob Arcadelt; c. 1507
– 14 October 1568) was a Franco-Flemish composer of
the Renaissance, active in both Italy and France, and
principally known as a composer of secular vocal music.
Although he also wrote sacred vocal music, he was one
of the most famous of the early composers of madrigals;
his first book of madrigals, published within a decade
of the appearance of the earliest examples of the form,
was the most widely printed collection of madrigals of
the ent...(+)
Jacques Arcadelt (also Jacob Arcadelt; c. 1507
– 14 October 1568) was a Franco-Flemish composer of
the Renaissance, active in both Italy and France, and
principally known as a composer of secular vocal music.
Although he also wrote sacred vocal music, he was one
of the most famous of the early composers of madrigals;
his first book of madrigals, published within a decade
of the appearance of the earliest examples of the form,
was the most widely printed collection of madrigals of
the entire era. In addition to his work as a
madrigalist, and distinguishing him from the other
prominent early composers of madrigals – Philippe
Verdelot and Costanzo Festa – he was equally prolific
and adept at composing chansons, particularly late in
his career when he lived in Paris.
Arcadelt was the most influential member of the early
phase of madrigal composition, the "classic" phase; it
was through Arcadelt's publications, more than those of
any other composer, that the madrigal became known
outside of Italy. Later composers considered Arcadelt's
style to represent an ideal; later reprints of his
first madrigal book were often used for teaching, with
reprints appearing more than a century after its
original publication.
This piece was arranged by Pierre-Louis Dietsch from
the original chanson "Nous voyons que les hommes"
composed by Jacob Arcadelt for female voices. The bass
part in particular is entirely Dietsch's work. Various
editors have changed barlines, note lengths, and word
underlay to reflect what they considered correct Latin
word stress.