| Popis: |
The five-volume Novi atque Catholici thesauri musici (Novus Thesaurus), compiled by Pietro Giovanelli and issued in 1568 by the Venetian publishing firm of Antonio Gardano, stands as one of the most important collections of Renaissance motets. Its 254 motets by at least thirty-two different composers provide a rich sampling of liturgical vocal polyphony from the Habsburg court chapels in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, and Prague. Michael Des Buissons was one of the two most prolific composers represented in the collection, and yet, he has remained a mysterious figure to scholars. Over thirty manuscript collections of the late sixteenth century bearing his pieces and a print dedicated entirely to his works attest that Des Buissons must have enjoyed some popularity in his own time; yet today, little is known of his life, and only six of his twenty-six motets in the Novus Thesaurus have been transcribed into modern editions. He may not have been among the more adventurous composers of the sixteenth century, but he was a skilled musician who worked well within established conventions and produced a sizeable body of surviving works that offer a glimpse into the day-to-day music of the Imperial chapel. As more of the music of the Novus Thesaurus is transcribed and becomes available to scholars, it will be possible to trace the broader stylistic musical currents in favor at the Habsburg courts of the mid-to-late sixteenth century, and to understand Des Buissonss artistic position within the repertory. In the meantime, I have prepared modern critical editions of six of Des Buissonss six-voice motets published in the Novus Thesaurus, complementing them with my own observations and analysis. |
