Born:
Born about 1440
Birthplace:
Uncertain, possibly at Condé-sur-L'Escaut in Belgium.
Died:
August 27, 1521 in Condé-sur-L'Escaut
Also known as:
Flemish composer; considered as one of the greatest composers of the high Renaissance.
Type of Compositions:
He wrote sacred and secular vocal music.
Influence:
Believed to have been a chorister at St. Quentin church; he was also a singer at the cathedral in Milan, Italy from 1459 to 1472. In Milan, he served Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza and in 1503, became choirmaster at the chapel of Ercole I, Duke of Ferrara, In 1505, after the duke's death, Desprez became an official of Notre Dame's collegiate church in Condé.
Musical Work:
Among his known works are 112 motets, including La Déploration sur la mort Ockeghem, 20 masses, 6 mass sections and 70 chansons.
Interesting Fact:
Martin Luther was an admirer of Desprez' works and is said to have called the composer "master of the notes."