Product Description

Jacobus Clemens (15? 1555) is one of the greatest polyphonists of 16th century Flanders. But this CD is more than a CD devoted to Clemens' works. The recording is an integral part of the more broadly-conceived festival Townscape - Scoundscape / Sounds of the city of Louvain from the 16th century, in which attention is primarily focused on Petrus Phalesius, the Louvain music publisher and on musical life in the oldest university town of the Netherlands. Clemens was the composer whose name appeared the most in Phalesius' publications, next to Thomas Crecquillon who was also strongly represented in music published in Louvain. Works by Clemens non Papa are therefore combined with songs by Crecquillon and a selection of the highly varied array of instrumental music that came off Phalesius' presses. This CD offers an image of the colourful supply of polyphonic music that was to be heard both inside and out in Louvain and elsewhere in the Low Countries halfway through the 16th century.