Donemus Webwinkel — Mantua, Jacquet de

Jacquet de Mantua was a French composer of the Renaissance era. He was born as Jacques Colebault in Vitré, France, in 1483. He went to Italy when he was still very young. He studied and worked in Modena for the Rangoni family and later in Ferrara at the d’Este court, where he enjoyed a close friendship with Adrian Willaert, the founder of the Venetian School.
In 1520 he moved to Mantua, where he spent the rest of his life. Hence the name ‘de Mantua’. This name is spelled in many different ways, as is his first name, depending on the source: Giaches, Jiaches, Jachet, Jacques, Jacquet, and de Mantua or de Mantoue.
In Mantua he became maestro di cappella at the cathedral of the Saints Peter and Paul; his employer was Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga, who was the president of the Council of Trent, and the most fervent supporter of the Counter-Reformation.
In 1558 he retired and after his death in 1559 his family got a pension from Cardinal Ercole.
Jacquet de Mantua wrote mostly sacred vocal music according to the new rules of the Council of Trent: relatively simple music with texts always easy to follow. His music shows the transitional polyphonic style between Josquin and Palestrina. In contrast to the prevailing polyphonic structure there are occasional homophonic sections. He uses the common - for that time - imitation style, but sometimes he is very inventive in applying unusual variations on the underlying theme.
He was very prolific: he wrote more than 20 masses, over 100 sacred motets, more than 25 secular motets, several Magnificats, psalms and hymns. Only a few secular works (e.g. Canamus et bibamus) have survived.
Cees Wagemarkers, 2017