# 1500s in music

The first decade of the 16th century marked the creation of some significant compositions. These were to become some of the most famous compositions of the century.

## Events

* 1501:
** April 28 – Bartolomeo Tromboncino receives an unhelpful letter of reference from Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, after abandoning his position at the Mantua court without permission for the second time.
** May – Francisco de Peñalosa receives an increase in salary to 30,000 maravedis, the maximum paid to a singer-chaplain in the royal chapel of Ferdinand II of Aragon.
** June 1 – Antoine Brumel is hired as a singer at the court of Philibert II, Duke of Savoy at Chambéry.
** September – Jean Mouton begins a short tenure at the collegiate church of St André in Grenoble, teaching plainchant and polyphony to choirboys.
** October 16 – Nikolaus Decius matriculates at Leipzig University.
** exact date unknown – Robert Fayrfax graduates with a MusB at Cambridge University.
* 1502:
** June 1 – Antoine de Longueval joins the chapel of Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, at a salary half again higher than any other singer.
** exact date unknown – Adam of Fulda matriculates at the newly founded University of Wittenberg
* 1503: Pierre de la Rue, Alexander Agricola and Henry Bredemers travel to Heidelberg with the Habsburg court, where they most probably meet Arnolt Schlick.
* April 1503: Josquin des Prez leaves France and is employed by Ercole d'Este I in Ferrara; he leaves for Condé-sur-l'Escaut in April 1504.
* 1504:
** May 3 – Josquin des Prez arrives in Condé-sur-l'Escaut to assume the post of Provost of the collegiate church of Notre Dame, recently vacated by Pierre Duwez.
** Jacob Obrecht succeeds Josquin des Prez as maestro di capella in Ferrara.
* June 1505: After the death of Ercole d'Este and the succession of Alfonso I as Duke of Ferrara, Obrecht finds himself unemployed, but before he can secure another post, contracts the plague and dies scarcely a month after his employer.
* 1506:
** June 5 – Heinrich Glarean begins his studies at the University of Cologne.
** June 19 – On the recommendation of Emperor Maximilian I, Hans Buchner is appointed organist of the cathedral of Konstanz.
** exact date unknown – Antoine Brumel settles in Ferrara, replacing Jacob Obrecht (who died in July 1505) at Alfonso I's court.
* 1507: Paul Hofhaimer settles in Augsburg, where he could be closer to Roman emperor Maximilian I whom he served as organist

## Publications

* 1501: Harmonice musices odhecaton A, the first printed collection of polyphonic music, published by Ottaviano Petrucci in Venice. It was followed by two more volumes, in 1502 and 1503.
* 1502: Josquin des Prez – Misse Josquin, published by Ottaviano Petrucci, including the Missa L'homme armé super voces musicales
* 1503:
** Antoine Brumel – 4 Masses for four voices (Venice: Ottaviano Petricci)
** Johannes Ghiselin – Misse Ioannis Ghiselin for four voices (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci)
** Jacob Obrecht – Misse Obrecht for four voices (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci)
** Pierre de la Rue – Misse Petri de la Rue for four voices (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci)
** Gregoire – Ave verum corpus/Ecce panis angelorum/Bone pastor/O salutaris hostia, motet for four voices (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci)
* 1504: Alexander Agricola – Misse Alexandri agricole (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci)
* 1507: Francesco Spinacino – Intabolatura de lauto (two volumes), the earliest known publication of lute music
* 1508: Joan Ambrosio Dalza – Intabolatura de lauto libro quarto, published by Ottaviano Petrucci, including the earliest known publication of music for the pavane
* 1509: Franciscus Bossinensis – First book of Tenori e contrabassi intabulati col sopran in canto figurato per cantar e sonar col lauto (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci)

## Compositions

* 1501: Loyset Compère – Gaude prole regia/Sancta Catharina, ceremonial motet for five voices, written for the reception of Duke Philip the Fair, in his capacity of Governor of the Netherlands, in Paris on November 25.
* 1502: Josquin des Prez – Salve regina, for five voices.
* 1503–04: Josquin des Prez
** Miserere mei Deus (Psalm 50/51), for five voices
** Virgo salutiferi (motet)
* 1504: August – Bartolomeo Tromboncino, "Sì è debile il filo", frottola, and the earliest known setting of a Petrarchan canzone; later published in Petrucci's seventh book of frottolas (Venice, 1507).
* 1507: Heinrich Isaac – Virgo prudentissima, motet for six voices

## Births

* 1500:
** November 3, Benvenuto Cellini, cornettist and recorder player, best known as a goldsmith and sculptor (died February 13, 1571)
** probable
*** Arnold von Bruck, Franco-Flemish composer (died 1554)
*** Cristóbal de Morales, Spanish composer (died 1553)
* 1502: July 27 – Francesco Corteccia, Italian composer (died 1571)
* c. 1505
** Thomas Tallis, English composer (died 1585)
** Christopher Tye, English composer and organist (died c. 1572)
* c. 1507: Jacques Arcadelt, Franco-Flemish composer (died 1568)

## Deaths

* 1500: estimated – John Browne, English composer of music from the Eton Choirbook (born c. 1453)
* 1501: February 17 – Stephan Plannck, German music printer active in Italy (born c. 1457)
* 1505
** date unknown – Adam of Fulda, German composer and theoretician (born c. 1445; plague)
** July – Jacob Obrecht, Flemish composer (born 1457 or 1458; plague)
* 1506:
** May 2 – Johannes von Soest, German composer (born 1448)
** August 15 – Alexander Agricola, Flemish composer (born c. 1445; plague)
* 1507: late February – Francisco de la Torre, Spanish composer (possibly plague)