Pierre Clereau
Encyclopedia
Pierre Clereau was a French composer, choirmaster, and possibly organist of the Renaissance
, active in several towns in Lorraine, including Toul
and Nancy. He wrote both sacred and secular vocal music, in Latin, French, and Italian. Among his many compositions is a Requiem
mass, as well as some sacred songs influenced by the Huguenot
psalm style; he is not known, however, to have converted to Protestantism
.
in 1539. One of these same songs was also published simultaneously in Paris, and attributed to the young Pierre Certon
, a composer with a similar musical style as well as a similar name.
Two other possible posts are known for Clereau: he is mentioned as an organist in Toul in 1558, and he also held a post at the church of St. George's in Nancy from some time in the 1550s until his death, which occurred between 1567 and 1570. René, Marquis of Elbeuf
, was a patron and supporter of Clereau, and assisted in the publication of his work by the prestigious, and monopolistic, royal printers of Le Roy & Ballard in Paris.
settings, a Requiem mass, motet
s, Cantiques spirituels (spiritual songs: chansons with sacred texts), and numerous chanson
s. Unusually for a French composer, he also composed Italian madrigal
s.
Clereau wrote his masses in an imitative
style. These works are all parody mass
es, and are based on motets by Pierre Certon
, Thomas Crecquillon
and Jean Maillard
. His other sacred music, particularly the Cantiques spirituels, shows the influence of the Huguenots, the French Protestant composers of the 16th century, with their simple homophonic
textures and melodic line in the topmost voice; in addition, one of them uses a tune taken from the Genevan Psalter
, an extremely unusual thing for a Roman Catholic composer to do during the Wars of Religion
. Some of these may have been written before the outbreak of the war in 1562.
His secular music either uses the imitative style of the first generation of Parisian chanson writers, especially for older texts, or the more current homophonic style for settings of more recent verse. As with many of the chanson composers of the time, he liked setting the poetry of Pierre de Ronsard
. Most of his secular chansons are for three voices; his Cantiques spirituels are for four.
Clereau's music was published both in Lyons and Paris.
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
, active in several towns in Lorraine, including Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
and Nancy. He wrote both sacred and secular vocal music, in Latin, French, and Italian. Among his many compositions is a Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
mass, as well as some sacred songs influenced by the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
psalm style; he is not known, however, to have converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
.
Life
Little is known about his life but what can be read on the title pages of his publications, and found in a few records in cathedral archives in Lorraine. In 1554, he was in Toul working as a choirmaster, as stated on the title page of two volumes of sacred music published by Parisian Nicolas Du Chemin. However, he had a considerably earlier start as a composer, since some of his secular music had been published already in LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in 1539. One of these same songs was also published simultaneously in Paris, and attributed to the young Pierre Certon
Pierre Certon
Pierre Certon was a French composer of the Renaissance. He was a representative of the generation after Josquin and Mouton, and was influential in the late development of the French chanson.-Life:...
, a composer with a similar musical style as well as a similar name.
Two other possible posts are known for Clereau: he is mentioned as an organist in Toul in 1558, and he also held a post at the church of St. George's in Nancy from some time in the 1550s until his death, which occurred between 1567 and 1570. René, Marquis of Elbeuf
René, Marquis of Elbeuf
René of Guise,Marquis d'Elbeuf was the youngest son of Claude, Duke of Guise and Antoinette de Bourbon....
, was a patron and supporter of Clereau, and assisted in the publication of his work by the prestigious, and monopolistic, royal printers of Le Roy & Ballard in Paris.
Music and influence
Clereau wrote only vocal music, or perhaps only vocal music has survived. He wrote both sacred and secular music, including massMass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
settings, a Requiem mass, motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s, Cantiques spirituels (spiritual songs: chansons with sacred texts), and numerous chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
s. Unusually for a French composer, he also composed Italian madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
s.
Clereau wrote his masses in an imitative
Imitation (music)
In music, imitation is when a melody in a polyphonic texture is repeated shortly after its first appearance in a different voice, usually at a different pitch. The melody may vary through transposition, inversion, or otherwise, but retain its original character...
style. These works are all parody mass
Parody mass
A parody mass is a musical setting of the mass, typically from the 16th century, that uses multiple voices of another pre-existing piece of music, such as a fragment of a motet or a secular chanson, as part of its melodic material. It is distinguished from the two other most prominent types of...
es, and are based on motets by Pierre Certon
Pierre Certon
Pierre Certon was a French composer of the Renaissance. He was a representative of the generation after Josquin and Mouton, and was influential in the late development of the French chanson.-Life:...
, Thomas Crecquillon
Thomas Crecquillon
Thomas Crecquillon was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is considered to be a member of the Netherlands school. While his place of birth is unknown, it was probably within the region loosely known at the time as the Netherlands, and he probably died at Béthune.-Biography:Very...
and Jean Maillard
Jean Maillard
Jean Maillard was a French composer of the Renaissance.While little is known with certainty about his life, he may have been associated with the French royal court, since he wrote at least one motet for them. Most likely he lived and worked in Paris, based on evidence of his print editions, which...
. His other sacred music, particularly the Cantiques spirituels, shows the influence of the Huguenots, the French Protestant composers of the 16th century, with their simple homophonic
Homophony
In music, homophony is a texture in which two or more parts move together in harmony, the relationship between them creating chords. This is distinct from polyphony, in which parts move with rhythmic independence, and monophony, in which all parts move in parallel rhythm and pitch. A homophonic...
textures and melodic line in the topmost voice; in addition, one of them uses a tune taken from the Genevan Psalter
Genevan psalter
The Genevan Psalter is a collection of metrical psalms created under the supervision of John Calvin.-Background:Before the Protestant Reformation the singing of the Psalms was generally done by a select group of performers, not by the entire congregation. John Calvin understood that the entire...
, an extremely unusual thing for a Roman Catholic composer to do during the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. Some of these may have been written before the outbreak of the war in 1562.
His secular music either uses the imitative style of the first generation of Parisian chanson writers, especially for older texts, or the more current homophonic style for settings of more recent verse. As with many of the chanson composers of the time, he liked setting the poetry of Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard was a French poet and "prince of poets" .-Early life:...
. Most of his secular chansons are for three voices; his Cantiques spirituels are for four.
Clereau's music was published both in Lyons and Paris.