Clemens non papa biography

Nothing is known of his early life, and even the details of the years of his artistic maturity are sketchy.

Clemens non papa biography: Jacobus Clemens non Papa

He may have been born in Middelburg , Zeeland , though the evidence is contradictory; certainly he was from somewhere in modern Belgium or the Netherlands. The first unambiguous reference to him is from the late s, when Pierre Attaingnant published a collection of his chansons in Paris. Between March and June he worked as succentor at the cathedral of Bruges , and shortly thereafter he began a business relationship with Tielman Susato , the publisher in Antwerp , which was to last for the rest of his life.

From until he was probably choirmaster to Philippe de Croy , Duke of Aerschot, one of Charles V 's greatest generals, where he preceded Nicolas Gombert. In he was employed as sanger ende componist "singer and composer" by the Marian Brotherhood in 's-Hertogenbosch. There is also evidence that he lived and worked in Ypres and Leiden. It is speculated on slender evidence that he also worked in Dordrecht.

There are several theories regarding the origin of the epithet "non Papa". However, considering that Pope Clemens VII died in , before any of Clemens's music was published, and that the confusion with the poet is unlikely in that the surnames were quite distinct, it is likely that the nickname was merely created in jest rather than for practical reasons.

Nonetheless, the suffix has remained throughout the ages. Details about his death are not known, but he probably died in or