Johannes Tinctoris
January 1, 1435 - January 1, 1511 (age 75)
Biography
In service, Tinctoris was the master of the choirboys at the Cathedral of Orleans and also taught the choirboys at Chartres Cathedral. He was also in service to King Ferdinand I of Naples in 1472 tutoring the King's daughter and it appears that he remained in Ferdinand's service at least until 1492 when he wrote a poem honoring Pope Alexander VI in Rome. It is not clear whether he left Ferdinand's employ or not. Two of Tinctoris' treatises were published during his lifetime. The most noted was his "Terminorum musicae diffinitorium" which was the first musical dictionary. An interesting treatise, "Complexus effectum musices" addresses musical powers towards healing, morals and religion while other doctrines contend with mensuration, notation, note values and symbols, solmization and methods for writing music. Tinctoris' "Liber de natura et proprietate tonorum" contends with the subject and characteristics of church modes. In these writings he refers to other musicians as well as some of the hallmark figures in music theory. In his treatises, Tinctoris often used examples of music to demonstrate or elucidate his points. Most of them are attributed to named composers but some of the examples remain anon. These are thought to be his own compositions and they indicate a developed and synchronized melodic system with considerable contingencies for proper performance. Some of the examples also contain counterpoint and masses set with cantus firmus. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi
Videos
Close