Alexander Utendal
Encyclopedia
Alexander Utendal was a Flemish
composer.
, nowadays a Belgian
city, but at the time part of Flanders
and the Netherlands
which were part of the Holy Roman Empire
. Like many Flemish musicians and composers of his time, he served the Imperial family, the Habsburgs. He began already at a young age as a choirboy at the court of Mary of Hungary
, sister of emperor Charles V and Ferdinand I of the Holy Roman Empire
. She was given the position of Vogt
(regent) of the Netherlands.
In 1564, Utendal became alto
of the court chapel of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol
, another member of the royal Habsburg family. After Ferdinand was made Archduke of Further Austria
in 1564 after his father's death, he moved his court from Prague
(he was the governor of Bohemia
) to Innsbruck
. Utendal followed his master to the Innsbruck court chapel to gain the position of vice chapel master in 1572 (as successor of Jacob Regnart
); he was also in charge of the education of the choir boys.
Until 1581, Utendal worked for Ferdinand II in Innsbruck, where he died. Many of his works are in honour of his master. He even refused the position of chapel master at the court of Dresden
in 1580.
fashion in his compositions, which is typical for the late or High Renaissance
. All the original sacred compositions of Utendal still exist and they are conserved in many archives and libraries throughout Europe. His works were publicised in Nuremberg
, in this time the most important centre of the German music press. Utendal wrote eighty-four motets.
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
composer.
Life
Utendal was a native of GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, nowadays a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
city, but at the time part of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
which were part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. Like many Flemish musicians and composers of his time, he served the Imperial family, the Habsburgs. He began already at a young age as a choirboy at the court of Mary of Hungary
Mary of Hungary
Mary of Anjou was queen regnant of Hungary from 1382 until her death in 1395.-Childhood:...
, sister of emperor Charles V and Ferdinand I of the Holy Roman Empire
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
. She was given the position of Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
(regent) of the Netherlands.
In 1564, Utendal became alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
of the court chapel of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria was ruler of Further Austria including Tirol.-Life account:...
, another member of the royal Habsburg family. After Ferdinand was made Archduke of Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
in 1564 after his father's death, he moved his court from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(he was the governor of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
) to Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
. Utendal followed his master to the Innsbruck court chapel to gain the position of vice chapel master in 1572 (as successor of Jacob Regnart
Jacob Regnart
Jacob Regnart was a Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer. He spent most of his career in Austria and Bohemia, where he wrote both sacred and secular music.-Biography:Regnart was born at Douai...
); he was also in charge of the education of the choir boys.
Until 1581, Utendal worked for Ferdinand II in Innsbruck, where he died. Many of his works are in honour of his master. He even refused the position of chapel master at the court of Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
in 1580.
Music
Due to his position as vice-chapel master he mostly composed sacred works, although there are also two books known with French and German non-sacred songs. In his work the alto (high voice) is almost always the dominant one, maybe because he was an alto himself. He also used the madrigalMadrigal (Trecento)
The Madrigal is an Italian musical form of the 14th century. The form flourished ca. 1300 – 1370 with a short revival near 1400. It was a composition for two voices, sometimes on a pastoral subject...
fashion in his compositions, which is typical for the late or High Renaissance
High Renaissance
The expression High Renaissance, in art history, is a periodizing convention used to denote the apogee of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance...
. All the original sacred compositions of Utendal still exist and they are conserved in many archives and libraries throughout Europe. His works were publicised in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, in this time the most important centre of the German music press. Utendal wrote eighty-four motets.
Publications
- 1570: Septem psalmus poenitentialis a 4 vocibus (by Dieter Gerlach)
- 1571: Sacrae cantiones for four, five, six or more voices
- 1573: Collection of German songs
- 1573: Three masses for five/six voices
- 1573: Acht magnificat for four voices
- 1573: Sacrae cantiones for four, five, six or more voices
- 1574: Collection of French songs
- 1577: Sacrae cantiones for four, five, six or more voices
- 1586: Responsoria