Jacobus Clemens non Papa (also Jacques Clément or Jacob Clemens non Papa) (… Read Full Bio ↴Jacobus Clemens non Papa (also Jacques Clément or Jacob Clemens non Papa) (c. 1510 to 1515 – 1555 or 1556) was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He was a prolific composer in many of the current styles, and was especially famous for his polyphonic settings of the psalms in Dutch known as the Souterliedekens.
Nothing is known of his early life, and even the details of the years of his artistic maturity are sketchy. 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 1530s, when Pierre Attaingnant published a collection of his chansons in Paris. Between March 1544 and June 1545 he worked at the Bruges cathedral, 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 1545 until 1549 he was probably choirmaster at the court of Charles V, where he preceded Nicolas Gombert. In 1550 he was employed by the Marian Brotherhood in 's-Hertogenbosch. Other towns in which he may have lived and worked include Ieper, Dordrecht, and Leiden.
His nickname "non Papa" was jokingly added to distinguish him either from the contemporaneous Pope Clement VII — "Jacob Clemens — but not the Pope" — or from the poet Jacobus Papa, also from Ieper. It is possible also that the name reflected Protestant sympathies on Clemens' part.
Details about his death are not known, but he probably died in 1555 or 1556. The 1558 text for a lament on his death composed by Jacobus Vaet implies that he was killed, though if true, the circumstances are not given. According to a 1644 source, Clemens was buried at Diksmuide near Ieper in present-day Belgium.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Clemens seems never to have traveled to Italy, with the result that Italian influence is absent in his music; he represents the northern European dialect of the Franco-Flemish style.
Clemens was one of the chief representatives of the generation between Josquin and Palestrina and Orlandus Lassus. He was a prolific composer, writing:
* 15 masses, including 14 parody masses and a requiem mass (most of which were published 1555-70 by Pierre Phalèse the Elder in Leuven); two mass sections (a Kyrie and a Credo)
* c. 233 motets
* 80 chansons
* 159 Souterliedekens (published 1556-7 by Tielman Susato in Antwerp), i.e. Dutch settings of the psalms, using popular song melodies as cantus firmus.
Of all these works, the Souterliedekens were perhaps the most widely known and influential. They were the first complete polyphonic settings of all 150 psalms in Dutch. They are generally simple, and designed to be sung by people at home; they use well-known secular tunes, including drinking songs, love songs, ballads, and other popular songs of the time; and most are for three parts. Some are frankly homophonic and homorhythmic, while others use imitation. All parts are texted, usually with one syllable per note.
The influence of Clemens was especially prominent in Germany; Lassus in particular knew his music well and incorporated elements of his style.
Nothing is known of his early life, and even the details of the years of his artistic maturity are sketchy. 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 1530s, when Pierre Attaingnant published a collection of his chansons in Paris. Between March 1544 and June 1545 he worked at the Bruges cathedral, 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 1545 until 1549 he was probably choirmaster at the court of Charles V, where he preceded Nicolas Gombert. In 1550 he was employed by the Marian Brotherhood in 's-Hertogenbosch. Other towns in which he may have lived and worked include Ieper, Dordrecht, and Leiden.
His nickname "non Papa" was jokingly added to distinguish him either from the contemporaneous Pope Clement VII — "Jacob Clemens — but not the Pope" — or from the poet Jacobus Papa, also from Ieper. It is possible also that the name reflected Protestant sympathies on Clemens' part.
Details about his death are not known, but he probably died in 1555 or 1556. The 1558 text for a lament on his death composed by Jacobus Vaet implies that he was killed, though if true, the circumstances are not given. According to a 1644 source, Clemens was buried at Diksmuide near Ieper in present-day Belgium.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Clemens seems never to have traveled to Italy, with the result that Italian influence is absent in his music; he represents the northern European dialect of the Franco-Flemish style.
Clemens was one of the chief representatives of the generation between Josquin and Palestrina and Orlandus Lassus. He was a prolific composer, writing:
* 15 masses, including 14 parody masses and a requiem mass (most of which were published 1555-70 by Pierre Phalèse the Elder in Leuven); two mass sections (a Kyrie and a Credo)
* c. 233 motets
* 80 chansons
* 159 Souterliedekens (published 1556-7 by Tielman Susato in Antwerp), i.e. Dutch settings of the psalms, using popular song melodies as cantus firmus.
Of all these works, the Souterliedekens were perhaps the most widely known and influential. They were the first complete polyphonic settings of all 150 psalms in Dutch. They are generally simple, and designed to be sung by people at home; they use well-known secular tunes, including drinking songs, love songs, ballads, and other popular songs of the time; and most are for three parts. Some are frankly homophonic and homorhythmic, while others use imitation. All parts are texted, usually with one syllable per note.
The influence of Clemens was especially prominent in Germany; Lassus in particular knew his music well and incorporated elements of his style.
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Pater peccavi
Jacobus Clemens non Papa Lyrics
No lyrics text found for this track.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
Yiannis K
I hear this particular piece everytime I want a way out of daily stress...It works out wonderfully!
1PapaElk
I think this performance has been shared before, but I am thankful that you shared it again. It is a balm of prayer to merciful God.
Patrick Bradley
Now thought to be the work of Clemens' contemporary Thomas Crecquillon (c.1505 - c.1557). The Tallis Scholars now attribute this very recording to Crecquillon.
Argus Panoptes
Clemens non Papa or Crecquillon you can't fault it . Perfection especially when sung by The Tallis Scholars
LA COLOMBE
JACOBUS CLEMENS NON PAPA { MIDDELBURG vers 1510/15~1555/56 DIXMUDE } « PATER PECCAVI « {1555}} ~ PETER PHILLIPS ~ THE TALLIS SCHOLARS ~ Ensemble vocale créé en 1973 ~. Une merveille de la musique Renaissance, et qu’elle polyphonie, avec ses voix de l’ensemble grandiose bravo. JACOBUS CLEMENS NON PAPA, était un compositeur franco-flamand de la Renaissance très productif dans un très grand nombre de styles, surtout célèbre pour ses versions polyphoniques des psaumes, connus en flamand sous l’appellation SOUTERLIEDEKENS. Plus de cinquante ans après sa mort, son nom apparaît dans la liste de contrapuntistes franco-flamand des Tons et Discours, sur les Modes de Musique de PIERRE MAILLART {1610}. Œuvres sacrées, 15 Messes et 2 fragments, 233 Motets environ, 16 magnificat {2cycles de huit pièces}, quatre Livres de SOUTERLIEDEKENS contenant 160 psaumes à 3 voix sur des mélodies populaires, diverses pièces de musique sacrée dont un psaume en français MESIRICORDE AU PAUVRE VICIEUX, ps. 51 1556, 4 voix, texte de MAROT et une PRIÈRE DEVANT LE REPAS, 4 voix 1570 texte de MAROT. Œuvres profanes 89 chansons françaises de 3 à 6 voix, dont 6 imprimées chez PIERRE ATTAIGNANT {1494~1551/52}, à partir de 1536, les autres parurent à partir de 1545 chez TIELMAN SUSATO {1510/15~1570}, 10 de ses chansons sont signées, 1 de FRANÇOIS 1er, 5 de CLÉMENT MAROT {1496~1544}, 4 de JEAN MAROT {1450~1526}, grands rhétoriqueurs, 8 chansons flamandes, 8 pièces sans texte 2 chansons mises en tablure. Merci pour ce chef-d’œuvre, de JACOBUS CLEMENS NON PAPA grands compositeurs du XVIe siècle, et ce moment de musique de la Renaissance que j’ai beaucoup aimé, et la vidéo sublime.