Guillaume de Machaut - Biography
Guilliame de Machaut French composer and poet was born circa 1300 near Champagne and died on April 1377 probably in Rheims. Little is known of his early life, historically we become aware of him as a secretary to a nobleman John the 1st who was a Count in Luxemburg and King of Bohemia from 1323- 1346. Machaut became a priest during his service and besides his musical career he was a well known poet. Machaut’s vast output includes scores of secular songs which he supplied the verses for. The subject of these verses was invariably on the subject of courtly love. His sacred music includes the famous Messe de Notre Dame the first uniformed Mass setting we know of by one composer.
In 1340 Machaut settled in Rheims (in the northeast of France near Belgium) and left the priesthood. In 1346 John the 1st was killed in battle which left Machaut able to pursue an independent career. Machaut served many famous nobles including the future Charles the Fifth of France. Machaut lived a long life considering that he survived the worst years of the plague. He spent his last years compiling and editing his work and died in 1377. Machaut’s death was lamented and noted by the European musical and literary world and considering how primitive medieval communications were this speaks to his celebrity.
Machaut’s reputation was spread far wider then musical scholars when in the mid 1970’s David Monrow recorded his great set The Art of Courtly Love which concentrated on Machaut’s song output. Later on there would be superb recordings from Gothic Voices, Oxford Camerata and the Hilliard Ensemble.
