Jacob Regnart

Jakob Regnart (* 1540-1545 in Douai, † October 16, 1599 in Prague), alternative spelling Regnart Jacob, was a Franco- Flemish composer of the Renaissance, the first as a choir boy, then as a singer and finally as Kapellmeister since his youth service of various Roman- German emperor stood.

Life

Regnart Jacob was born about 1540 in the then Flemish Douai as a family of musicians. According to his own testimony, he was already in 1557 as a choirboy in Habsburg service, most likely in the Vaet by Jacobus ( 1529-67 ) led the Prague court chapel of the Archduke and later Emperor Maximilian II; 1560 in any case prove Hofzahlamtsrechnungen Maximilians same place his work as a tenor.

When Maximilian in 1564 succeeded his father, Ferdinand I., Regnart followed him to Vienna at the Imperial Court Chapel. Regnart was also among the musicians, the Maximilian II in 1566 led to the Diet of Augsburg with it. 1568 led by an approximately two-year study trip to Italy, probably returned from Regnart in October 1570. As of November 1, 1570, he assumed the office of preceptor of the choirboys at the court chapel.

Died in 1576 Emperor Maximilian II and Regnart entered the service of his son and successor Rudolf II in 1579, he is attested as Vice-Kapellmeister in Prague, where he became the successor Alard Gaucquiers ( 1534-82 ).

A mediated by his countryman Orlando di Lasso reputation to the Saxon court in Dresden, he refused, but was in the service of the Archduke Ferndinands II in Innsbruck, where he became the successor of the 1581 deceased Alexander Utendal first as Vice-Kapellmeister, then as Kapellmeister since 1582. Under Regnart learned the Innsbruck court orchestra both a quantitative and qualitative growth. Through the dedication of numerous Italian and especially Dutch singer the size of the court orchestra in 1594 was increased to 32 singers and 15 instrumentalists. In 1596 he was knighted for his services by Archduke Matthias.

After the death of his employer in 1595, he returned in 1596 back to the Prague court of Emperor Rudolf II, where he is attested until his death in 1599 as Vice-Kapellmeister under Philippe de Monte.

Work

Are obtained from Jakob Regnart 37 fairs, 195 motets, and two books canzoni italiane. But he became famous not least because of its three-part German songs in the manner of " the Neapolitanen or welschen villanelles ", which were first in 1576, 1577 and 1579, printed in three parts in Nuremberg. Regnart contemporary Leonhard Lechner (ca. 1553-1606 ), who was since 1575 in Nuremberg, edited Regnart songs, including by having them enlarged to five votes.