Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 probably in Kent, other sources indicate Leicestershire, † November 23, 1585 in Greenwich ) was an English composer of sacred, mostly vocal music at the time of the English Reformation.
Life and work
About his early life is as good as nothing is known. In any case, his work as organist at the Benedictine Abbey Waltham north of London for the years 1532 to 1540, the year of the dissolution of the monastery by Henry VIII, occupied. After a short time at the Cathedral of Canterbury, he was appointed " Gentleman of the Chapel Royal" - so named " Gentleman" of the Royal Chapel; an office (or better an award ), which he continued the next forty years.
Note the orientation of its sacred compositions during and especially after the Reformation. Had he previously created Latin Masses and motets, that works for the Catholic liturgy, he now composed for the Protestant service. Nevertheless, he continued to write Latin motets, as well as Christopher Tye (* 1500, † 1572/73 ) did. This was due to the religious reorganization by Elizabeth I related, altered form of worship which, while admitting the music a fixed place, but little artistic development opportunities. In order to continue to work on technical standards and artistic appeal of his music, he remained faithful to the Catholic motet. ( A Protestant counterpart of the motet is the Anthem dar. ) An example of a Latin composition according to the religious reorganization of England are the Lamentations of Jeremiah, which are probably a late work by Tallis. For new Latin Masses, however, there was however no more use. Under this pressure had Tallis ' composer colleague John Taverner (c. 1495, † 1545 ) given up composing.
The most important student Tallis, William Byrd, who in 1570 also appointed " Gentleman of the Chapel " and together with Tallis exercised organist. Both were in 1575 transferred the monopoly to print music, as well as writings on music together. Together they released the Queen Elizabeth I dedicated collection of motets Cantiones quae from argumento sacrae vocantur to which both contributed each 17 plants. Tallis and Byrd remained on friendly terms up to Tallis's death. As a tribute to his deceased teacher Byrd composed shortly after his death, the song Ye sacred Muses.
Imitation is one of those counterpoint techniques at Tallis - is in the foreground - as well as his contemporaries. Examples are his early, based on its own motet Salve intemerata fair that Lamentations of Jeremiah and the fasting motet In iejunio.
Two keyboard works - intended primarily for security with the interpretation on the organ - found under the name of Felix namque inclusion in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. This is disrespectful as "Monster works" designated variation sequences that interpret the elongated note values of the cantus firmus in new contrapuntal, imitative and experimental rhythmic figures about much rampant, from the older music criticism ( Willi Apel ).
Remains alive the spirit of Thomas Tallis ' in the music of Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), based on Tallis ' based setting of the second Psalm Tunes for Archbishop Parker's from the Psalter.
Spem in alium
The work which is directly connected with the name Thomas Tallis, one of the few large-scale vocal monumental works of music history: Spem in alium, a motet on the text of the deuterocanonical or apocryphal Book of Judith. Not less than 40 independent, noted vocal parts form a complex work that is unique in this form. Five different voices resound in eight choirs, the one may be, according to the contemporary practice imagine placed at specific locations in the church. The musicology implies the creation of the motet in connection with the 40th birthday of Queen Elizabeth I in the year from 1573. Probably served as a model, the 40 - part motet Ecce beatam lucem by Alessandro Striggio the Elder.
Others
- In the English television series The Tudors Thomas Tallis by Joe Van Moyland is embodied.