Mathieu Gascongne

(fl. 1518? -1529)


French composer. A priest at Cambrai in 1518, he probably served François I, and composed nearly ten Masses, about twenty motets, two Magnificats and more than fifteen chansons, some published in anthologies. His style is closer to that of his Franco-Flemish than his French contemporaries, and, unlike theirs, his chansons and a Mass on de la Rue's Pourquoi non are in a serious vein. Prints, manuscripts, and references to his name and to his music suggest that he was highly regarded in his time.





IVI: The French Chanson