Jean Titelouze

Jean (or Jehan) Titelouze is a french organist of the baroque. He was born, probably in 1563, in Saint-Omer and he died in Rouen on october 25 1633. He is generally considered the founder of the french organ school.

His father was a street musician. Jean came to Rouen at the age of 20, and he spent his whole life in this town. He became organist at Saint Jean church in 1585, then titular organist of the cathedral in 1588. This instrument was, in this time, one of the most brilliant ones in whole France so we may assume that Titelouze, only 25 years old, was a very good musician

He became one of the cathedral chapter's canons in 1610 and got a great reputation as a composer, teacher, expert in organ making, music theorist and organist. He taught numerous pupils and he was a friend of the great music scholar Marin Mersenne. They exchanged many letters and he gave advices to him, for writing his main work l'Harmonie Universelle published from 1634 to 1637.

His work consists in 2 organ music books, the very first ones in the XVII century France. He is very mch less fanciful than Girolamo Frescobaldi. But his music shows a great knowledge of harmony, counterpoint, a skillful polyphony, a monumental and severe character.

1624 : Hymns of the Catholic Church

• Ad coenam
• Veni creator
• Pange lingua
• Ut queant laxis
• Ave maris stella
• Conditor alme siderum
• A solis ortus
• Exsultet coelum
• Annue Christe
• Sanctorum meritis
• Iste confessor
• Urbs Jerusalem

1626 : Magnificat

• Et exsultavit
• Quia respexit
• Et misericordia
• Deposuit potentes
• Suscepit Israel
• Gloria Patri et Filio.

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