Orlande de Lassus

Along with Palestrina, Franco-Flemish composer Orlande de Lassus was the dominant figure of the late Renaissance. Though he composed much sacred music, Lassus was considered second-to-none in the production of secular material: motets, madrigals, French chansons, and German Lieder. Lassus' works were so popular in their time that his music accounts for three-fifths of all music printed in Europe between 1555 and 1600. Lassus was born in Mons and got his start as a choirboy. An often disputed story has the child Lassus kidnapped three times on account of his beautiful singing...