Clement Janequin

Full biography Clement Janequin

Clément Janequin (c. 1485 - 1558) was a French composer of the Renaissance. He is best known for his chansons, a French genre of part-songs that were popular during his time. Janequin was considered one of the leading chanson composers of the 16th century, alongside Claudin de Sermisy.

Janequin's compositions were known for their programmatic nature, featuring sound imitations of nature, battles, and everyday life. His most famous chanson is "Le Chant des Oiseaux" (The Song of the Birds), which imitates the sounds of various birds in a lively and colorful manner.

Janequin served as choirmaster at the Cathedral of Angers from 1534-1549 before moving to Paris , where he worked as a musician at the royal court of Henry II. Despite his success as a chanson composer, Janequin wrote very little liturgical music and composed only two masses during his lifetime.

Today , Janequin is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential French composers of the Renaissance period. His style had a significant influence on other composers, including the Italian madrigalists and German composers such as Johann Walter and Hans Leo Hassler. Janequin's chansons remain popular today and are frequently performed by choral groups and vocal ensembles around the world.