Jean Titelouze

Full biography Jean Titelouze

Jean Titelouze was a French composer known for his influential role in the development of organ music during the early Baroque period. Born around 1563 in Saint-Omer, he spent most of his life in Rouen, where he served as an organist at the cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Titelouze's most important contribution to the history of music was his pioneering work in organ tablature, which was a system of notation developed specifically for the organ. Prior to Titelouze, organ music was typically written in plainchant notation, which was unsuited to the complexities of the organ repertoire.

Titelouze's tablature system allowed composers to notate specific stops, ornaments, and other nuances of organ music, which helped to establish the organ as a more prominent and expressive instrument. Titelouze himself was a prolific composer for the organ, with his surviving works consisting mainly of hymns, antiphons, and liturgical pieces.

Despite his importance to the development of organ music, Titelouze's music fell into obscurity after his death in 1633. It was not until the modern revival of early music in the mid-twentieth century that scholars began to appreciate his contributions to the repertoire. Today, his music is still performed and studied by organists and historians alike, with many considering him to be one of the most important composers of the early Baroque period.