Jean Mouton
Jean Mouton (1459–1522) was a French composer, whose output comprises mostly motets—there are about a hundred extant—plus masses, magnificats, and some secular songs. Not much is known of his life, but at the turn of the century he entered the service of Queen Anne of Brittany, wife of Louis XII, until her death in 1514, at which time he joined the king’s chapel, serving Louis XII and his successor François I. His music is remarkable in its smoothness and short but very sharp and clear melodies. As is the case much later with G.F. Handel, Mouton set much of his text with the accent on the wrong syllable, since his chief concern was not with text expression but rather with musical design.
Vocal Works Performed by the San Francisco Bach Choir
