Gaspar van Weerbeke was one of the most successful Franco-Flemish musicians of the
second half of the fifteenth century. He held prestigious positions at the most important
music institutions of his time: the Sforza court in Milan, the Burgundian court chapel, and
the papal chapel in Rome. His compositions were also highly valued, and he was one of the
best represented composers in the early Italian music prints of Ottaviano Petrucci. In some
contemporary documents, he was placed at the same level as Josquin des Prez, probably the
most important composer of the time.
Despite the high esteem of his contemporaries, Gaspar has up to now played only a
peripheral role in Renaissance music historiography. This has been primarily due to the lack
of a complete critical edition, which made the breadth and quality of his work difficult to
perceive. With the edition nearing completion, there are a wide range of research prospects
now available for the first time, and Gaspar need no longer remain in the shadow of his
contemporaries Heinrich Isaac, Jacob Obrecht, and Josquin.
This book is the first collection of research articles dedicated exclusively to the work of
Gaspar. It consists of contributions from Renaissance music specialists, discussing various
aspects of the life and work of this composer. Biographical details, previously considered
certain, are reassessed and clarified with new documentary evidence, resulting in a more
differentiated and complex picture of Gaspars life. Studies on the reception history of his
works, insights into the style and composition of his masses and motets, and relationships to
other music of the time help to explain and illuminate his sacred compositions. The book
closes with critical contributions on his relatively small quantity of secular music, most of
which are concerned with questions of authorship.
In 1837 the Belgian music historian François-Joseph Fétis, informed by national pride but
without sufficient knowledge of the sources, wrote that Gaspars style is hardly
differentiable from other major composers of his time. Thankfully, we are today able to
recognize that this superficial judgment was in no way deserved. This book seeks to promote
further research on this composer and place him in his appropriate place in music history.