Rore, Cipriano de

1516-1565

Noted Flemish composer of the Sixteenth Century; born at Mechlin, Flanders; was a pupil of Adrian Willaert, chapelmaster of St. Mark's, Venice. He entered the service of Ercole IV., Duke of Ferrara, about 1550. He visited Antwerp some seven or eight years later, and in 1559 returned to Venice, where he was made assistant chapelmaster to his former  teacher, succeeding the latter on his death in 1563. He remained in this position about a year and a half, then went to Parma to take a similar post at the Ducal Court, where in a few months he died, being then in his fiftieth year. He was highly esteemed as a composer by his contemporaries, and his sacred compositions were frequently performed at the Munich Court Chapel under Lassus. These included motets and masses, three of the latter works being in manuscript at the Munich Library, together with some few motets and madrigals. Five books out of the numerous collections he produced show his use of chromatic progressions, at that time merely a series of novel experiments, considered a sort of  musical heresy. His best work was in the older diatonic forms, comprising also five books. Besides these he published at least four books of motets; one of masses; one of psalms; and a Passion music accordto St. John. Some of his motets and madrigals are reprinted in later collections by Phalese, Susato and others.