Johannes de Sarto (EN)

Johannes de Sarto, clergyman, canon, and composer active around 1390–1440. References about him can be found in documents of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist in Liège, dating back to the years 1401, 1404, and 1405. Johannes is mentioned in the text of the motet Romanorum rex, that was possibly wrongly ascribed to Johannes Brassart. This composition, written on the occasion of the death of Albert II of Germany (1439) also mentions the “cantores” (Brassart, Adam, Tirion, Martin Galer), who presumably belonged to the court ensemble of the deceased king. Johannes may also have been a member of this ensemble.

Johannes’ works belong to the trend of Latin compositions with liturgical texts (destined in this case for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pentecost, and Christmas Day), from which originated one of the basic types of early Renaissance motet, the so-called motet-chanson. Features of his works are monotextuality, discant-tenor framework with a highest singing voice supported by tenor and countertenor; occasionally (in two introits) a fauxbourdon technique is used. Despite the clear diversification of the functions of the voices (countermelody of vocal descant accompanying the lower voices), sometimes all of the voices are connected by shared motifs of imitation, suggesting the beginnings of a tendency towards equalizing the voices in composition and their vocalization. Moreover, imitation has to be considered a characteristic feature of Johannes’ compositional technique; it is more frequent in his works than in other works from the first half of the 15th century. However, the complex rhythms of Johannes’ works indicate a reference to the stylistics of late medieval polyphony.

Literature: L. Lahaye Inventaire analytique des chartes de la collégiate de Saint-Jean l’Evangéliste à Liège, Brussels 1921–31; G. de Van A Recently Discovered Source of Early Fifteenth Century Polyphonic Music, „Musica Disciplina” II, 1948; G. de Van An Inventory of Manuscript Bologna, Liceo Musicale, Q 15 (olim 37), „Musica Disciplina” II, 1948; H. Besseler Bourdon und Fauxbourdon, Studien zum Ursprung der niederländischen Musik, Leipzig 1950, 2nd edition 1974; G. Reaney The Manuscript Oxford Bodleian Library, Canonici mise. 213, „Musica Disciplina” IX, 1955; K.E. Mixter Johannes Brassart. A Biographical and Bibliographical Study, „Musica Disciplina” XVIII, XIX, 1964, 1965; C. Wright Dufay at Cambrai. Discoveries and Revisions, „Journal of the American Musicological Society” XXVIII, 1975 No. 2.