Rener, Reiner, Reyner, von Lüttich, Adam, *ca. 1485 Liège, Dutch composer. Around 1498, he stayed in Innsbruck as a chorister in the court band of Emperor Maximilian I; in 1500, he was sent from there to study in Burgundy, and after his return in 1503, he took up the position of composer. From 1507, he spent at least 10 years in Torgau in the service of Frederick the Wise, Saxon Elector, contributing to raising the standard of the musical ensemble and modernising its repertoire. A mention of Rener’s stay in Altenburg at the court of the same prince dates from 1520.
Rener’s works are stylistically close to those of H. Isaac, another Dutchman working in Germany, whose influence can be seen, among other things, in the Carminum Mass (modelled on Isaac’s analogous composition) and in his penchant for arranging proprium missae chants. Apart from the mass Adieu mes amours, which is a parody of Josquin des Prés’ chanson, almost all of Rener’s compositions are based on fixed melodies. The faithful quotation of the chorale in the highest voice in his arrangements of the mass proprium connects Rener with his contemporary German composers: S. Dietrich and B. Ducis.
Literature: Th.W. Werner Die Magnificat-Kompositionen Adam Reners, “Archiv für Musikwissenschaft” II, 1920; R.L. Parker The Polyphonic Lieder of Adam Rener: A Postcript to Recent Studies of the Composer’s Work, in the commemorative book of P.A. Piska, ed. J. Glowacki, Austin 1966; T.L. Noblitt Obrecht’s Missa Sine nomine and its recently discovered model, “The Musical Quarterly” LXVIII, 1 1982; J. Heidrich Die deutschen Chorbücher aus der Hofkapelle Friedrichs des Wiesen: ein Beitrag zur mitteldeutschen geistlichen Musikpraxis um 1500, Baden-Baden 1993.
Editions:
Adam Rener. The Motets and Adam Rener. The Magnificats, ed. R.L. Parker, «Collected Works» II, vols. 1–2, Brooklyn 1964, 1976
2 songs ed. R. Eitner and J J. Maier in Liederbuch zu vier Stimmen, «Publikationen Älterer Praktischer und Theoretischer Musikwerke der Gesellschaft für Musikforschung» IX, Leipzig 1880
psalms, responsories ed. H.J. Moser and Magnificat ed. P. Bunjes, in: G. Rhau. Musikdrucke, vols. 4 and 5, Kassel 1960 and 1970
Mass Carminum ed. J. Kindermann, «Das Chorwerk» CI, Wolfenbüttel 1966
Compositions:
(preserved in manuscripts, including Jena, Vienna, Munich, and collective prints from 1512–45)
religious:
9 masses for 4 voices and preserved incomplete Credo for 4 voices
4 arrangements of Mass Propers for 4 voices (3 for Nativity, 1 for Epiphany)
3 introits for 4 voices
3 versus alleluiatici for 4 voices
4 sequences (two for 4 voices, 1 for 5 voices and one for 6 voices)
hymn for 3 voices
responsory for 4 voices
Magnificats for 4 voices in 8 tones
4 psalms for 4 voices
hymn of uncertain authorship
secular:
3 German songs for 4 voices
