John Dunstaple c. 1390 – 24 December 1453
Ave Maris Stella
By Engraved by R. Rolfe from a drawing by G. Shepherd 1805 – http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/places/places-s/st-albans/st-albans-old-prints.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15679578
John Dunstaple was an important English composer who lived from around 1390 to 1453. He helped music move from the medieval period to the Renaissance, a time of great change in art and culture. Dunstaple is best known for creating the Contenance angloise style, which means “English manner.” This style used new types of harmony, especially with thirds and sixths, making the music sound richer and more pleasant. Dunstaple’s music was mainly vocal and often used isorhythms, a special pattern in music. Although little is known about his early life, he was probably born in Bedfordshire and worked for important people like the Duke of Bedford and the Duke of Gloucester. He may have travelled to France and had links with St Albans Abbey. Most of his music was lost during the English Reformation, but some pieces survived in other countries. Dunstaple’s ideas influenced many European composers, such as Du Fay and Binchois. He is often mentioned alongside William Byrd and Henry Purcell as one of England’s greatest early composers. Dunstaple’s work shows how English music helped shape the sound of the Renaissance across Europe.
