| Regarded as the greatest composer of the first half of the 15th century, Dufay began his musical career as a choirboy at the cathedral in Cambrai and with few interruptions, maintained his affiliation with this great institution for most of his life. He wrote in all genres available to a composer of his time – pioneering the cyclic mass and bringing the isorhythmic motet to a new peak of development while turning out fauxbourdon hymn settings, treble-dominated song-motets, mass propers based on liturgical chants, secular songs and, even newly composed monophonic chants for new liturgical offices – creating masterworks in each genre and laying the stylistic foundation for composers of the next generation like Josquin and Obrecht. |
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