Orlando di Lasso (1532 - 1594)

Orlando di Lasso

Orlando di Lasso (French: Roland de Lassus, Latin: Orlandus Lassus) was a Franco-Flemish composer and Kapellmeister of the late Renaissance.

In his youth Orlando had a good voice and sang in a choir, traveled in Italy and eventually began composing music himself. In 1563, Lasso was appointed Kapellmeister at the court of Duke Albrecht V and made his chapel professional, and his work earned Munich a reputation as one of the musical centers of Europe. Lasso also taught music and lived mainly in Bavaria.

Lasso was highly gifted, and is considered one of the most versatile and prolific composers in the history of music. He wrote some 1,350 (mostly vocal) compositions in all genres and forms contemporary to his time, of which some 1,200 were published during his lifetime. Lasso was a master of sacred music, but was equally adept at secular composition, spanning Italian, French, and German genres.