John DUNSTABLE</title<meta name="description" content="Artists and Composers - John DUNSTABLE "><meta name="keywords" content="dunstable, john dunstable, english, composer, polyphonic, music, france, italy, hereford cathedral, contrapuntal, renaissance, anthem, quam pulchra es"> </head> <body bgcolor="#000033"> <table cellspacing="2" cellpadding="4" border="0" width="800">  <tr> <td width="120">   <table cellspacing="0" class="menu"> <tr><td class="blnk"> <center> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000VLE3GA?ie=UTF8&tag=digitdaydr-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B000VLE3GA"><img border="0" src="/images/amazon/51Z+Pt82WDL._SL110_.jpg"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=digitdaydr-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000VLE3GA" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </center> </td></tr> </table>  </td>  <td align="left" width="890"> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://music.firekarma.com/logo_title.swf" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="600" height="110" id="newlogo" align="middle"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"/> <param name="movie" value="http://music.firekarma.com/logo_title.swf"/> <param name="loop" value="false"/> <param name="menu" value="false"/> <param name="quality" value="best"/> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"/> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000033"/> <p style="text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflash/"> Get Flash</a> </p> <noscript> Sorry your Browser isn't able to play Flash. </noscript> </object>  </td> </tr>  <tr valign="top">  <td width="120" align="center"> <table cellspacing="0" class="forum" width="110"><tr><td class="hed"><a href="/forum/">FORUM</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/forum/gigs/">UK Gig Guide</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/forum/gigs/venues/">UK Music Venues</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/forum/news/">Music News</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/forum/directory/">Directory</a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" class="enc" width="110"><tr><td class="hed"><a href="/enc/">ENCYCLOPAEDIA</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/enc/history/">History</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/enc/composers/">Composers</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/enc/quotations.php">Quotations</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/enc/world/">World</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/enc/instruments/">Instruments</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/enc/calendar.php">Calendar</a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" class="tech" width="110"><tr><td class="hed"><a href="/tech/">TECHNICAL</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/tech/show_tech_sect.php?section=Hardware">Hardware</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/tech/show_tech_sect.php?section=MIDI">MIDI</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/tech/show_tech_sect.php?section=Audio">Audio</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/tech/show_tech_sect.php?section=Science">Science</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/tech/show_tech_sect.php?section=Programming">Programming</a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" class="theory" width="110"><tr><td class="hed"><a href="/theory/">THEORY</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/theory/show_section.php?section=Western Music Theory">Tutorials</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/theory/show_section.php?section=Notation">Notation</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/theory/tools/">Tools</a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" class="" width="110"></table> </td>  <td align="left"><div class="enc"><a href="../../index.php">Home</a> | <a href="../index.php">Encylopaedia</a> | <a href="index.php">Composers</a> | DUNSTABLE<h4>John DUNSTABLE <font color="silver">(1385-1453)</font></h4><p> John Dunstable was one of the greatest English polyphonic composers of the first half of the 15th century, whose work included masses, motets and secular songs. Very little is known about the man and what is known is often shrouded in myth or controversy. The date of his death is only known through a copy of his inscribed epitaph that was taken by John Stow, the 17th century antiquarian. Another epitaph preserved in John Weever's "Ancient Funeral Monuments (1861) describes him as: "an astrologian, a mathematician, a musician and what not" and yet another as "Prince of music". There are indeed a number of astrological papers bearing his name in the Bodleian library at Oxford and also at St. Johns College, Cambridge and one of these also describes him as a musician. </p> <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NASIFi5YvgA&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NASIFi5YvgA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> <p> It is believed that he spent a great deal of his life abroad, especially in France and Italy - he had an international reputation and his manuscripts circulated throughout the musical centres of Europe. The majority of his music, in fact, has come to us only through foreign manuscripts and it is known from a poem "le Champion des Dames" by Martin le Franc that he influenced many foreign composers, most notably, <a href ="show_composer.php?id=42">Dufay</a> and Binchois. </p> <p> He was also attached to Hereford Cathedral and was in the service of the Duke of Bedford when the latter was Henry V's regent in France between 1422-1435. A point of interest is that the Duke of Bedford was the one responsible for ordering the burning to death of Joan of Arc. In England, his patrons were the dowager Queen Joan and the Duke of Gloucester who was Bedford's brother. Both patrons had strong links with St Albans Abbey for which Dunstable wrote the motet "Albanus roseo rutilat". The abbot of St Albans, John Whethamsteade is reputed to have written an epitaph commemorating Dunstable. </p> <p> Dunstable's music was hugely influential - it sounds more euphonious than that of his contemporaries due to his use of major thirds. From this, the style which uses consonant harmonies based on thirds became the norm. He also made use of frequent juxtaposition of 6ths between voices instead of the more open sounding 4ths, 5ths and octaves. His work was also influential in developing the contrapuntal style of the Renaissance and he pioneered (in conjunction with another English composer - Power) the linking of parts of the Mass with the use of a single tenor to produce the "cyclic mass".He also made much use of chords and chordal progression and was concerned with both vertical (harmonic) and horizontal (melodic) logic with greater equality among the voices. Music critics admired his English style of composing. </p> <p> His most famous work is the processional anthem "Quam pulchra es". Another example of Dunstable's work is his multi-textual motets of "Veni sancte spiritus/Veni creator" in the 15th century. He may also have written one of the most famous 15th century songs "O rosa bella". </p> <p> His later years were spent studying arithmetic, astronomy and geometry in addition to music. Some critics have even suggested that he tried his hand at drawing. He died in London and is buried in St. Stephen's Cemetery, Walbrook. </p> <p> <div class="accent">Essential Albums:</div> Click on album cover to buy. </p> <table> <tr><td> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000005I9J/digitaldaydre-20" target="_blank"><IMG SRC="albums/dunstable_cathedral_sounds.gif" border="0" alt="Cathedral Sounds" hspace="3" vspace="3" WIDTH="90" HEIGHT="90"></a> </td></tr> <tr><td> </table></div> <tr><td colspan="2"> <hr/> <table cellspacing="0" class="forum"> <tr><td class="blnk">Errors, omissions, comments? Send us your <a href="/feedback.php?caller=/enc/composers/show_composer.php(43)">feedback</a></td></tr> </table> <br/>   <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td></tr></table>   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/s/link-enhancer?tag=digitdaydr-21&o=2"> </script> <noscript> <img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/s/noscript?tag=digitdaydr-21" alt="" /> </noscript></body> </html>