Obrecht, Jacob (c. 1450-1505)

Flemish composer. His mostly polyphonic sacred music (which in style predates that of Josquin Desprez) centred on the Mass. He was innovative, developing borrowed material, and using a secular fixed cantus firmus in his Missa super Maria zart. He also wrote motets and secular works. He worked as a kapellmeister in Utrecht, Antwerp, and Bruges. He died of the plague.

He was born at Bergen-op-Zoom and studied at Louvain University. He directed the singers at Utrecht 1476-78, Bergen-op-Zoom 1479-84, then at Cambrai, at Bruges in 1486 and 1490, and elsewhere in the Low Countries. He was obliged to resign in 1500, and after a spell at Antwerp 1501-02 went to Italy for his health. He had already spent six months at the ducal court of Ferrara in 1487-88 and returned there in 1504 as head of Ercole d'Este's choir, only to die of plague the following year.

Works Church and secular music 27 Masses, including Fortuna desperata, Maria zart, and Sub tuum praesidium; motets; chansons.