John Dunstable

Aliases: John Dunstaple; John Dunstapell; John Dumstable; John Donstaple – "B" appears in about half of musical sources, and "p" predominates in other documents.

Life

Born: c. 1390?

Died: 24 December 1453

Biography Dunstaple's epitaphs (destroyed in the 1666 Fire) record his death ("Anno Mil C. quater semel L. tria jungito Christi Pridie natalem, sidus transmigrat ad astra.") and describe him as an astronomer/mathemetician ("Musicus hic Michalus alter, novusque Ptholomeus, Junior ac Athlas supportans robore celos Pausat sub cinere"); some astrological works appear to survive in his own hand. The earliest pay record being from 1427, estimates of his birth depend on rather tentative datings of some work: a Preco preheminencie and Veni Sancte Spiritus performed in 1416 may have been Dunstable's, and the later and Missa Da gaudiorum premia (also possibly linked to Treaty of Troyes and/or Henry V's marriage in 1420) might have been used at Henri IV's coronation at Paris in 1422.

View the Wikipedia article on John Dunstable.

List of choral works

52 works have uncontradicted attributions.

Motets

For 3 voices unless otherwise indicated:

• Albanus roseo rutilat/Quoque ferendus eras/Albanus domini laudans
• Alma redemptoris (2 settings, both with attributions to Leonel Power)
• Ascendit Christus (also attr. Forest)
• Ave Regina celorum
• Ave regina celorum, ave decus/Ave mater expers paris/Ave mundi spes Maria
• Beata Dei genitrix (also attr. Binchois)
• Beata mater (also attr. Binchois)
• Christe sanctorum decus/Tibi Christe splendor Patris/Tibi Christe
• Crux fidelis
• Descendi in ortum meum
• Dies dignus decorari/Demon dolens dum domatur/Iste confessor
• Gaude felix Anna/Gaude mater matris Christe/Anna parens
• Gaude virgo Katerina
• Gaude virgo salutata/Gaude virgo singularis/Virgo mater comprobaris/Ave gemma
• Gloria sanctorum
• Magnificat (in 2 versions)
• Magnificat ii toni (also attr. Dufay)
• O crux gloriosa
• Preco preheminencie/Precursor premittitur/[textless 4th voice]/Inter natos mulierum
• Quam pulchra es (attribution reads "Dunstapell Egidius")
• Regina celi
• Salve scema sanctitatis/Salve salus servulorum/Cantant celi agmina/[textless 4th voice]
• Sancta Maria
• Specialis virgo/Specialis virgo/Salve parens
• Speciosa facta es
• Veni Sancte Spiritus a 4 (Veni Sancte Spiritus et emitte/Veni Sancte Spiritus et infunde/Veni Creator Spiritus/Mentes tuorum)
  • Veni Sancte Spiritus et emitte/Consolator optime/Sancti Spiritus assit

Masses and mass movements

These include 2 cycles with conflicting attributions to Leonel Power, a Kyrie-Gloria-Credo with an anonymous Sanctus, a Sanctus-Agnus pair and numerous Gloria-Credo pairs and single movements.

• Gloria (Tr. 93, 170v - 171r)
• Kyrie (Tr. 87, f. 126r)

Vernacular songs

• Durer ne puis (also attr. Bedyngham)
• I pray you all (2-voice carol; anon. but attr. "J. D.")
• Je languis en piteux martire (also attr. Dufay)
• O rosa bella
• Puisque m'amour

Works by John Dunstable available at CPDL

Ave Regina celorum Descendi in ortum meum Gloria (Tr. 93, 170v - 171r) Kyrie (Tr. 87, f. 126r)

Magnificat ii toni O rosa bella Puisque m'amour Quam pulchra es

Sancta Maria Speciosa facta es Veni Sancte Spiritus, Old Hall 66

 
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Publications

• Trent codices
• Old Hall Manuscript (ordering suggests Veni Sancte Spiritus by c.1420)
• John Dunstable: Complete Works, ed. M.F. Bukofzer, Musica Brit., viii (1953, rev. & expanded 2/1970 by M. Bent et al.)

External links

Works by John Dunstable in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)