Exaudi deus orlando di lasso biography

Orlando di Lasso, also known as Orlandus Lassus, was a composer and one of the most influential musical figures of the Renaissance period. In Russian musicology, the Italian version is commonly used. Little is known about Lasso's early life, and there are unlikely stories surrounding his childhood. According to one tale, his enchanting voice as a choirboy in the Mons Cathedral captivated the Vice-King of Sicily, Fernando Gonzaga, who was fighting in the Netherlands as part of Emperor Charles V's army.

Against his parents' wishes, the Vice-King took the young Lasso with him to Italy. However, there are no records in the cathedral's archives to support this claim. It is true, however, that Lasso later lived in Naples, possibly in the house of another patron, and may have visited Rome, where he allegedly served as the choir director at the San Giovanni in Laterano church at the age of Lasso returned to Mons upon learning of his parents' death and then traveled to France.

According to some sources, he also made a trip to England.

Exaudi Deus orationem meam, LV (Lassus, Orlande de).

He stayed in Antwerp for some time, where his first motets and madrigals were printed. Lasso arrived in Munich in or and soon became the court Kapellmeister. In an era when musicians often served as mere servants in noble households even Bach, a century later, wore a livery as a footman , Lasso quickly earned the respect of his patron.

He married the daughter of a court lady and seemingly became a friend of the duke and his family, with the duke frequently accepting invitations to dine with the musician. The ducal family was composed of passionate music lovers, and it can be assumed that the duke valued Lasso not only as a brilliant professional but also as a witty and entertaining conversationalist.

Lasso often entertained his hosts with original anecdotes about music and musicians and even staged his own musical comedy at court. Lasso's life went relatively smoothly, thanks to the patronage of the Duke, allowing him to fully devote himself to composing and publishing his works — an endless stream of music.