Johannes ockeghem, masses and models

Johannes Ockeghem remains one of the most enigmatic figures in music history. His lofty individuality has both captivated and baffled generations of commentators, from whom Ockeghem’s style traditionally calls forth a negative rather than positive terminology. That individuality finds its most forceful expression in the Masses, which form the bulk of his surviving output. This first full-length survey of the composer in English, published to coincide with the quincentenary of his death, investigates the Masses from source-critical, stylistic and historical perspectives. Special importance is accorded the relationship of individual Masses to the Masses on which they are based. The principal objective throughout has been to help unveil the « aesthetics of concealment » that lie at the heart of Ockeghem’s music.