Carolus Luython

At the age of nine or ten Luython was appointed to the boys' choir in Vienna for the court of Maximilian II. While there it is no dobt that he received the best musical education studying with Vaet, Gaucquier, Monte and with the court organist Formellis -- or one of his understudies. After his voice broke he left the choir and with his monetary stipend traveled to Italy where Luython was presumably employed as a singer. Compositions of masses were entertained by Luython at this time and dedicated to the empress. In 1576 he returned to the court and was probably employed as the chamber organist. Rudolf II also employed him as a chamber organist though his earnings were quite low. When Formellis died in 1582 Luython acceded to his position of organist; he was paid retroactively from 1577. In 1596 he succeeded Monte as the court composer and gained continued fame through his court appointments and travels. When the emperor died in 1612 Luython seems to have lost favor leading a now impoverished life, so much so that he was forced to sell his famous harpsichord invented by Buus and structured with the capacity to play diatonic, chromatic and enharmonic music. (The well-tempered clavier had not yet been invented.) The primary genres in which Luython composed were masses, motets, hymns, mass movements, madrigals, and keyboard fugues, fantasias and ricercares. The composition of his "Fuga suavissima" anticipated later fugue developments to a great extent. It was scored with three themes for three distinct sections. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi