Guillaume Le Heurteur

Although the works of French composer Guillaume Le Heurteur were published in the mid-16th century by the royal printer <a href="spotify:artist:39IX4MZD9jYNEHWFPsYWWV">Pierre Attaingnant</a>, his life has remained almost completely obscure. A good deal of his music has been published in modern editions.

The name Guillaume Le Heurteur ("William the Knocker," perhaps) also appears in sources as Guillaume Heurteur and Guillaume Hurteur. Little is known of his life, and such matters as his birthdate, death date, and place of origin are unknown. He first appears in musical anthologies around 1530, and a collection of his pieces refers to him as a preceptor of the choirboys at the Collegiate Church Basilica of Saint Martin in the city of Tours. He was apparently quite successful in his time, however, issuing four masses, 21 motets, and 23 chansons between 1530 and 1549. One book of his motets has been lost. Because of their availability in <a href="spotify:artist:39IX4MZD9jYNEHWFPsYWWV">Attaingnant</a>'s printings, many of Le Heurteur's works have been issued in modern editions, dating as far back as 1928. Only half a dozen chansons have been recorded, however, leaving a wide-open field for performers wishing to explore what may be intriguingly satirical texts; some of his chansons are said to satirize the ways of Le Heurteur's fellow clerics, and Le Heurteur is mentioned by François Rabelais in the prologue to his Le quart livre. Among the musicians who have recorded Le Heurteur's works are recorder player <a href="spotify:artist:3g42bvWbvi723weXdEiROz">David Munrow</a> and countertenor <a href="spotify:artist:0DLxgGEXi05HKnCZaQin61">Dominique Visse</a>, with his <a href="spotify:artist:3nnwiLcxKNA53Gs8GvPxv6">Ensemble Clément Janequin</a>. ~ James Manheim, Rovi