Obrecht, Jakob

Obrecht, Jakob

(born Nov. 22, 1452, Bergen-op-Zoom, Brabant—died 1505, Ferrara) Flemish composer. Little is known of his origins or education, but in 1484 he was appointed instructor of choirboys at Cambrai cathedral and then held a position in Brugge. His compositional style is notable for its warm, graceful melodies and clear harmonies. Most outstanding are his 29 masses; he also wrote about 30 motets and some secular music. Despite his contemporary renown, he had little influence on later composers, since his works were not widely distributed and his intellectual but exuberant music came to seem old-fashioned with the advent of Josquin des Prez.