Orlando di Lasso – Sheet Music & Scores

Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) was one of the most important composers of the Renaissance Period. While Palestrina was well recognised in the Roman territories, Orlando di Lasso was a truly multicultural artist, whose reputation spanned the whole of Europe. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all his master works with Stretta Music today!

His Life

Orlando di Lasso was the last great Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance Period. Di Lasso was very well travelled, and in his work, there are traces of many different European cultures including Holland, Sicily, Italy, England, France and Germany.

On finishing his studies in 1556, he joined the Munich Court Orchestra, one of the top ensembles of its time, becoming the musical director in 1564, a post he held for the rest of his life. Here, di Lasso had an impressive number of musicians at his disposal for the time, 56 singers and 30 instrumentalists. Orlando di Lasso also taught a number of prominent composers, including Johannes Eccard and Giovanni Gabrieli.

His Work

Orlando di Lasso wrote a great deal of Sacred Music. He wrote over 1200 motets, which have a relatively free structure, and often adopt simple song melodies as motifs or “cantus firmus”. He also composed Masses, Magnificat & Nunc Dimitis’, Lamentations and Psalms.

About half of his output however falls under Secular Music. Di Lasso composed madrigals, villanelles, chansons and songs, which not only showcase his masterful polyphonic technique, but also his sense of humour, for example in the madrigals “Mattona mia cara” and“ Echo”. The modern harmonic developments of the time, the move away from plagal tonality towards modern harmonic tonal music, slowly filtered into di Lasso’s works, and it began to take on the tonal harmony we recognise today.

More Links for Works by Orlando di Lasso

• Motets by Orlando di Lasso
• Masses by Orlando di Lasso
• Magnificat & Nunc Dimitis by di Lasso
• Psalms by Orlando di Lasso
• Madrigals by Orlando di Lasso
• Choral Music by Orlando di Lasso
• Books about Orlando di Lasso
• Instrumental Works by di Lasso
• Sheet Music Downloads by di Lasso