CMM 111-1 CORNELIUS CANIS, Collected Words, edited by Martin Ham. Vol. 1. Chansons: Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae, cartea 111

This edition of the works of Cornelius Canis will complete the publication in CMM of the major composers of the Chapel of the Emperor Charles V. (Gombert's works are in CMM 6 and those of Crecquillon in CMM 63.) The complete edition is expected to fill 3 volumes. Canis held positions in Lille and Ghent, before becoming in 1542 the master of the children of the Imperial Chapel. He subsequently combined the positions of master of the Chapel and of the children and, with one interval, he remained in Habsburg service until his death in 1562. Although not as prolific as Crecquillon, there are over sixty surviving works: chansons, motets, and masses. The quality of his music is very high; the chansons show a wide range of styles, from works in the Parisian manner, to more contrapuntally complex and elegant works, some with use of canon and/or pre-existent material. Lawrence Bernstein has described Canis's motets and 2 masses as showing "superb contrapuntal skill in both the extent and variety of imitative devices employed." The edition will allow the music of this significant composer of the Low Countries to be given the attention it deserves. For more information, see http://www.corpusmusicae.com/cmm/cmm_cc111.htm