THE UNICORN ENSEMBLE

Along with Ockeghem and Busnois, Alexander Agricola
was one of a group of influential and important 15th-
century composers. He was born probably between 1450
and 1460. After a life filled with travel, he died of the
plague in Valladolid in 1506 at the age of 60. He was a
singer and composer at the court of the duke of Milan,
Galeazzo Maria Sforza; for Lorenzo de' Medici in
Florence; and at the French court until the death of King
Charles III; and was also in the service of Philip the Fair
(duke of Burgundy and king of Castile, Léon and
Granada). Although he left behind eight masses and
several motets, he was primarily a composer of secular
music. He wrote almost 50 chansons on French, Flemish
and Latin texts as well as several instrumental works
that are remarkable from a compositional standpoint.