composer

Utendal, Alexander

Date of birth: c.1543
Date of death: 1581

Alexander Utendal was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance.
He was a choirboy in the chapel of Queen Mary of Hungary, King Louis II’s wife, and Governor of the Low Countries as part of the Holy Roman Empire.
He was born around 1543 in Ghent. The whereabouts of his youth and education are purely speculative, so let’s stick to the facts we know. When Utendal (also spelled Uttendal, and in the original part books VVttendal) was 23 years old, he became cantor at the court of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol in Prague. The cantor followed his master to the court in Innsbruck, where in 1572 he became vice chapel master. He stayed until his death in 1581.
Because of his function he wrote mainly sacred works. His works were published in Nuremberg, the centre of music printing in Germany in those days.
Like the music of so many Franco-Flemish composers, Utendal’s music was very much appreciated by the Habsburg rulers. His music can be classified as High-Renaissance. As far as we know Utendal wrote over 80 motets (1571, 1573 & 1577), German Lieder, 3 masses, Magnificat settings, French chansons, masses and responsoria as well.