Ludwig Senfl (c. 1486-c. 1543); CHE

Ludwig Senfl (c. 1486–1543) was a Swiss-born composer of the Renaissance who spent much of his career in German-speaking lands. As a boy he entered the chapel of Emperor Maximilian I and became a pupil and later colleague of Heinrich Isaac. After Maximilian’s death, Senfl eventually settled in Munich, entering the service of Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria. He remained one of the most prominent German composers of his generation and maintained contacts with leading humanists and reformers, including Martin Luther.

Senfl composed Masses, motets, German songs, and settings of liturgical texts, combining Franco-Flemish contrapuntal technique with a strong command of German secular traditions. His large body of Lieder was especially influential, ranging from simple song textures to elaborate contrapuntal settings. He also contributed to the monumental motet repertory associated with the imperial chapel. His music forms an important link between the generation of Isaac and the flourishing of German polyphonic song in the sixteenth century.

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Read biography at allmusic.com.