Biography
Born likely around 1475 in Arras as the offspring of a municipal official, the Franco-Flemish Antoine de Févin lived at the same time as Josquin des Prez and served as both singer and composer in the court of Louis XII, where he gained recognition chiefly for his output of vocal and choral pieces. After apparently taking holy orders and perhaps obtaining a master’s degree, his movements remain unknown until 1507, the year he joined the chapelle royale. He passed away near 1512 in Blois. During that brief span he produced more than fourteen masses, sixteen motets, seventeen chansons, and additional choral compositions whose circulation throughout Europe was extensive, even if some ascriptions remain questionable. Although his language often echoed that of Josquin, Févin introduced fresh approaches through unrestricted counterpoint and the alternation of paired voices against the complete ensemble.