ARCADELT, JACOB

born c. 1500, Lige? [now in Belgium] died Oct. 14, 1568, Paris?, France Arcadelt also spelled Arcadel, Archadelt, Archadente, Archadet, or Harchadelt, Jacob also spelled Jacques, or Jakob composer who helped establish the musical form of the madrigal. Arcadelt was a singer and later a choirmaster in the papal chapel in Rome (153949), and he subsequently spent time in France and again in Italy. He entered the service of Charles, duc de Guise, in 1555 and in 1557 was a member of the French royal chapel. Arcadelt's reputation rests on about 120 chansons and more than 200 Italian madrigals. With two contemporary composers, Costanzo Festa and Philippe Verdelot, he set the style for a generation of madrigal composers. He favoured four-voiced composition, and his secular music owes much to the simple declamation and tuneful treble melody of the frottola, a popular Italian song genre. The simple clarity of his style influenced Palestrina and Cipriano de Rore. Arcadelt also published about 20 motets and 3 masses.