Orlandus Lassus (1532-1594), also known as Orlando di Lasso and as Roland de Lassus, was one of the greatest Flemish composers of the Renaissance and the most important representative of the Flemish choral school. Members of this school composed highly developed polyphonic music, or music in which two or more independent melodies are sung simultaneously. Lassus' most famous work is his Seven Penitential Psalms, a group of motets, which illustrate his skilled technique and dramatic power. A versatile composer, Orlandus Lassus wrote many secular works in addition to religious music. He is especially noted for his songs. Many of them were set to the verses of famous Renaissance poets, including Petrarch, Ariosto, and Ronsard.As a young man, Lassus studied at Milan and at Rome, where he worked as chorus master at the Church of St. John Lateran. After the publication of his first works in 1555, Lassus' reputation spread throughout Europe. In 1556 he accepted a post as court musician with Duke Albert V of Bavaria in Munich, where he remained for 38 years. Most of his more than 2,000 works were composed in Munich.
Orlandus Lassus was knighted by Emperor Maximilian II and was received into the Papal Order of the Golden Spur by Pope Gregory XIII.
