Jacques Moderne

Jacques Moderne followed in the tradition of Pierre Attaingnant as the second major printer to publish music in France (Attaingnant being the first). He employed a single impression method and was the only competition that Attaingnant had in France for a period of fifteen years. Born in Pinguente, now Buzet in the former Yugoslavia, Moderne may have spent some time in Venice but was in Lyons by 1523. As a publisher Moderne did not only publish music but popular books concerning religion, home medicine, emblems and palmistry. Music brought him the greatest fame and success in the publishing business. The musical books that he published were known for the content of masses, motets, chansons, and instrumental music. Quantitatively, Moderne printed over 50 volumes of music containing in excess of eight hundred pieces. He represented a number of diverse composers including Layolle, Villiers, Fresneau, Coste, Gombert, Willaert, Arcadelt, Lhertier, Mantua, Sermisy, Maillard, Sandrin, Certon and Janequin. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi