Surname
Prioris
Given Name
Denis
Variant Name
Prieur
Role
Composer
Musician
Active period
1497 - 1508
Institution
Chapelle royale de France
Biography
NG2
On 8 June 1503 the Ferrarese ambassador to the court of Louis XII wrote to Duke Ercole I that he was sending, as promised, a mass by ‘Prioris, suo [i.e., the king's] maystro de capella’. Prioris presumably held that position for at least four more years; the chronicler Jean d'Auton placed him, again identified as maistre de chapelle, with Louis XII at the siege of Genoa in April 1507. Prioris's representation in a number of French music manuscripts compiled during the last two decades of the 15th century, sources that tend to restrict their repertories to composers employed at the court, may indicate that he was already there some years before 1503. In Guillaume Crétin's famous lament on the death of Jean Braconnier, dit ‘Lourdault’ – who died in January, 1512 – the poet called upon ‘nostre bon pere et maistre Prioris’ to add his voice to the lament by composing a Ne recorderis. Although this citation has generally been taken as evidence that Prioris was still the king's maistre de chapelle at the time, Vatican documents refer to Hylaire Bernoneau as ‘magister capelle Christianissimi francorum regis’ as early as 1510. Whatever position Prioris may still have held at the court in 1512, he had probably died by January 1515, since his name appears nowhere in the accounts of Louis' elaborate funeral.
Histoire de Louys XII, roy de France père du peuple, et des choses ...
Par Claude de Seyssel,Jean d' Auton
CHRONIQUES DE LOUIS XII.
[Avril 1507
244
Au Roy fut dit lors et acertainé que, durant le temps qu'il estoit devant Gennes, ceulx d'Allexandrye semerent nouvelles que son armée estoit deHaicte et les Françoys tous mors; par quoy voulurent courir sus a ceulx de France, qui la estoyent demourez, mesmement a ceulx de sa chappelle, qu'il avoit la lessez au partir dudit lieu d'Alixandrie; lesquelz, apres la prise de Gennes, s'en allerent la devers le Roy et lui disrent
que lesdits villains d'Allixandrie, au moyen desdites nouvelles, s'estoyent voulus revoulter et mectre en armes pour aller garder les chemins d'entre Gennes et Allexandrye, affin que les Françoys ne peussent passer pour eulx retirer ni avoir par la secours, et tant en firent que les lyecoulz de leurs chevaulx copperent et misrent leurs malles en la rue, pres a les vouloir destrousser et tuher; et si grant peur leur firent, entre autres a ung nommé Prioris, maistre de la chappelle, qu'il cuydoit estre mort.
Dumistrescu app.
Denis Prieur 1497 Jun 23 1 Collation of canonicate at St. Sauveur, Blois
1497 Aug 28 2 Postponement of stagium while recalled by Duke
1497 Nov 27 4 End of stagium
1497/8 Apr 11 5 Acquisition of lease on house in Blois château
1503/4 Mar 4 6 Acquisition of lease on property of late provost of St. Sauveur
1505/6 Feb 27 25 Appointment of procurators for benefice in Touraine
1506 Jul 2 30 Appointment of procurators to offer homage to lords in Touraine
1506 Dec 2 35 Fulfilment of contractual obligation for house repairs
1507 Dec 23 47 Appointment of Jehan Thierry as procurator for defending Prieur’s right to rectorship in diocese of Bayeux
1508/9 Jan 25 61 Appointment of vicar for parish church in diocese of Coustances
1508/9 Feb 12 68 Appointment of vicars for parish church in Amboise
On 8 June 1503 the Ferrarese ambassador to the court of Louis XII wrote to Duke Ercole I that he was sending, as promised, a mass by ‘Prioris, suo [i.e., the king's] maystro de capella’. Prioris presumably held that position for at least four more years; the chronicler Jean d'Auton placed him, again identified as maistre de chapelle, with Louis XII at the siege of Genoa in April 1507. Prioris's representation in a number of French music manuscripts compiled during the last two decades of the 15th century, sources that tend to restrict their repertories to composers employed at the court, may indicate that he was already there some years before 1503. In Guillaume Crétin's famous lament on the death of Jean Braconnier, dit ‘Lourdault’ – who died in January, 1512 – the poet called upon ‘nostre bon pere et maistre Prioris’ to add his voice to the lament by composing a Ne recorderis. Although this citation has generally been taken as evidence that Prioris was still the king's maistre de chapelle at the time, Vatican documents refer to Hylaire Bernoneau as ‘magister capelle Christianissimi francorum regis’ as early as 1510. Whatever position Prioris may still have held at the court in 1512, he had probably died by January 1515, since his name appears nowhere in the accounts of Louis' elaborate funeral.
Histoire de Louys XII, roy de France père du peuple, et des choses ...
Par Claude de Seyssel,Jean d' Auton
CHRONIQUES DE LOUIS XII.
[Avril 1507
244
Au Roy fut dit lors et acertainé que, durant le temps qu'il estoit devant Gennes, ceulx d'Allexandrye semerent nouvelles que son armée estoit deHaicte et les Françoys tous mors; par quoy voulurent courir sus a ceulx de France, qui la estoyent demourez, mesmement a ceulx de sa chappelle, qu'il avoit la lessez au partir dudit lieu d'Alixandrie; lesquelz, apres la prise de Gennes, s'en allerent la devers le Roy et lui disrent
que lesdits villains d'Allixandrie, au moyen desdites nouvelles, s'estoyent voulus revoulter et mectre en armes pour aller garder les chemins d'entre Gennes et Allexandrye, affin que les Françoys ne peussent passer pour eulx retirer ni avoir par la secours, et tant en firent que les lyecoulz de leurs chevaulx copperent et misrent leurs malles en la rue, pres a les vouloir destrousser et tuher; et si grant peur leur firent, entre autres a ung nommé Prioris, maistre de la chappelle, qu'il cuydoit estre mort.
Dumistrescu app.
Denis Prieur 1497 Jun 23 1 Collation of canonicate at St. Sauveur, Blois
1497 Aug 28 2 Postponement of stagium while recalled by Duke
1497 Nov 27 4 End of stagium
1497/8 Apr 11 5 Acquisition of lease on house in Blois château
1503/4 Mar 4 6 Acquisition of lease on property of late provost of St. Sauveur
1505/6 Feb 27 25 Appointment of procurators for benefice in Touraine
1506 Jul 2 30 Appointment of procurators to offer homage to lords in Touraine
1506 Dec 2 35 Fulfilment of contractual obligation for house repairs
1507 Dec 23 47 Appointment of Jehan Thierry as procurator for defending Prieur’s right to rectorship in diocese of Bayeux
1508/9 Jan 25 61 Appointment of vicar for parish church in diocese of Coustances
1508/9 Feb 12 68 Appointment of vicars for parish church in Amboise