Jean Molinet

fl. 1503-1523

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Displaying 4 events/geographical origins

Biography

This singer of the chapel of Margaret of Austria and Charles V is not to be confused with his famous older homonym, poet, court chronicler of the dukes of Burgundy and composer, who died in 1507. As far as the poet's last will does not mention the singer, both apparently had no family link.

Collegiate church of Saint-Donatian in Bruges, 1503
Designated as a tenorist from the diocese of Cambrai, Molinet entered the choir of Saint-Donatian in Bruges (Nosow 2022, p. 60 and 252-253, with no further mention of the duration of his service in Bruges).

Burgundian-Habsburg court, 1509-1515
His name occurs on lists of Margaret of Austria's and Charles V's court Chapel from May 1509 to October 1515 (Ferer 2012, p. 45-48, 63 and 69-70, and Fiala PCR, after F-AD 59, B 2174, n°72392 ["Johannes Molinet", May 1509], B 3464, n°121705 ["Johannes du Molinet, 8s.", 27 December 1510] and B 3465, n° 121764 ["Johannes du Molinet", 3 April 1512] ; Vander Straeten VII, p. 276-277 ["Johannes du Molinet", 1 April 1514] ; Martínez Millán 2000, vol. V, p. 137-139 ["Juan del Molinet", 25 October 1515]). He is still recorded on rolls of benefices of the court in 1517 and 1519 (Schmidt-Görg 1938, p. 257-267) but apparently did not take part in the Spanish travels of the court from 1515 onwards. The roll of 1517 lists him for benefices available amongst the "Coustries de Flandres", the "Hospitaulx d'Artois", the "Prebendes de La Salle" (in Valenciennes, with the specification: "Johannes Molinet pour son fils"), the "Coustries de Zellande", and the "chappelles et hospitaulx de Brabant et doutremeuse", while the roll of 1519 only lists him once for the "coustreries de flandres". It is clear from the types of benefices to which he applied, and from the fact that he had a son, that Molinet was not pursuing an ecclesiastical career.

Zavelkerk in Brussels, 1523
He must be the musician of the same name who is mentionned in April 1523 as choirmaster of the Zavelkerk / Notre-Dame du Sablon in Brussels, now bearing a title of master (Huybens 1971, p. 38: 7 April 1523, "Magister Johannes Molinet, Magister cantus in Zabulone sep. cum decem sacerdotibus in ecclesia ibid. A.E.SG. - 1517-31 - reg. 1211 - fol. 123).

This singer is most probably the composer of a 5 voices Salve regina / O werde mont ascribed to "Johannes Molunet" (sic, also readable as "Molimet" in the manuscript D-Mbs 34, f. 29 (ascription above the music), a manuscript produced by the Alamire workshop between 1521 and c. 1530 for William IV of Bavaria (Kellman 1999, p. 118).

Fiala David

Information

  • Roles

    Composer
    Member of a church (musician)
    Member of a court chapel (musician)
    Singer

  • Gender

    Male

Events

(YYYY-MM-DD)

3 in database

Geographical origins

Cambrai (France)

Musical position

Member of a church (musician)
after 1503-07
Brugge (Belgium)


Institution: Sint-Donaaskerk in Brugge, Brugge (Belgium)

Bibliography: Nosow 2022

Musical position

Member of a court chapel (musician)
1509-05/1515-10
Bruxelles (Belgium)


Patron: Marguerite d'Autriche

Institution: Cour ducale de Bourgogne, Brugge (Belgium)

Musical position

Member of a church (musician)
1523-04
Bruxelles (Belgium)


Institution: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zege op de Zavel in Brussel, Bruxelles (Belgium)

Associated works

1 in database

  • Salve regina [173] Composer

Variant names

Du Molinet ; Du Moulinet ; Molimet ; Molunet ; Moulinet

Associated people

No associated person.

Bibliography

[Ferer 2012]

Ferer, M. T., 2012, Music and Ceremony at the Court of Charles V: The Capilla Flamenca and the Art of Political Promotion, Woodbridge http://www.sudoc.fr/161529887.
(pp. 45-48, 63, 69-70)

[Huybens 1971]

Huybens, G., 1971, Le personnel des maîtrises liturgiques à Bruxelles du XVe au XVIIIe siècle, Revue belge de Musicologie / Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Muziekwetenschap, 25, p. 16‑45 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3686177.

[Kellman Ed 1999]

Kellman, H. (éd.), 1999, The treasury of Petrus Alamire: music and art in Flemish court manuscripts, 1500-1535, Amsterdam http://www.sudoc.fr/051657260.
(p. 118)

[Martinez Millan 2000]

Martínez Millán, J. (éd.), 2000, La corte de Carlos V, Madrid http://www.sudoc.fr/061026883 (consulté le 22 janvier 2013).

[Nosow 2022]

Nosow, R., 2022, Hobrecht and His Singers, Turnhout https://www.brepols.net/products/IS-9782503597027-1.
(pp. 60, 252-253)

[PCR]

Fiala, D., 2009, Prosopographie des Chantres de la Renaissance (PCR) : dictionnaire biographique en ligne des chanteurs professionnels des XVe et XVIe siècles http://ricercar.cesr.univ-tours.fr/3-programmes/0430.htm.

[Schmidt-Görg 1938]

Schmidt-Goerg, J., 1938, Joseph Schmidt-Görg. Nicolas Gombert. Kapellmeister Kaiser Karls V. Leben u. Werk, Bonn http://www.sudoc.fr/062500287.
(pp. 257-267)

[Van der Straeten 1888]

Straeten, E. vander, 1867, La musique aux Pays-Bas avant le XIX° siècle : documents inédits et annotés, Bruxelles http://www.sudoc.fr/052318443.

Contributors

Fiala David - Project manager ; Biography author

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Fiala David, Jean Molinet, in RicercarDataLab [http://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/people/1701/] (accessed 04 July 2025).

Last modification: June 25, 2025, 2:35 p.m.