Orlande de Lassus

Born around 1532, Orlando di Lasso emerged as the defining voice of mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school. His output was immense, and his willingness to shift between styles and genres set him apart from contemporaries. That versatility won him unprecedented popularity across the continent, placing him alongside William Byrd, Palestrina, and Victoria in the top rank of later Renaissance composers. He died on 14 June 1594, leaving a catalogue that varied so widely it became a catalogue of the age itself.