Pierre Colin, a great unknown
The archives of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna contain a large folio (Bol SP A 48) devoted to masses that were clearly used frequently in the cathedral. Composers are not credited, but a study of the source shows that there are more works by Pierre Colin than by any other composer; four of his masses were copied here for use in the cathedral during the third quarter of the 16th century. The same is true of the archives of the cathedrals of Treviso, Toledo and even Guatemala City, which possess manuscript copies taken from printed originals of the masses and motets of a composer who seems to have spent his entire musical career in the Burgundian city of Autun. Who is this composer? How does one account for such success? How did he fit into the musical world of his day? What is distinctive about his style? These are questions we will try to answer in order to shed light on some of the works presented here.
