Gilles Binchois (c.1400-1460)
Binchois was a contemporary of Guilliame Dufay,
and the leading composer at the court of Burgundy during the middle
third of the fifteenth century. Binchois is remembered primarily
for his secular chansons, for
which he was known during his lifetime as at least the equal of Dufay.
His entire creative life was spent in Burgundy, and so
his
style is less varied - more grounded - than those of many other
prominent composers of the era. Binchois' output represents one of the
highest points in French secular composition in the 15th century, every
song being a carefully crafted masterpiece.