P. de La Farge

P. de La Farge is a Renaissance composer whose activity is documented between 1539 and 1546, roughly. He apparently came from the French or Franco-Flemish sphere, although neither his birthplace nor his training is known with certainty. For a long time he was confused with Jean de La Fage, but specialists consider them two distinct musicians.

His known output was disseminated through Jacques Moderne, a Lyon printer who, between 1539 and 1547, published eight Latin motets and two French chansons attributed to «P. de la Farge». It has been suggested that the composer may be Pierre de La Farge, a canon of the collegiate church of Saint-Just in Lyon, whose will is attested on 18 August 1559. This identification is probable but not confirmed.

The legacy of this composer is modest and rests mainly on motets for four, five and six voices, as well as a few secular songs. Its importance lies in documenting the circulation of French polyphonic music in Lyon during the first half of the sixteenth century.