Guillaume Tessier

Tessier was active in Lyons in or around 1575. Little is known about his life and his music is contained in one collection of airs translated into French, Italian and Spanish ("Premier livre d'airs tant francois, italien, qu'espaignol"). This is a collection of thirty four airs essentially composed in binary form (two exceptions). Some of the pieces are characterized by syllabic rhythms while others employ diminutive melisma. Most of the settings are homophonic with occasional monodies arranged for lute and superius. ~ Keith Johnson