1. Music in Belgium

2. A little bit of History A country of Northwest Europe on the North Sea. Inhabited in ancient times by the Belgae, the region was part of the Roman and Carolingian empires before breaking up into a number of feudal states during the Middle Ages. The area occupied by present-day Belgium passed to the Hapsburgs in the 15th century and to the French in the 18th century. Following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Belgium was given to the kingdom of the Netherlands, from which it gained independence as a separate kingdom in 1830. Brussels is the capital and the largest city. Population: 10,400,000.

3. Famous Composer Tielman Susato (also Tylman) (c.1500 – c.1562)15001562 – Renaissance Flemish composer, instrumentalist and publisher of music in Antwerp. RenaissanceFlemishAntwerp Antwerp Cathedral. – From 1543 until his death he worked as a music publisher, creating the first music press in the Netherlands; until then printing had mainly been done in Italy, France and Germany. NetherlandsItalyFranceGermany

4. Famous Composer (2) – Susato was also an accomplished composer. He wrote (and published) several books of masses and motets which are in the typical imitative polyphonic style of the time.massesmotets polyphonic – Susato also was a prolific composer of instrumental music, and much of it is still recorded and performed today. Many are based on current popular songs.

5. Famous Composers (3) – His most important original music is a set of two books of 50 cantus firmus chansons in "two or three parts," meaning with the bass part optional. This is the largest number of extant cantus firmus chansons by any composer. Susato said in his preface to them that their purpose was to teach and encourage younger people who were not experienced at singing in ensemble. As such, the polyphonic writing is imitative. In addition, Susato also wrote and arranged various dances of the time in relatively simple, more homophonic texture.

6. Other Famous Musicians Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1846. Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugène Ysaÿe and Arthur Grumiaux were major 19th- and 20th-century violinists. Perhaps the most famous Belgian composer of this time was César Franck. Adolphe SaxsaxophoneHenri VieuxtempsEugène Ysaÿe Arthur Grumiaux César Franck Jazz musician Toots Thielemans is world famousToots Thielemans

7. Music Sheets Download from (two examples): – http://frescores.iespana.es/frescores/ http://frescores.iespana.es/frescores/

8. Activities Play the two downloaded music sheets Have you ever been in Belgium? Tell us your experience Place Antwerp in the map. Ask your History teacher about the relations between Spain and this country in the past.

9. Links http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=m usic+belgium&gwp=8&x=0&y=0 http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=m usic+belgium&gwp=8&x=0&y=0 http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=b elgium&x=0&y=0 http://www.8notes.com/susato.asp