Who are some of the most important composers of polyphony?
The earliest known composers were Leonin (c. 1163– 1201), Perotin (fl. c. 1200), and Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377), but the most representative and well- known composers of sacred polyphony include Josquin Desprez (c. 1440–1521), Cristôbal de Morales (c. 1500– 1553), Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594), Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548–1611), Thomas Tallis Frequently Asked Questions on Sacred Music 11 (c. 1505–1585), William Byrd (1543–1623), Orlando di Lasso (1532–1594), Francisco Guerrero (1528–1599), Carlo Gesualdo (1561–1613), and Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643). Many later composers were inspired by these Renaissance masters of polyphony.
