Evidence suggests that the six anonymous L'Homme armé masses of Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale, MS VI E 40, were composed by Firminus Caron. Certain head motifs and closing formulae that appear frequently in the Naples masses may be found more often in Caron's work than that of any other composer. Tables and numerous musical examples support Caron as the stylistic origin of these masses. Sources for these features are found in several of Caron's masses and chansons. The masses of the Naples manuscript are of Burgundian origin. Charles the Bold (then Count of Charolais) spent two weeks in Amiens during in 1466, during Firminus Caron's tenure there, giving him the opportunity to become familiar with these masses and subsequently transmit them to Naples.

Works: Anonymous?/Caron?: Six Masses on L'Homme armé (passim); Johannes Ockeghem: D'un aultre la (8): Anonymous: Tart ara quaresme (8).

Sources: Anonymous: Cent mille escus (8); Firminus Caron: Le despourveu (13, 23), Missa Jesus autem transiens (14, 15-17, 20-23), Missa L'Homme armé (17-23).

Index Classifications: 1400s

Contributed by: Felix Cox