When and where was Bálint Bakfark born?
Bálint Bakfark arrived in the world around 1507 within the walls of Brassó, Transylvania. This city now bears the name Brașov and sits inside modern Romania.
Questions about Bálint Bakfark
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who employed Bálint Bakfark as a court lutenist after he left France?
King Sigismund II Augustus employed him as a court lutenist immediately upon his arrival in Jagiellon Poland in 1549. From that point until 1566 he traveled extensively across Renaissance Europe while remaining faithful to this employer.
What happened to Bálint Bakfark's house and possessions in 1566?
Polish army troops ransacked his house and destroyed all his possessions inside the building after he provoked the wrath of the king. He fled the event and lived for a while in Vienna before returning to Transylvania.
Where did Bálint Bakfark die during the plague of 1576?
Bakfark died during the plague of 1576 in the city of Padua. The exact date of his passing falls between the 15th and the 22nd of August.
How many surviving works by Bálint Bakfark exist today?
His surviving works include ten fantasies composed for solo lute, seven madrigals, eight chansons, and fourteen motets. These pieces exist in amazingly faithful polyphonic arrangements for lute alone.