Very little is known about Ninot le Petit's life, and only a
relatively few works survive. Not even his true name is
certain, with both 'Johanni Parvi' and 'Johannes Baltazar'
having been put forward by scholars as names by which
he might have been recognised in different physical locations.
Indeed, it is under the former name that Barton Hudson in
1979 published the edition of Ninot's works that has served
us since that time (Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae No. 87).
As for the second name - 'Baltazar' - current scholarship
suggests this may be erroneous, as it seems certain Ninot was
alive after Baltazar's death in 1502, and likely associated with
the Royal Court in France around that time. It is probably most
likely that the composer was the same person as one Jean Lepetit,
who was the choirmaster at Langres Cathedral from 1506 to 1510,
and canon at that institution thereafter until 1529. This would
better match the the composer's stylistic characteristics than
seeing Ninot occupying a slightly earlier timeframe, as his
music is quite modern for its time, especially the secular works.

Often considered particularly important for his secular music,
a number of the larger scale motets are also exceptionally fine.
Certainly these pieces deserve to be performed more widely,
which is one of the main reasons this site has been created.
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For each of the works presented on this site, clicking on the
title will bring up page one of the score in a new window.
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Each first page has details about the edition summarized
at the top left. For all works excepting the Mass, full texts and
translations (into English) are provided on the last page of
each edition. No attempt has been made to standardise or
modernise the Old French primarily used in the secular works.

Where possible, works are presented with a modern
mixed-voice ensemble in mind, which often entails
scoring the contra part in treble clef rather than
octave-transposing tenor clef. Where significant re-voicings
have been made as a result, these are marked in the score.

Each work also has a button beneath the description that
will allow you to either listen to or download a complete
MP3 recording of the work involved (for free).
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If you are interested in purchasing any score(s), please use the
'Email Contact' button at the top of any page to order.
I will make out an invoice and email this to you within one day.

All Payments are to be made via Paypal, and instructions
for payment will be clearly outlined in the invoice.
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Pricing will be calculated on the following basis, and will give you
the right to make unlimited copies of the score(s) you purchase.

Scores of 1-5 pages: US$3/page
Scores of 6-12 pages: US$2.50/page
Scores of 12-20 pages: US$2.20/page
Scores of over 20 pages: US$2.00/page

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