A man of huge reputation in his own right and as an alumnus of one of the most sophisticated courts in the history of western Europe, the fifteenth century composer Binchois remains for us, at the turn of the twenty first century, one of the key musical figures of his age. Yet in spite of the attention afforded him in the past, he remains, perhaps more than ever, an enigma. One of the chief aims of this book, surprisingly the first concerned solely with the composer, is to attempt to begin to unravel that enigma by viewing him from a variety of contrasting angles. In so doing it will also provide a catalyst for further research which will further deepen our understanding not only of Binchois himself, but also of the cultural environment of which he was part.
