Stephen of Liège (also Étienne de Liège; ( – 16 May 920) was a Frankish churchman who was the

bishop of Liège A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

from 901 until his death in 920. He was a

hagiographer A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an wiktionary:adulatory, adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religi ...

and composer of church music. His surviving compositions include three Proper Offices for the Office of the Trinity, the Office of the Invention of St Stephen and the Office of St Lambert. Like the Offices of his contemporary

Hucbald Hucbald ( – 20 June 930; also Hucbaldus or Hubaldus) was a Benedictine monk active as a music theorist, poet, composer, teacher, and hagiographer. He was long associated with Saint-Amand Abbey, so is often known as Hucbald of St Amand. Deeply i ...

, Stephen's compositions follow the eight

mode Mode ( meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to: Arts and entertainment * MO''D''E (magazine), a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine * ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is the setting fo ...

s, though the musicologist Yves Chartier does not consider this innovation, asserting that both composers "did no more than to apply openly a manner of composition that was prevalent in their milieu."

Life and career

Stephen was born in the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

around 850. In

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

he attended cathedral school and later went to the

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

's palace school in 864. Following his education, Stephen attained numerous church posts: he became an abbot of St Evre, St Mihiel and

Lobbes Lobbes (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Lobbes had a total population of 5,499. The total area is 32.08 km2 which gives a population density of 171 inhabitants per km2. The m ...

as well as a canon of

Metz Cathedral Metz Cathedral is the cathedral of the Catholic Roman Catholic Diocese of Metz, Diocese of Metz, the seat of the Bishop of Metz, bishops of Metz. It is dedicated to Saint Stephen. The diocese dates back at least to the 4th century and the presen ...

. He was elected

in 901, holding the post until his death in Liége on 16 May 920. His works include ''In Festi Sanctisissimae Trinitatis'', an office for the feast of the Trinity. The celebration of the

Feast of the Holy Trinity Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the ...

is attributed to him.''The ''Menologies'' ( P.L., CLI, 1020), written during the pontificate of Gregory VII (

Nilles Nikolaus Nilles (21 June 1828–31 January 1907) was a Roman Catholic writer and teacher. Life Nilles was born into a wealthy peasant family of Rippweiler, Luxembourg. After completing his gymnasium studies brilliantly, he went to Rome whe ...

, II, 460), call the Sunday after

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

a Dominica vacans, with no special Office, but add that in some places they recited the Office of the Holy Trinity composed by Bishop Stephen of Liège (903–20)'
''Catholic Encyclopedia''

Recording

*''Etienne de Liège. In festo sanctissimae trinitatis''. Psallentes. RIC 249

References

Sources

* *

External links

Image
of the Office of the Trinity by Stephen of Liège {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephen of Liege 850s births 920 deaths Year of birth uncertain Bishops of Liège Christian hagiographers 9th-century composers 10th-century composers

Life and career

Recording

References

Sources

Further reading

External links