Ludwig Senfl (Senfel, Sennfl. Sennfli, Senfelius, Senphlius) (c.1486-1542/43) was a Swiss Renaissance composer born in Basle or lived in his early years in Zürich and active in Germany. He was the most famous pupil of the South-Netherlandish composer Hendrik Isaac (c.1450-1517). As so often of his early life and education nothing has known. In 1496 Senfl joined as singer the court chapel of Maximilian I (1459-1519), ultimately succeeded in 1517 his master Isaac as “Kapellmeister” and court composer and held that office until the death of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. During his study Senfl is known to have copied much of the great work by his master the Choralis Constantinus,which was published after the death of Isaac and Senfl. When the Emperor died in 1519, Senfl was out of a job, and his circumstances - due to an injury - altered for the worse: Charles V (1500-1558) dismissed most of Maximilian's musicians, and even refused to pay Senfl the annual stipend which had been promised to him in the event of the emperor's death. He stayed in Worms, Augsburg and Munich and in 1520 he published his first printed edition the Liber selectarum cantionum one of the first music books printed in Germany. In 1523 Senfl joined the Court Chapel in Munich. On one title-page (1526) he is called 'Musicus intonator,' on another (1534) 'Musicus primarius,' of the Duke of Bavaria IV (1508-1550), while in his own letters he subscribes himself simply 'Componist zu München.' Munich a place which had high musical standards, a strong need for new music, and which was relatively tolerant of those with Protestant sympathies. Senfl sympathized with the Reformation he admired Luther (1483-1546). Senfl was to remain in Munich for the rest of his life. By 1540 he was ill, judging from his correspondence with Duke Albrecht V (1528-1579), and he probably died in early 1543. Senfl was nevertheless an influential figure in the development of the South-Netherlandish polyphonic style, especially that developed by Josquin (c. 1440-1521) and especially his teacher Isaac in Germany. Senfl also wrote numerous (about 250) German lieder, most of them secular (a handful on sacred texts were written for Duke Albrecht of Prussia). They vary widely in character, from extremely simple settings of a cantus firmus to Polyphonic contrapuntal. His output contains among others 7 masses, many sacred motets, vespers, psalms and Magnificats settings.