A contemporary of Josquin des Prez, he was singing master of the French royal chapel under King Francis I, and was important in the history of the polyphonic setting of the Passion.
In 1507 he is listed as a member of the group of private musicians of the French king, Louis XII, and in 1515, Francis I promoted him to maître de chapelle (singing master) of the royal chapel.
Alfonso I, the Duke of Ferrara, made one more attempt to get him to return to his opulent musical establishment in Italy, but evidently was not successful.
[3] His colleague at the chapelle royale, Pierre Moulu, pays tribute to Longueval in his "musicians' motet" Mater floreat (from a manuscript presented to Lorenzo II de’ Medici at his wedding in 1518) which after paying tribute to the leading composers of Europe, from Du Fay, Regis, Busnois, Basiron, Alexander Agricola, Jacob Obrecht, and Josquin, turns to Louis XII's own composers giving first and longest place to Longueval.
[4] The chansons by Longueval show both archaic characteristics, in that they partially abide by the 15th century convention of the formes fixes,[5] but they also are progressive in their use of imitation, which may be an influence of Josquin.