Josquin des Prez
Josquin des Prez [Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez] (French pronunciation: [ʒɔskɛ̃ depʁe]; c. 1450/1455 – 27 August 1521), often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is also known as Josquin Desprez and Latinized as Josquinus Pratensis, alternatively Jodocus Pratensis, although he himself expressed his preferred spelling of his name, Josquin des Prez, in an acrostic in his motet Illibata Dei virgo nutrix. Read Full BioJosquin des Prez [Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez] (French pronunciation: [ʒɔskɛ̃ depʁe]; c. 1450/1455 – 27 August 1521), often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is also known as Josquin Desprez and Latinized as Josquinus Pratensis, alternatively Jodocus Pratensis, although he himself expressed his preferred spelling of his name, Josquin des Prez, in an acrostic in his motet Illibata Dei virgo nutrix. He was the most famous European composer between Guillaume Dufay and Palestrina, and is usually considered to be the central figure of the Franco-Flemish School. Josquin is widely considered by music scholars to be the first master of the high Renaissance style of polyphonic vocal music that was emerging during his lifetime.
During the 16th century, Josquin gradually acquired the reputation as the greatest composer of the age, his mastery of technique and expression universally imitated and admired. Writers as diverse as Baldassare Castiglione and Martin Luther wrote about his reputation and fame; theorists such as Heinrich Glarean and Gioseffo Zarlino held his style as that best representing perfection. He was so admired that many anonymous compositions were attributed to him by copyists, probably to increase their sales. More than 370 works are attributed to him; it was only after the advent of modern analytical scholarship that some of these mistaken attributions have been challenged, on the basis of stylistic features and manuscript evidence. Yet in spite of Josquin's colossal reputation, which endured until the beginning of the Baroque era and was revived in the 20th century, his biography is shadowy, and we know next to nothing about his personality. The only surviving work which may be in his own hand is a graffito on the wall of the Sistine Chapel, and only one contemporary mention of his character is known, in a letter to Duke Ercole I of Ferrara. The lives of dozens of minor composers of the Renaissance are better documented than the life of Josquin.
Josquin wrote both sacred and secular music, and in all of the significant vocal forms of the age, including masses, motets, chansons and frottole. During the 16th century, he was praised for both his supreme melodic gift and his use of ingenious technical devices. In modern times, scholars have attempted to ascertain the basic details of his biography, and have tried to define the key characteristics of his style to correct misattributions, a task that has proved difficult, as Josquin liked to solve compositional problems in different ways in successive compositions—sometimes he wrote in an austere style devoid of ornamentation, and at other times he wrote music requiring considerable virtuosity. Heinrich Glarean wrote in 1547 that Josquin was not only a "magnificent virtuoso" (the Latin can be translated also as "show-off") but capable of being a "mocker", using satire effectively. While the focus of scholarship in recent years has been to remove music from the "Josquin canon" (including some of his most famous pieces) and to reattribute it to his contemporaries, the remaining music represents some of the most famous and enduring of the Renaissance.
During the 16th century, Josquin gradually acquired the reputation as the greatest composer of the age, his mastery of technique and expression universally imitated and admired. Writers as diverse as Baldassare Castiglione and Martin Luther wrote about his reputation and fame; theorists such as Heinrich Glarean and Gioseffo Zarlino held his style as that best representing perfection. He was so admired that many anonymous compositions were attributed to him by copyists, probably to increase their sales. More than 370 works are attributed to him; it was only after the advent of modern analytical scholarship that some of these mistaken attributions have been challenged, on the basis of stylistic features and manuscript evidence. Yet in spite of Josquin's colossal reputation, which endured until the beginning of the Baroque era and was revived in the 20th century, his biography is shadowy, and we know next to nothing about his personality. The only surviving work which may be in his own hand is a graffito on the wall of the Sistine Chapel, and only one contemporary mention of his character is known, in a letter to Duke Ercole I of Ferrara. The lives of dozens of minor composers of the Renaissance are better documented than the life of Josquin.
Josquin wrote both sacred and secular music, and in all of the significant vocal forms of the age, including masses, motets, chansons and frottole. During the 16th century, he was praised for both his supreme melodic gift and his use of ingenious technical devices. In modern times, scholars have attempted to ascertain the basic details of his biography, and have tried to define the key characteristics of his style to correct misattributions, a task that has proved difficult, as Josquin liked to solve compositional problems in different ways in successive compositions—sometimes he wrote in an austere style devoid of ornamentation, and at other times he wrote music requiring considerable virtuosity. Heinrich Glarean wrote in 1547 that Josquin was not only a "magnificent virtuoso" (the Latin can be translated also as "show-off") but capable of being a "mocker", using satire effectively. While the focus of scholarship in recent years has been to remove music from the "Josquin canon" (including some of his most famous pieces) and to reattribute it to his contemporaries, the remaining music represents some of the most famous and enduring of the Renaissance.
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Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae: Sanctus
Josquin des Prez Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Josquin des Prez:
El grillo El grillo è buon cantore Che tiene longo verso. Dalle beve g…
El grillo è buon cantore El grillo è buon cantore che tiene longo verso. ¡Dale beve…
Pange lingua Pange, lingua, gloriósi Córporis mystérium, Sanguinísque pre…
Tu solus qui facis mirabilia Tu solus qui facis mirabilia, Tu solus Creator, qui creasti …
The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below, by filtering for lyric videos or browsing the comments in the different videos below.
Rain Adkins
Luscious music, really outstanding performance. Who could ask for more on a grey Monday morning?
edelmantos
I just discovered this channel. It's great! I hope you plan doing more renaissance masses, especially Josquin. I went through few of your uploads and their are all nothing but magnificent. Thanks for your hard work and exquisite taste!
edelmantos
@Pour ceux que le langage a désertés I will stay tuned :) Thank you
Pour ceux que le langage a désertés
Thanks for your appreciation! I will certainly make more Renaissance masses, though I'm not sure if there will be more Josquin anytime soon.
Roger Hobden
Like +++++
The Music and Singing Performances of Dylon Tomas
Thanks so much for this. This is one of Josquin's best masses.
Yousef Shadian
@The Music and Singing Performances of Dylon Tomas Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out, and yes I'm interested in his works beyond just his masses. I already listened to his Pange Lingua and Beata Vergine but so far I share your opinion of this one being my favourite.
The Music and Singing Performances of Dylon Tomas
@Yousef Shadian I would suggest his Missa Pange Lingua, which is generally agreed upon that this was the last mass he wrote. His Missa Beata Vergine is also beautiful, particularly the Credo section, which is my favorite part of that mass. His Missa Maulher Me Bat is such a powerful mass, as well. I would lastly recommend his Missa Mater Patris.
Out of these masses though, I think my favorite is this one as well. It's honestly so epic and the vocal contrast is amazing. I don't know if you're also interested in his motets/secular works, but I would recommend his motets Petite Camusette and En l'ombre d'ung buisonnet. Let me know what you think of these. :)
Yousef Shadian
I've only listened to a few masses of Josquin, and so far this is my favourite. Do you have any other suggestions?
The Music and Singing Performances of Dylon Tomas
@Pour ceux que le langage a désertés That is one of his earlier masses, I believe.