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.
El grillo è buon cantore
Josquin des Prez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
¡Dale beve grillo canta!
Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli,
come li han cantato un poco van' de fatto in altro loco, sempre el grillo sta pur saldo
Quando la maggior è caldo alhor canta sol per amore.
The song "El grillo è buon cantore" by Josquin Des Prez is an Italian madrigal that speaks of the cricket as a good singer who can hold a long note. The song describes how the other birds, who only sing for a little while, have gone to other places but the cricket remains steadfast and continues to sing. The lyrics suggest the cricket's song is a symbol for steadfastness and resiliency. Moreover, it is said that when the weather is hottest, the cricket sings only for love. This suggests that love can endure even in the toughest and most challenging times, much like how the cricket sings even in unbearable heat.
Furthermore, the use of metaphor in the song gives another layer of meaning to it. The cricket, who is often seen as a symbol of good luck and prosperity, represents determination and perseverance in the face of difficulties. The song's lyrics encourage the listener to persevere through tough times and remain steadfast amidst adversity.
Overall, El grillo è buon cantore is a well-crafted song that uses the cricket as a powerful metaphor for standing strong through tough times and continuing to sing one's song even when other things falter or fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
El grillo è buon cantore che tiene longo verso.
The cricket is a good singer that keeps a long verse.
¡Dale beve grillo canta!
Give the cricket a drink, it will sing!
Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli,
But it does not sing like the other birds,
come li han cantato un poco van' de fatto in altro loco,
who sang a little and went elsewhere,
sempre el grillo sta pur saldo
while the cricket remains steady,
Quando la maggior è caldo alhor canta sol per amore.
and when it is hottest, it sings for love alone.
Contributed by Jayden W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shanethee7667
My brother's high school choir used to sing this. I sing it in the shower now because I can't forget it.
@federicab7636
L'ho cantata alle elementari con i miei compagni in teatro, ora ho le stesse amiche e ancora la cantiamo. Impossibile dimenticarla.
@RenzoPOSER
L'ho cantata a Dinard (località vicina a Saint-Malo) nel 1967. Ero lì per un corso di direzione corale organizzato dall'associazione corale francese "A coeur joie". Come posso dimenticare un brano così spontaneo e gradevole?
@nafimkhan9468
L'ho ascotata oggi nella lezione del Quattrocento di storia della musica...
@solopergiocare5621
Idem
@soniatutino8842
Idem
@farvestonthebeat
Compito per domani hahaha
@octaviosalcedo9239
I sang this in high school great memories
@giuliainvernizzi2310
Bellissimo questo tipo di frottola.
Bravissimi i cantori
@giuliainvernizzi2310
Complimenti