Who’s Josquin des Prez?
Josquin des Prez, or just Josquin, was a French composer and the best-recognised determine of the Franco-Flemish Faculty of composition. Josquin’s status as the best Renaissance composer in Europe started in his lifetime and is but to decrease. He’s credited with being a real innovator of the interval, pioneering its polyphonic type of choral music.
When was Josquin des Prez born?
Little or no is understood about Josquin’s youth. Students estimate that he was born in Picardy round 1450 but it surely probably have been as late as 1455. Whereas some recommend he was born in Burgundy or modern-day Belgium, making him Franco-Flemish, surviving paperwork present that he was, at the very least, a self-proclaimed Frenchman. His title has been given a wide range of totally different spellings, together with his speculated authentic title of Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez, from which the acquainted Josquin de Prez developed.
When did Josquin des Prez die?
Students are extra sure about Josquin’s date of demise: August 27 1521. He died in Condé-sur-l’Escaut, the place he had been provost of the collegiate church of Notre Dame since 1504.
What did Josquin des Prez compose?
Josquin’s compositions embody each secular and sacred works and signify a cross-section of the interval’s hottest types. His secular works included chansons and Italian frattole, the previous written for 3 to 6 voices. On the different finish of the spectrum, Josquin produced sacred lots and motets, each of which have been normally for 4 equal voices. A lot of his lots have been based mostly on pre-existing melodies accompanied by various levels of free composition for the totally different voice components.
He additionally contributed to the event of the motet-chanson, a hybrid track kind which mixes secular and sacred choral options.
Which works is Josquin des Prez most well-known for?
Typically talking, practically of Josquin’s repertoire receives fashionable consideration. Nonetheless, various particular person items stand out as the most effective of the composer’s creativity, remaining as readily in-demand for performances at the moment as they did within the fifteenth century.
Whereas his Miserere stays the Renaissance interval’s most revered setting of Psalm 50, the Ave Maria… Virgo serena steals the highest spot as Josquin’s most well-known and influential motet.
Of Josquin’s lots, the next are his most well-known: Missa L’homme armé tremendous voces musicales, Missa beata virgine and Missa Pange Lingua.
How did Josquin des Prez affect the Renaissance interval?
Josquin was a grasp of Renaissance polyphony. He was the best innovator of counterpoint (pre-Bach) and pioneered the strategy of melodic imitation between voices within the composition of choral music. His affect in these areas directed the later Renaissance interval and created new kinds for each secular and sacred music, shifting them away from the homophonic traditions of the medieval interval.
Josquin’s affect is considerably indebted to the invention of printing, which allowed his work to be distributed far and broad. A specific favorite of printer Petrucci, Josquin’s works have been chosen to introduce necessary anthologies and contains the earliest surviving anthology of a single composer’s music. Josquin’s abilities have been extensively wanted all through Europe.
Josquin’s status survived the decline of polyphonic music within the Baroque period, and at the moment remains to be regarded as essentially the most influential composer of the Renaissance.
What are the most effective recordings of works by Josquin des Prez?
It is rather troublesome to go fallacious with the Tallis Students’ performances of Josquin repertoire. On their very own Gimell label, the ensemble has launched a sequence of 9 discs, devoted to the composer’s lots. The primary instalment is a reissue of their award-winning 1986 recording, and the ultimate instalment acquired Recording of the 12 months at our 2021 BBC Music Journal Awards.
Josquin Lots: Missa Hercules Dux Ferrarie, Missa D’ung aultre amer & Missa Faysant regretz
The Tallis Students/Peter Phillips
Gimmell CDGIM 051 (2020)
Learn our evaluate of this recording right here
Josquin Lots: Missa Pange lingua & Missa La sol fa re mi
The Tallis Students/Peter Phillips
Gimmell CDGIM 009 (1986)
Extra nice recordings of works by Josquin des Prez
Josquin
Motets and Mass Actions: O bone et dulcissime Jesu a 6; Domine, ne in furore tuo, and many others.
The Brabant Ensemble/Stephen Rice
Hyperion CDA68321
Learn our evaluate of this recording right here
The Golden Renaissance
Jacquet of Mantua: Motet; Josquin: Missa Pangue Lingua; Motets; Vinders: Lament
Stile Antico
Decca 485 1340
Learn our evaluate of this recording right here
