Josquin Des Prez on Music Theory Print

Adieu mes amours

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Josquin’s version#

Josquin’s chanson was used as the basis for works by a number of other composers, including a version by Heinrich Isaac, and the five-voice chanson “Vous seulement” by Simon Moreau. The setting by Jean Mouton seems to be unrelated to the setting by Josquin. Although “Adieu mes amours” was originally a secular chanson, it was used in a number of mass settings such as, Missa “Adieu mes amours” which uses both parody and cantus firmus compositional techniques by Francesco de Layolle, and another Missa “Adieu mes amours” by Jacob Obrecht. The first attribution to Josquin of this chanson is in the Casanatense chansonnier of around 1480, which was probably put together to celebrate the betrothal of Isabella d’Este to Francesco Gonzaga. The chansonnier includes works by many of the great composers of the period, including Johannes Ockeghem, Johannes Martini and Alexander Agricola. It included six chansons attributed to Josquin, each with a different spelling of his name, suggesting that the copyist was not aware of Josquin prior to this, lessening the likelihood that the chanson was mistakenly attributed to Josquin. An issue in the performance practice of Josquin’s setting of this chanson is whether it was a vocal piece or an instrumental piece. Although there is underlay of the text in the Florence 2794 manuscript, the music does not fit well with the rondeau refrain of the original. At least ten other contemporary manuscripts include only the incipit and no other text.

Ave Maria ... virgo serena

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Composition#

The work was composed during Josquin des Prez’s service at the North Italian court at Milan. It was initially thought to have been copied into the manuscript Munich 3154 by 1476. Subsequent work by Joshua Rifkin established the date of publication to about 1485. It is Josquin’s earliest dateable work. Several modern theorists have applied the concept of syntactic imitation to describe the lucid relationship between the text and Josquin’s musical setting. Each phrase corresponds to a line of text, cleverly exposed through points of imitation. Structural articulations often resolve on cadences, where voices arrive on perfect intervals. The opening section summarizes the first four lines of text in a simple structure. Clear imitation of each phrase, in the style of litany, dramatically echoes from the highest to lowest voice, almost resembling Gregorian chant. While the phrases are identical in length, the counterpoint’s turbidity increases, climaxing where all four voices sing together. This climax turns to an imperfect, deceptive cadence. The theme of syntactic imitation is exemplified by each strophe in the poem, comparable and balanced in length with the others. Local details in texture and counterpoint often directly relate to the syntactic effect of the text, like the sudden expanse of homophonic harmonies during “solemni plena gaudio”. Following this moment comes “coelestia, terrestria…,” while the vocalists join in climbing melodic lines and dense syncopation. While the regularity of imitation initially articulates the phrases, the middle verses exemplify the articulation from contrasts in texture. Duets alternate between voices and often break off into trios. The lines are punctuated by structural cadences, presenting the text in a temporary repose. Josquin locates each of these structural cadences in progressions of increasing power, placing the strongest, most perfect cadence for the very end of each line. The unity of musical sound, representing the spiritual unity of prayer, completes the act of worship which has been the rhetorical goal of the text. The final lines are sung in homophony, as if the four, once separate voices have aligned under the grace of God.

Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria

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History#

Composed by Josquin des Prez, the motet first appeared in print around 1519, with the publication of Motetti de la corona, libro quarto by Ottaviano Petrucci. The cantus firmus is a twelfth-century Gregorian melody titled Inviolata that was traditionally performed during Candlemas; Josquin based his composition on a particular version of Inviolata sung at the Basilica of Our Lady, Tongeren.

Structure#

The motet is scored for five voices: three free ones and two singing the cantus firmus, which is divided into three sections and expressed in whole notes. The time interval between the voices singing the cantus firmus decreases with each section, from three breves to two to one. In the opening bars (1–15), perfect modus is employed, creating a dignified atmosphere, whereas imperfect modus is established at the start of the second part. The five-breve phrase “O benigna, O regina, O Maria” is repeated thrice in the third section, with all five voices singing the same chords. In total, the motet is made up of some 144 (12 x 12) breves, a reference to the “holy” figure associated with Mary and the “woman of the apocalypse” with “a crown of twelve stars” around her head in the Book of Revelation.

Miserere (Josquin)

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External links#

*Free scores of this work in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

References and further reading#

Richard Sherr, ed., The Josquin Companion. Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press, 2000.
Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954.
Patrick Macey: “Josquin des Prez”, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed November 26, 2006), (subscription access)
Patrick Macey, Bonfire Songs: Savonarola’s Musical Legacy. Oxford, Clarendon Press. 1998.
Lewis Lockwood, Music in Renaissance Ferrara, 1400-1505. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984.

Missa ad fugam

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Missa de Beata Virgine (Josquin)

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References#

Jeremy Noble: “Josquin des Prez”, 12, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed March 25, 2007), (subscription access)
Alejandro Enrique Planchart, “Masses on Plainsong Cantus Firmi”, in Robert Sherr, ed., The Josquin Companion. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I). Bloomington, Indiana. Frangipani Press, 1986.
Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954.
Gustave Reese (biography) and Jeremy Noble (works), “Josquin Desprez,” Howard Mayer Brown, “Mass”, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980.

Missa Gaudeamus

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Sources and attribution#

The number of sources for this work is relatively high: two printed editions, four reprints and seven manuscripts. The Missa super Gaudeamus mass was first published in Misse Josquin (“Liber Primus Missarum Josquin “) (Venice, 1502) by Ottaviano Petrucci together with the masses L’homme arme. Super voces musicales, La.sol.fa.re.mi, Fortuna desperata, L’homme arme. Sexti toni, and reprinted in Rome in 1526. Among the first manuscript copies we mention the Kyrie copied by Johannes Orceau, for the Sistine Chapel, in Rome, dated between 1503 and 1512. probably copied in the 1520s by Pierre Alamire ascribes the mass to Ockeghem, as well as an 1836 manuscript in Leipzig by Moritz Hauptmann. Fétis, in his Biographie universelle des musiciens, under the voice relative to Ockeghem, cites a manuscript of the Kyrie and Christe of a messe .. intitulée Gaudeamus published by Kiesewetter in 1834; however, such authorship had been later amended by Kiesewetter in his 1848 edition of the History of the modern music of western Europe.

Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae

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History#

The interest of the Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae lies in Josquin’s association with the court of Ferrara. However, there are no records of an explicit or formal relationship between Josquin des Prez and the Duke of Ferrara. There is, however, much to suggest an informal relationship. Duke Ercole d’Este I of Ferrara reigned from 1471 to 1505. His accomplishments during his reign are significant. The revival of classical drama at the court opened the way to a “lively tradition of secular theatre that lasted through the sixteenth century and is significant for the pre-history of opera.” During his reign, the architect Biagio Rossetti enlarged the city and built new streets and palazzi making Ferrara the first planned city in Europe. Ercole negotiated advantageous marriages for all his children to other dynasties and maintained a strategic political alliance with France. “What we may call the politics of culture at Ferrara under Ercole emerges in part from his carefully calculated dealings with the Papacy on the one hand and the court of France on the other. When we look at the development of music at Ferrara in his time, the effects of this dual diplomacy are obvious, and it becomes clear why Ferrara, as a virtual client state of French political interests in Italy, should have been able to rise to the level of a musical center of international significance during the thirty-five years of Ercole’s reign.” Duke Ercole was passionate about music, a passion that was shared by all of his children. Ercole’s older brother, Leonello, had also fostered music during his reign from 1441 to 1450. Shortly after Ercole began his reign, he was able to obtain an impressive chapel of talented musicians and it became one of the largest chapels in Europe at the time. He went to extraordinary efforts to attract singers to Ferrara and to hold them in service. He efforts went so far as to even negotiate with the Pope for the right to confer benefices on the singers himself. Duke Ercole’s main competitor for attracting musician was his friend, Duke Sforza of Milan who also had an impressive chapel. And, of course, Duke Sforza’s chapel included Josquin. It is from this friendship between the two Dukes that Josquin most probably began his informal relationship with the Duke of Ferrara. Following Josquin’s pilgrimage to Rome in August 1484, there is no information about his whereabouts until 1486. Significantly, Duke Antonio Sforza visited Duke Ercole of Ferrara in 1480 for an extended period of 18 months. Duke Antonio’s retinue for the visit numbered some 200 men, most likely including Josquin. Although not officially documented, it is probable that the Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae was written during this time. Because so little is known about Josquin’s life, it is difficult to place his works in any sort of chronology. However, some scholars, such as Patrick Macey, believe that the style of the mass points itself to this time period; others propose that it may have been written during the period 1503/1504, also for stylistic reasons. Furthermore, Duke Ercole’s predecessor, Duke Borso, sought to glorify himself through the acquisition of titles, honors, rare manuscripts and portraits including several frescos of himself and his court. “Ercole evidently sought a way of securing his worldly fame that would compete with that of Borso but avoid direct comparison, and this … may be the basis for the glorification of his name and rank that is conveyed in an unprecedented way in Josquin’s Missa Hercules Dux Ferrara.” Josquin’s relationship with the court seems to have continued until the Duke’s death in 1505, although Josquin himself departed in 1504 to flee an outbreak of the plague. Several documents support this continued association, including a letter from the French court in 1501 to the Duke discussing Josquin’s recruiting efforts in Flanders in behalf of the Duke. In 1502 a letter to the Duke from his secretary recommends the hiring of Isaac instead of Josquin because Isaac is “able to get on better with his colleagues and composes new pieces quicker. It is true, Josquin composes better, but he does it only when it suits him and not when it is requested. More than this, Josquin asks 200 ducats while Isaac is pleased with 120.” The Duke ignored his secretary’s recommendation and Josquin came to Ferrara in 1503 and received the 200 ducat salary he had requested, which was the most a chapel master had ever received there. Unfortunately, Josquin’s stay at the court of Ferrara was short lived. The following year, 1504, Josquin fled to Condé-sur-l’Escaut in France from the plague which claimed Josquin’s replacement, Obrecht, just a year later, in the summer of 1505. Once again, little is known about Josquin’s life during this time following his departure; however, it is probable that Josquin served King Louis XII at least until 1515. He stayed in Condé until his death in 1521.

Missa L'homme armé sexti toni

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Background#

When assembling the whole of Missa L’homme armé sexti toni, musicologists used nine total sources, but none of these primary sources contained a perfect picture of the Mass. In general, the Italian sources include much more ornamentation than the more basic Northern sources and most modern editions use a mix of both to create a cohesive final piece.

The L’homme armé melody#

L’homme armé or “The armed man” is a song originating from the early 15th century, and while the text is not used in Missa L’homme armé sexti toni, the song is about the fear that comes during times of war. The harmonic fabric of Renaissance composition relies heavily upon writing around the cantus firmus, so the original L’homme armé melody may be elongated, shortened, reversed, transposed, or cut up and spread across vocal lines.

Missa L'homme armé super voces musicales

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Background#

Dating of the mass has been controversial, with some scholars proposing a mid-career date, for example during Josquin’s Roman period (roughly 1489 to 1495), and other scholars, such as Gustave Reese, arguing for an earlier date, claiming that the contrapuntal complexity the mass shows is more typical of Josquin’s early style, and that he simplified his method as he aged. The earliest source containing the mass is the Vatican manuscript CS 197 (c. 1492–1495) In his 1547 Dodekachordon, Heinrich Glarean wrote that Josquin “composed the two L’homme armé masses to show off his skill.”

Missa La sol fa re mi

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Background#

“Lascia fare mi” (“leave it to me”, or possibly in a more idiomatic translation, “let me do it”) was supposedly a common phrase used by an unknown aristocrat to get people to stop pestering him with requests or complaints. The story was first reported by Glareanus, writing in 1547, who went on to say, “and then Josquin went on to write an entire mass, an exceedingly elegant work, based on these same words: thus, ‘La sol fa re mi.’” Its contrapuntal sophistication, as well as circumstantial evidence suggesting who the aristocrat may have been, perhaps indicate the later date. If the earlier date is correct, it would be the earliest mass ever written on solmization syllables; as it is, it is one of the earliest masses on a freely invented subject. If the mass is dated to the 1490s, circumstantial evidence suggests that the aristocrat who made excessive promises may not have been an Italian at all, but a Turk. Prince Cem Sultan, half-brother of Bayezid II, was being kept captive (in opulent luxury) in Rome during the period Josquin was there, and relentlessly implored Pope Innocent VIII (and later Alexander VI) for help in overthrowing his half-brother; the Pope in turn threatened Sultan Bayezid that he would release Cem if Bayezid ever renewed war against Christian Europe. Cem apparently made endless impossible promises and was singularly irritating; this in addition to the vogue in Italy in the 1490s for Turkish fashion (as seen in the turban Josquin wears in his woodcut portrait) has suggested that Josquin may have been poking fun at Cem with the mass – who also steadfastly refused to convert to Christianity.

Missa Pange lingua

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Background#

The Missa Pange lingua is considered to be Josquin’s last mass. It was not available to Ottaviano Petrucci for his 1514 collection of Josquin’s masses, the third and last of the set; additionally, the mass contains references to other late works such as the Missa de Beata Virgine and the Missa Sine nomine. It was not formally published until 1539 by Hans Ott in Nuremberg, although manuscript sources dating from Josquin’s lifetime contain the work. Famous copyist Pierre Alamire included it at the beginning of one of his two compilations of masses by Josquin.

Missa sine nomine (Josquin)

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References#

Jeremy Noble: “Josquin des Prez”, 12, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed March 25, 2007), (subscription access)
M. Jennifer Bloxam, “Masses on Polyphonic Songs”, in Robert Scherr, ed., The Josquin Companion. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I). Bloomington, Indiana. Frangipani Press, 1986.
Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954.
Gustave Reese (biography) and Jeremy Noble (works), “Josquin Desprez,” Howard Mayer Brown, “Mass”, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980.

Nymphes des bois

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Modern editions#

The New Josquin Edition 29.18, 2016, ed. Patrick Macey. P. 277 of its Critical Commentary lists all other extant editions.

Sources#

Ottaviano Petrucci’s textless print from 1508, entitled Requiem. Its quinta pars is missing.
The Medici Codex from 1518. Text: Molinet’s poem with an extra line added between line 7 and 8.
Tielman Susato’s print from 1545, with a substantial change in the text of the first stanza of Molinet’s poem.
The Medici Codex and Susato’s print are in black notation, symbolising mourning. Mensuration signs and clefs are absent except in Petrucci’s edition. All voices have staff signatures of a flat (mi/fa signs). In the Medici Codex the following canon (performance direction) was added to the Tenor: (To avoid debate and quarrelling, half a tone down this line you should sing). Susato’s version is more prosaic: (One semitone lower). Only in Petrucci’s print clefs and mensuration signs are indicated. The breve forms the tactus, the mensuration sign is imperfect (¢), and the Phrygian mode is transposed up a fourth to a.

Molinet’s poem#

Below, the text of (Epitaph of the venerable lord of good memory, Okgam, treasurer of the abbey of Tours, composed by master Jehan Moulinet) is provided in the original Middle French and English. Nymphes des boys deesses des fontaines, Chantres expers de toutes nations, Changéz voz voix fort cleres et haultaines En cris trenchantz et lamentations. Car atropos, tres terrible satrappe, A vostre okgam atrape en sa trape. Vray tresorier de musique et chef doeuvre. Grant dommage est que la terre le coeuvre. Acoultrez vous dhabitz de doeul, Josquin, perchon, brumel, compere, Et pleurez grosses larmes doeuil, Perdu avez vostre bon pere Requiescat in pace. Amen. Nymphs of the woods, goddesses of the fountains, Expert singers of all nations, Change your voices, so clear and high Into strident cries and lamentations. For Atropos, that terrible Satrap, Has trapped your Ockeghem in her trap. True treasurer of music and eminent craftsman. A great pity it is that the earth covers him. Put on your mourning cloaks, Josquin, Piersson, Brumel, Compère, And shed big tears from your eyes, You have lost your good father. May he rest in peace. Amen.