Josquin Des Prez Research Paper

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Josquin Des Prez, born in 1440/1445, was a French composer of many important masses for the 16th century. Even noticed in The New Grove HIGH RENAISSANCE MASTERS, for being one of the best composer it the later 16th century. “Josquin Desprez, one of the greatest composers of the entire renaissance and certainly the most important before the second half of the 16th century.”1 The Ave Maria Virgo Serena. was motet written for the church. Ave Maria gratia plena dominus tecum, virgo serena or Hail Mary. Full of grace, the lord is with thee serene Virgin was from a Gregorian chant. Josquin composed this piece during his service at one of the French and Italian courts. Josquin is wildly known to be a master of the Renaissance style of polyphonic vocal music. He …show more content…

Although it is hard to date his pieces of work. You can still see from the future of the renaissance that he had a huge impact on the way music was written. The Ave Maria was one of the first motets to ever be printed in the year 1502, which was huge because of its popularity. The Ave Maria was written the middle years of Josquin’s life, sometime between 1480 and 1490. Ave Maria was chosen by Petrucci to stand at the head of his first motet collection, Motetti A (1502). “The Ave Marias apparent simplicity conceal great subtley and technical mastery.”2 The opening of the text has an angelic salute, there is an imitation at the octave working from the highest to lowest voice, each phrase over lapping the last. This has very holy effect on the music, creating a sort of symbolic piece. “This work opens with what is called imitative counterpoint, which is characterized by the sequential introduction of the same melodic line in each of the four voices of the ensemble.”3 Each phrase of text goes with a phrase of the music. There are many cadences used throughout this motet. Most resolve with two or more voices resting on a perfect

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