The Music of Josquin des Prez Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Music of Josquin des Prez - Research Paper Example that he did not compose what his patron wished – he composed when and what he wanted and that the reason as to why he frequently changed his jobs was that compared to his counterparts, he demanded a higher pay. Josquin was mostly celebrated for his motets and chansons and was very particular about his songs – if anyone tried to alter them, he became very furious. His contemporaries admired his composing skill greatly. These included Cosimo Bartoli a Florentine mid-century composer who asserted that Josquin’s standing was equivalent to Michelangelo’s stature in sculpture, as well as Martin Luther who confessed that the mastery that Josquin had was so great that it defied comparison with the endeavors of his counterparts. Additionally, Heinrich Glarean, a theorist and humanist from Switzerland, in his judgment of Josquin, confessed that Josquin’s skill was utterly versatile, so endowed with a natural vigor and acumen that he was able to do anything pertaining music. Glarean adds that this polyphonist’s songs gracefully and fluently expressed the moods of the heart matchlessly (Knighton & Fallows 15). In their commentary on Josquin’s artistic and historical position in music development, Davison and Apel compares him with Raphael, his contemporary in painting history (225). Another writer by the name Charles Joseph gives a commentary on Josquin’s inventiveness arguing that what has made his music to be so popular is its intriguing compositional logic. Josquin expertly integrates the simplest motivic cells into great melodic compositions of architectural perfection. Consequently, composition and analysis teachers have always advocated that their students examine his works thoroughly (Judd 299). Another person who praises Josquin is Henricus Glareanus. While analyzing his melodic structure and modal mixture, Glareanus pays tribute to Josquin praising this prince of the perfect art for his handling of the modes producing profound pathos, sonorous beauty