Spring Concert
Series 2008
Music's First Superstar- Josquin des Prez
|
"Music of Josquin des Prez and his legacy"
Featuring his greatest hits:
Josquin, as he is better known, wrote both sacred and secular music in all of the
significant vocal forms of the age. His masterpieces included masses, motets,
chansons, the motet-chanson, and frottole (a composition of three or four voices
with the highest voice containing the melody). He made extensive use of "motivic
cells" in his compositions. These are short, easily recognizable melodic fragments,
which pass from voice to voice in a contrapuntal texture (counterpoint). He may have
studied counterpoint under Ockeghem.
Josquin began as a choirboy at Saint-Quentin, probably around 1460, and was in charge
of its music. Records show that at some point he was employed as a singer at the chapel of
Rene' in Aix-en-Provence until at least 1478. Although some contradictory evidence exists
regarding where Josquin was from 1480 to 1482, by 1483 or 1484, he was in the service of the
Sforza family in Milan. After a possible period of travel, he went to Rome in 1489 where he was
a member of the papal choir until 1495. While there, he may have carved his name into the wall of
the Sistine Chapel, as a "JOSQUINJ" was recently revealed by workers restoring the chapel. It was
traditional in those days for singers to carve their names into the walls and hundreds of names were
inscribed there during the period from the 15th to the 18th centuries. If, in fact, the graffiti is by
Josquin, it would be his only surviving autograph.
For a brief period during the year 1498, Josquin most likely re-entered the service
of the Sforza family. In all probability he returned to France in 1499 where he was
in the service of Louis XII until 1503, when Duke Ercole I hired him to serve as
chapelmaster in Ferrara. An outbreak of the plague in the summer of 1503 prompted
the Duke and many others to leave Ferrara. Josquin did not leave until the next
April when he went directly to Conde'-sur-l'Escaut. There, he became provost of the
collegiate church of Notre-Dame on May 3, 1504. He remained in Conde' until his
death in 1521. During the last twenty years of his life, Josquin, 'music's first
superstar,' saw his fame spread abroad along with his music. The newly developed
technology of printing made it possible for his music to be widely dispersed. Among a long list of compositions attributed to Josquin are: the Missa Hercules dux Ferrariae, To read more about Josquin click here.
|
PUTNAM CHORALE MAKES A BIG
IMPRESSION
A delighted hush fell over the audience when the thirty-eight members of the
Putnam Chorale began the musically demanding performance of the work of Josquin des Prez at the First
United Methodist Church in Brewster, New York on Saturday evening. The
complicated harmonies and pure notes of the music of the French Renaissance
surrounded the concertgoers and transported them to another time and place. The
Putnam Chorale is a non-profit, all-volunteer, professionally directed
community chorus that has been making beautiful music in the Putnam/Dutchess area for twenty-five years. The Chorale performs
two seasonal concert series, an annual Family Holiday Concert, and the very
popular Handel’s Messiah Sing in December.
This year, under the guidance of director Dr. Douglas Anderson, the
Chorale tackled the oeuvre of Josquin des Prez, dubbed “music’s first superstar,” for their spring
concert series. Des Prez,
Anderson explained, was the pop star of his day – in 15th century
Europe everybody could hum a few of his tunes. When the printing press was
developed, Josquin’s compositions, which include
masses, motets, and chansons, were among the first items to be reproduced. The Putnam Chorale
tackled Josquin’s complicated harmonies with flair,
skill, and enthusiasm. Their robust
voices blended with the cellist and wind players on hand to round out the
performance. They were also joined by
Gustavo A. Leppe, a professional counter tenor with
an impressively high range. The
Putnam Chorale’s efforts to bring culture and fine music to the community have
not gone unappreciated. Recently, an anonymous donor pledged 25,000 dollars to
support their organization. Rehearsals
for the Fall Season will begin in September and new members are always welcome
in this friendly, relaxed, and fun-loving group. The only requirement is a love
of singing. No auditions are required. Evan
Schlansky (Evan
Schlansky is an assistant editor for Rolling Stone Magazine and a contributing editor
of American Songwriter Magazine) The Putnam Chorale includes singers from every town in The PUTNAM CHORALE is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization. Sponsors and Patrons are welcome as are non-singing volunteers to help with operations
and production. YOU are welcome! Come and enjoy
fine music at area venues. You are visitor number; |
Josquin des Prez