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MUSIC HISTORY: pg. 17



Josquin des Prez

Josquin des Prez (c.1440-1521) was hailed by his contemporaries as “the best composer of our time”, and “the master of notes”. His music marks the beginning of the Renaissance style. Born in France, Josquin spent his life composing for monarchs in Italy and France, and in particular Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, who was a devoted patron. His compositions include eighteen Masses, one hundred motets, and seventy secular vocal works. Josquin’s motets are often based on Gregorian chant melodies. The texture of the music is made up of a series of points of imitation, in which all voice parts are equal and imitate one another. The pure harmonies created from the interweaving parts are more pleasing to the ear, and more emotionally expressive, than the harmonies of his Medieval predecessors. Josquin’s style matches the beauty, purity, and clarity of the Great Gothic Cathedrals in which they were sung.

Style of Josquin’s Motets:

- texture based on a series of points of imitation

- usually four or more equal parts

- flowing melodies often based on chant, or have a chant-like quality

- careful setting of the text to emphasis expression

- mostly syllabic text setting, with careful attention to the accents of the text

- pure sounding harmonies, with predominant use of triads

- rhythmically free and flowing

Josquin’s four part motet “Ave Maria…Virgo serena”, is an example of an early Renaissance motet. Almost the entire piece is based on a series of points of imitation. Like the late Medieval motet, Josquin’s compositions are inspired by Gregorian chant.

Ave Maria…Virgo serena

Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you, gentle Virgin.

Hail, whose conception, full of solemn joy,

fills the heavens, the earth, with new rejoicing.

Hail whose birth was our festival,

as the light-bringing rising light coming before the true sun.

Hail, blessed humility, fertility without a man,

whose annunciation was our salvation.

Hail true virginity, unspotted chastity,

Whose purification was our cleansing.

Hail, famous with all angelic virtues,

whose assumption was our glorification.

O Mother of God, remember me. Amen.


Josquin des Prez Questions

1) What country was Josquin des Prez from?

2) Josquin’s music marks the beginning of what style of music?

3) What was Josquin called by his contemporaries?

4) What are points of imitation?

5) On what preexisting melodies are many of Josquin’s motets based?



Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594) was an Italian Renaissance composer who was one of the most influential composers of the Renaissance. He was the first composer whose musical style was deliberately preserved, imitated and studied. Palestrina worked in the Church, singing, directing choirs and composing music his entire life. Almost all of his music was written for the Church, including many settings of the parts of the Mass as well as numerous motets.

A motet, a short religious piece for choir. Motets of the Renaissance time period were written for unaccompanied choir, also called a cappella, and are polyphonic, meaning that they contain many melodies woven together. Renaissance motets contain fuller harmony, using 3rds and 6ths, and sound less hallow than Medieval part music.

Palestrina was employed in Rome by two different Popes during his life-time. He became the Choir Master at St. Peter's Basilica in 1551. His tomb in St. Peter's is engraved with the title "princeps musicae" - "Prince of Music". Palestrina believed that the purpose of music is to lead the hearts of the listeners to desire heavenly harmonies, and contemplate the joys of the Blessed Saints.

Palestrina's style:

- polyphonic, several melody lines sung by different voices weave in and out

of each other creating harmony; use of canons and imitation

- melodies are often based on chant, or sound chant-like

- gentle pendulum-like pulse of tension and release, mostly consonant

- serene and transparent quality

The text of “Sicut Cervus”, taken from Psalm 42:1, speaks of longing for God, like the hart longs for water. St. Augustine writes, “The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” Let us pray that our hearts thirst may for Christ so that we may be filled with Him.

“Sicut Cervus”

As the hart yearns for the water springs:

So longs my soul for thee, O God!


Palestrina Questions

1) What country is Palestrina from?

2) Palestrina was the Choir Master at what famous basilica?

3) Who did Palestrina work for there?

4) Where is Palestrina buried?

5) What words are engraved on his tomb?

6) What is a motet?

7) What does a cappella mean?

8) What does polyphonic mean?



Tomás Luis da Victoria

Tomás Luis da Victoria (1548-1611) is recognized as the greatest Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He published 45 motets, 20 Masses, 18 setting of the Magnificat text, a polyphonic hymnal, as well as setting of the psalms and antiphons for Vespers services, all for a cappella choir. His musical training began in Avila where he sang as a choirboy at the cathedral there. He then studied in Italy, likely with Palestrina. He was a very religious man, and composed all his music for the Catholic Church. When he returned to Spain from Rome in 1587, he became the Chaplain to Empress Maria. One of his most famous works is the Requiem Mass that he wrote for her funeral in 1603. His pieces are noted for their religious intensity, and careful attention to the meaning of the text. Like Palestrina, Victoria believed that the purpose of music is to lead the hearts of the listeners to desire heavenly harmonies, and contemplate the joys of the Blessed.

The style of Victoria's Polyphonic Motets:

- several melody lines sung by different voices weave in and out

of each other creating harmony

- melodies are floating, and often contain arch structures

- polyphonic; use of canons and imitation between different voices

- harmonies are pure and clear

- pendulum-like pulse of tension and release; expressive intensity

“O Quam Glorisum” is joyful motet which speaks of the blessed joys the Saints experience in Heaven. The text is based on St. John’s vision in the book of Revelation in which Christ, pictured as the Lamb of God, leads His Saints dressed in white.

“O Quam Gloriosum”

O how glorious is the kingdom, in which all the saints rejoice with Christ!

Clad in white robes, they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.


Victoria Questions

1) What country was Victoria from?

2) Where did he begin his musical training?

3) What famous composer did he probably study music with?

4) Victoria composed all of his music for the _________.

5) Victoria was the Chaplain for ________________.



William Byrd

William Byrd (1543-1623), lived in England during the difficult times of King Henry VIII and his successors. As a teenager, Byrd composed one of his first motets, an Easter procession, “In exitu Israel”, in conjunction with John Sheppard and William Mundy at the Chapel Royal towards the end of the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I. Most of Byrd’s adult life, however, was spent during the reign of Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. Byrd courageously continued to openly practice the Catholic faith, attended secret Masses with his family and even published settings of the Latin Mass. He and his family were frequently cited for not attending Anglican Services, and he had to go to court several times, but his popularity as a composer helped he and his family to escape the imprisonment and death that other Catholics of his day faced. Byrd was, however, willing to write music for Protestant Church Services, and he composed many beautiful religious motets in the English language in addition to his numerous Latin Motets. Whether writing for the Catholic Mass or for Protestant Services, Byrd sought to express Catholic ideas in the music that he composed. After the brutal martyrdom of Father Edmund Campion, a Jesuit priest who was secretly celebrating Masses for the faithful, Byrd composed a motet on the Latin text of psalm 78, expressing the determination of Catholics to carry on their faith – the text reads in part: “Give ear, O my people to my teaching, incline your ears to the words of my mouth… We will not hide them from our children; we will tell the coming generation.” He also published numerous other works, including two books of English madrigals in the Italian style. The first volume, “Psalms, Sonnets and Songs”, published in 1588, was so popular he published a second volume of Madrigals the next year.

Style of Byrd’s Motets:

- mostly polyphonic, use of many melodies weaving in and out, use of imitation

- free rhythmically, with pendulum like pulse of tension and release

- graceful, spiritual quality throughout, often with a somber mystical undertone

- sometimes inventive harmonic progressions, contrasting major/minor chords

- mostly consonant, strict rules for applying dissonance

One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,

and at once blood and water came out.

- John 19:34

From the earliest days, Christians have recognized the birth of the Church from Christ’s wounded side. The two preeminent sacraments of the Church, Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, are signified by the water and blood that flowed from the side of Christ. When we devoutly receive the sacraments, we participate in Christ’s plan for our salvation, and experience a foretaste of heaven.

“Ave Verum”

Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary, who has truly suffered,

was sacrificed on the Cross for mortals,

Whose side was pierced, whence flowed water and blood:

Be for us a foretaste (of heaven) during our final examining.

O Jesu sweet, O Jesu pure, O Jesu, Son of Mary, have mercy upon me. Amen


Byrd Questions

1) What country was William Byrd from?

2) What did Byrd and his family attend secretly?

3) Why did Byrd have to go to court on several occasions?

4) What two languages did Byrd compose music in?

5) What ideas did Byrd try to express in his religious music, regardless of what language he was writing in?

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