General Biography on Josquin

“Who was Josquin?” This apparently simple question continues to generate serious speculation and disagreement. To some, Josquin is the first musical superstar, likened to a 15th-century Beethoven: innovator, individualist, an elemental force in the creation of new musical horizons. To others, he is the mysterious craftsman, toiling away at his art, serving the glory of God while remaining humble, unseen, and frustratingly invisible behind the veil of the years. Any images we have of him, such as the Opmeer woodcut from 1611 that shows the composer sporting a turban and a distant expression, tell us precious little. Interestingly, historians recently uncovered the composer’s signature chiseled into a wall of the Sistine Chapel, where “Josquinj” was employed from 1481 until 1495 or so. The writing’s authenticity cannot be determined, but it makes one ponder Josquin’s awareness of his own posthumous legacy.
Apart from the occasional static likeness or graffito, we do have something of Josquin’s that many people deem far more satisfying: his music. Even though his reputation has waxed and waned with the tastes of the centuries leading up to our own, Josquin is probably the earliest musician whose works never left the canon. Tonight’s concert presents works by Josquin alongside contemporary pieces inspired by his example. We shall have a chance to observe the impact of his music both directly and indirectly, studying the light of a past master in a small sampling of his best works, but also refracted through the imaginations of modern creators.

(c) Jason Stell