Josquin Desprez

Composer of the Week is broadcast on Radio 3 at 12pm, Monday to Friday. Programmes in November are:

1-5 November Sofia Gubaidulina

8-12 November Cherubini

15-19 November Carla Bley

22-26 November Sibelius

29 November – 3 December Emilie Mayer

ne of the few certainties about Josquin Desprez’s life is that he died 500 years ago, on 27 August 1521. After a lifetime of travel, he had retired to Condé in the county of Hainault – a much-disputed territory (straddling the modern-day borders of northern France and Belgium) that had been passed like a parcel in the political games of medieval Europe. He was buried before the high altar of Notre Dame de Condé, an honour that bears witness to his status not only as provost of the church but as ‘princeps musicorum’ – ‘the prince of music’. Baldassare Castiglione, François Rabelais and Martin Luther all lauded him in their writings;