Admired throughout much of Europe during his lifetime, Josquin des Prés remains
one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, for his mastery of polyphony
as well as for the care he lavished on the text and expressiveness of his
masses, motets and chansons. Although many areas of his life remain obscure, a
few landmarks shed light on his biography, which is still being researched.
Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prés was born around 1450 in the county of Hainaut, in
Condé-sur-l'Escaut or Beaurevoir, on what is now the Franco-Belgian border. His
name "des Prés", derived from a famil...