“Josquin’s melodies drive you onwards. Individual voices act and react to a strict, underlying pulse. Whispering duets burst into powerful tuttis. Individual voices suddenly converge to express powerful feelings. His music can be bold and powerful, but also plaintive, gloomy and boisterous. It can make you laugh or fight back the tears.” Jesse Rodin, the artistic leader of Cut Circle and an Associate Professor of Music at Stanford University, is fascinated by the music of Josquin des Prez. His monography The Art of Counterpoint from Du Fay to Josquin, and the book Josquin: A New Approach with significant contributions by Rodin, will both be published in 2024. During this lecture, the Renaissance specialist will share his perspective on performing Josquin’s music: an exclusive shot of musicology that will bring you up to date in no time on research into the greatest polyphonist of them all. Rodin’s talk is in English, and it is linked to the concert by Cut Circle on 27 August.
