Settings Based on Ostinati

Josquin des Prez, the leading composer of the early Renaissance in Europe, died on August 27, 1521. To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the composer’s death and to close the season, the Tallis Scholars and their music director Peter Phillips, acclaimed around the world for their standard-setting performances of Josquin’s works, bring an extraordinary project to the Pierre Boulez Saal: Over the course of four days, they will perform Josquin’s complete masses in what will be the ensemble’s first-ever cyclical presentation of these works.

The program on the day that marks the exact 500th anniversary of Josquin’s death includes three masses based on ostinati, i.e. recurring sequences of notes—among them the Missa Hercules dux Ferrariae, based on a cantus firmus derived from the Duke of Ferrara’s first name, and the Missa La sol fa re mi, whose title indicates the ostinato Josquin employed here.

Due to continuing Corona-related travel restrictions, the concerts with The Tallis Scholars and Peter Phillips cannot take place this season and have to be postponed. The “Josquin 500” project is now expected to take place from July 13 to 16, 2022.