List of compositions by Josquin des Prez

Manuscript copy from the papacy of Pope Leo X showing the opening Kyrie of Josquin's Missa de Beata Virgine

The French composer Josquin des Prez was among the most prolific of his time, writing in genres that included masses, motets, chansons and frottole. Much of his output is sacred music, in which he cultivated and developed a highly sophisticated style of complex polyphony. Active during the high Renaissance, he was the central figure of the Franco-Flemish School.

The difficulties in compiling a works list for Josquin cannot be overstated. Because of his immense prestige in the early sixteenth century, many scribes and publishers did not resist the temptation of attributing anonymous or otherwise spurious works to Josquin. The German editor Georg Forster summed up the situation admirably in 1540 when he wrote, "I remember a certain eminent man saying that, now that Josquin is dead, he is putting out more works than when he was alive." Thus, the authenticity of many of the works listed below is disputed on stylistic grounds or problems with sources or both. This thorny issue has been taken up vigorously in the now nearly complete New Josquin Edition (NJE).

Masses

1. Missa Ad fugam (canonic, four voices)
2. Missa Ave maris stella (Rome, 1486–1495) (four voices)
3. Missa D'ung aultre amer (four voices; authorship doubted by some scholars, published as authentic in NJE)
4. Missa de Beata Virgine (around 1510) (four voices in parts I–II, five voices in parts III–V)
5. Missa Di dadi (=N'aray je jamais) (four voices; authorship doubted by some scholars, published as authentic in NJE)
6. Missa Faisant regretz (four voices)
7. Missa Fortuna desperata (four voices)
8. Missa Gaudeamus (four voices)
9. Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae (Ferrara, 1503/04) (four voices, six in Agnus III)
10. Missa La sol fa re mi (four voices)
11. Missa L'ami Baudichon (four voices)
12. Missa L'homme armé sexti toni (four voices, six in Agnus III)
13. Missa L'homme armé super voces musicales (four voices)
14. Missa Malheur me bat (four voices, six in Agnus III)
15. Missa Mater patris (four voices; authorship doubted by some scholars on stylistic grounds, published as authentic in NJE)
16. Missa Pange lingua (Condé, around 1514) (four voices)
17. Missa Sine nomine (four voices; canonic mass, also titled "Missa Ad fugam" in later print)
18. Missa Une mousse de Biscaye (four voices; authorship doubted by some scholars, published as authentic in NJE)

Doubtful works:

1. Missa Allez regrets (printed in Werken by Smijers with reservations; considered authentic by Osthoff, otherwise doubted by many; possibly by Johannes Stokem)
2. Missa da pacem (four voices; authorship widely doubted; probably by Noel Bauldeweyn)
3. Missa Quem dicunt homines (4 voices, 5 in Agnus III). Only one source of this mass shows Josquin's authorship, but it is defended by some scholars like Rob C. Wegman because of the highest quality and crystal purity of its polyphony, which is characteristic of Josquin's late style.

Mass fragments

1. Credo Chascun me crie (= Des rouges nez)
2. Credo De tous biens playne
3. Credo Vilayge (I)
4. Credo Vilayge (II) (of doubtful authorship)
5. Credo [Quarti toni] (canonic) (of doubtful authorship except considered authentic by Urquhart)
6. Gloria De beata virgine
7. Sanctus De passione
8. Sanctus D'ung aultre amer

Motets

1. Absalon, fili mi (4vv) (attribution has been challenged; conjecturally attributed to Pierre de La Rue)
2. Absolve, quaesumus, Domine/Requiem aeternam (6vv) (attribution has been challenged)
3. Alma redemptoris mater;
4. Alma redemptoris mater / Ave regina caelorum;
5. Ave Maria ... benedicta tu (4vv);
6. Ave Maria ... Virgo serena (Milan 1484/85);
7. Ave munda spes, Maria (not in first complete works edition)
8. Ave nobilissima creatura
9. Ave verum corpus natum
10. Benedicta es, caelorum regina
11. Christum ducem, qui per crucem (4vv)
12. De profundis clamavi (4vv) (possibly middle-period composition: attribution has been questioned)
13. De profundis clamavi (5vv) (late composition)
14. Domine exaudi orationem meam
15. Domine, ne in furore tuo (4vv)
16. Domine, non-secundum peccata nostra (2-4vv; for Rome)
17. Ecce, tu pulchra es, amica mea
18. Factum est autem
19. Gaude virgo, mater Christi
20. Homo quidam fecit cenam magnam
21. Honor, decus, imperium
22. Huc me sydereo descendere jussit Olympo (5vv)
23. Illibata Dei virgo nutrix
24. In exitu Israel de Aegypto
25. In illo tempore assumpsit Jesus duodecim discipulos
26. Iniquos odio habui (4vv, only tenor part survives)
27. In principio erat Verbum (authenticity has been questioned)
28. Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria
29. Jubilate Deo omnis terra
30. Liber generationis Jesu Christi
31. Magnificat quarti toni (attributed to Josquin on stylistic grounds)
32. Magnificat tertii toni (attributed to Josquin on stylistic grounds)
33. Memor esto verbi tui
34. Miserere mei Deus (Ferrara, 1503)
35. Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo (France, 1480/83)
36. Missus est Gabriel angelus ad Mariam Virginem
37. Mittit ad virginem
38. Monstra te esse matrem
39. O admirabile commercium (part of a 5-motet cycle)
40. O bone et dulcissime Jesu
41. O Domine Jesu Christe (part of a Passion setting in 5 sections)
42. O virgo prudentissima
43. O virgo virginum
44. Pater noster, qui es in caelis (Condé, 1505–1521)
45. Planxit autem David
46. Praeter rerum seriem
47. Qui edunt me adhuc
48. Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi (4vv)
49. Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi (24vv)
50. Qui velatus facie fuisti (part of a Passion setting in 6 sections)
51. Salve regina (4vv)
52. Salve regina (5vv, 1502)
53. Stabat Mater
54. Tu lumen, tu splendor
55. Tu solus qui facis mirabilia
56. Usquequo Domine oblivisceris me (attrib on stylistic grounds; only part survives)
57. Ut Phoebi radiis
58. Veni, sancte spiritus (also attrib to Forestier)
59. Victimae paschali laudes
60. Virgo prudentissima
61. Virgo salutiferi (Ferrara, 1503/04)
62. Vultum tuum deprecabuntur (7-part Passion cycle) (1480s)

Motet-chansons

1. A la mort / Monstra te esse matrem
2. Fortune destrange plummaige/Pauper sum ego
3. Que vous madame / In pace in idipsum

Chansons

1. A l'heure que je vous
2. A l'ombre d'ung buissonet, au matinet (3vv)
3. Adieu mes amours
4. Adieu mes amours (6vv or 7vv)
5. Allégez moy (6vv)
6. Baisé moy, ma doulce amye (4vv)
7. Belle, pour l'amour de vous
8. Bergerette savoyenne
9. Cela sans plus
10. Comment peult haver joye
11. Cueur langoreulx
12. De tous biens plaine (3vv)
13. De tous biens plaine (4vv)
14. Douleur me bat
15. Du mien amant
16. Dulces exuviae
17. En l'ombre d'ung buissonet tout, au long (3vv)
18. En l'ombre d'ung buissonet tout, au long (4vv)
19. Entré je suis en grant pensée (3vv)
20. Entré je suis en grant pensée (4vv)
21. Fama malum
22. Faulte d'argent
23. Fors seulement (only one of six voice parts survives)
24. Fortuna d'un gran tempo
25. Helas madame
26. Ile fantazies de Joskin
27. Incessament livré suis à martire
28. Je me complains
29. Je ne me puis tenir d'aimer (5vv)
30. Je n'ose plus
31. Je ris et si ay larme
32. Je sey bien dire
33. La belle se siet
34. La Bernardina
35. La plus de plus
36. Le villain [jaloux]
37. Ma bouche rit et mon cueur pleure
38. Mille Regretz (4vv)
39. Mon mary m'a diffamée
40. N'esse pas ung grant desplaisir
41. Nymphes des bois (written for the death of Johannes Ockeghem)
42. Nymphes, nappés / Circumdederunt me
43. Parfons regretz
44. Petite camusette
45. Plaine de dueil
46. Plus n'estes ma maistresse
47. Plus nulz regretz (written between 1508 and 1511, commemorating the 1507 Treaty of Calais (1507));
48. Plusieurs regretz
49. Pour souhaitter
50. Quant je vous voye
51. Qui belles amours a
52. Recordans de my signora
53. Regretz sans fin
54. Se congié prens
55. Si j'ay perdu mon amy (3vv)
56. Si j'ay perdu mon amy (4vv)
57. Tant vous aimme Bergeronette
58. Tenez moy en voz bras
59. Une mousque de Biscaye;
60. Vive le roy (instrumental piece, written for Louis XII)
61. Vous l'arez, s'il vous plaist
62. Vous ne l'arez pas
63. textless (4vv)

Frottole

1. El Grillo
2. In te Domine speravi per trovar pietà
3. Scaramella va alla guerra

Sources

• Fallows, David. Josquin. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, Second edition, 2020, ISBN 978-2-503-56674-0.
• Macey, Patrick; Noble, Jeremy; Dean, Jeffrey; Reese, Gustave (2011) [2001]. "Josquin (Lebloitte dit) des Prez". Grove Music Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.14497. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription or UK public library membership required)

External links

• List of compositions by Despres, Josquin at the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music
• Free scores by List of compositions by Josquin des Prez at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)