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Joshua Rifkin, Inside—and outside—Illibata: composition, context and chronology in a famous Josquin motet, Early Music, Volume 49, Issue 4, November 2021, Pages 499–525, https://doi.org/10.1093/em/caab064
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Abstract
Opinions remain divided on the date of Illibata Dei virgo nutrix, the motet with the famous acrostic spelling the name Josquin des Prez. Some writers see it as a product of the composer’s years at the papal chapel, 1489–94; others would move its origin considerably earlier, even to 1466–75. The only real foothold we have comes from a Vatican copy made in the mid-1490s. Advocates for an early date see the music as particularly close to the works of Du Fay, Busnoys and Johannes Regis; those supporting a Roman origin point to a trend there during Josquin’s tenure towards similarly ‘archaic’ motets. In both instances, the writers have sought a context in the music of other composers. The present study turns the focus inward to seek a context within the development of Josquin himself. Despite the uncertainty that scholars find in Josquin chronology at every turn, careful analysis of compositional procedure offers a way of breaking the apparent logjam over what everyone recognizes as one of the most significant works of its era.
