L.L. El Grillo- Josquin Des Prez

This well known piece is famous for its lightheartedness and satirical nature. Josquin supposedly wrote the piece as a reminder to his master to pay the musicians. The word "Grillo," means cricket, and is supposed to signify a little memory jogger to their lord.

The structure of the piece is that of the Frottola, which was the leading kind of secular song in the 16th century, and was a very important predecessor to the madrigal. The Frottola typically avoids contrapuntal complexity, uses clear and repetitive rhythms, and a narrow melodic range.

It is interesting to see music from its starting point up to here. Previously the only music we could access consisted of religious and sacred music, now it is for musicians to make jokes about money with a few inside friends. The irony is pretty wonderful.