El Grillo (The Cricket) is a frottola by Josquin des Prez. Possibly written in the early 16th century, it is regarded as one of Josquin's most popular works.
Published in the early sixteenth century,[1]El Grillo is attributed to an "Iosquin Dascanio", traditionally identified as French composer Josquin des Prez. Several scholars have posited that Josquin wrote the song to either honour or make fun of his colleague at the House of Sforza, an Italian court singer named Carlo Grillo.[2] This would have to have been no earlier than the 1490s.[3] The Frottole libro tertio, published by Ottaviano Petrucci in 1505, is the only contemporaneous source of El Grillo. It received considerably little attention from modern musicologists until 1931, when it was included in Geschichte der Musik in Beispielen by Arnold Schering.[4]
Analysisedit
The song is scored for four voices.[5] Written from a third-person perspective,[6]El Grillo concerns the cricket.[7] The opening section is about the cricket's lengthy song, while the second one compares crickets and songbirds. The song concludes by suggesting that crickets may be better singers than songbirds, particularly because they sing all the time, rain or shine.[7] The song contains both homophony and onomatopoeia,[8] with its rhythm mimicking a cricket's mannerisms.[9] Uncharacteristically for a frottola, the ripresa of the poetic lines mostly have seven syllables, whereas the piedi and volta have eight.[10] According to musicologist Jaap van Benthem, the number of notes in the ripresa (88) spells "Des Prez" in gematria, while the 99 notes in the volta spell "Josquin".[11]
Legacyedit
El Grillo is considered one of Josquin's most popular works.[5][12][13] Willem Elders calls it "one of the most brilliant songs of the late fifteenth century",[14] while Richard Sherr describes it as a "delightful jokey little piece."[15] Henry Vyverberg writes that it "represents the frottola at its most attractive."[16]
Lyricsedit
There are different versions of the lyrics. The following is one of the most common versions.
Renaissance Italian (original)
Modern Italian translation
English translation
El grillo è buon cantore
Che tiene longo verso
Dalle beve, grillo canta
Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli
Come li han cantato un poco
Van de fatto in altro loco
Sempre el grillo sta pur saldo
Quando la maggior el caldo
Alhor canta sol per amore
Il grillo è un bravo cantante
Che tiene un lungo verso
Beve e poi canta, il grillo
Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli
Che dopo aver cantato un po'
Vanno via in un altro posto
Il grillo invece rimane fermo
Quando fa più caldo
Allora canta solo per amore
The cricket is a good singer
Who can hold long notes
After drinking, the cricket sings
But he doesn't do like the other birds
Once they've sung a little bit
They go somewhere else
The cricket instead stands firm
When it's very hot out
He sings only for the love of it
The lyrics notably refer to the cricket as a "bird", while it is actually an insect. This can be explained by different factors, including the poetic liberty of the artist, emphasizing the melodious and captivating nature of the cricket, or limitations of the time, such as a lack of scientific knowledge or a colloquial understanding in which the word "bird" was used more broadly to describe creatures that sang or produced musical sounds, such as crickets.
Elders, Willem (2021). Josquin Des Prez and His Musical Legacy: An Introductory Guide. Leuven University Press. ISBN9789462702851.
Fallows, David (2003). "What Happened to "El grillo"". Early Music. 31 (3): 390–399. doi:10.1093/earlyj/XXXI.3.390. JSTOR 3138101.
Hund, Marianne (2006). "Fresh Light on Josquin Dascanio's Enigmatic "El Grillo"". Tijdschrift van de Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis. 56 (1): 5–16. JSTOR 20203933.
McDonald, Grantley (2009). "Josquin's Musical Cricket: El grillo as Humanist Parody". Acta Musicologica. 81 (1): 39–53. JSTOR 27793371.
Sherr, Richard (2000). "Three Settings of Italian Texts and Two Secular Motets". The Josquin Companion. Oxford University Press. pp. 423–484. ISBN9780198163350.
Trutty-Coohill, Patricia (2013). "Leonardo's Enchantress". In Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka; M. Kronegger (eds.). The Aesthetics of Enchantment in the Fine Arts. Springer. pp. 85–100. ISBN9789401732345.
Vyverberg, Henry (1988). The Living Tradition: Art, Music, and Ideas in the Western World. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN9780155511194.
April 12, 2024
grillo, song, grillo, cricket, frottola, josquin, prez, possibly, written, early, 16th, century, regarded, josquin, most, popular, works, grillofrottola, josquin, prezenglishthe, cricketwrittenc, 1490slanguageitalianpublished1505scoringfour, voices, contents, . El Grillo The Cricket is a frottola by Josquin des Prez Possibly written in the early 16th century it is regarded as one of Josquin s most popular works El GrilloFrottola by Josquin des PrezEnglishThe CricketWrittenc 1490sLanguageItalianPublished1505ScoringFour voices Contents 1 History 2 Analysis 3 Legacy 4 Lyrics 5 References 5 1 Citations 5 2 Works citedHistory editPublished in the early sixteenth century 1 El Grillo is attributed to an Iosquin Dascanio traditionally identified as French composer Josquin des Prez Several scholars have posited that Josquin wrote the song to either honour or make fun of his colleague at the House of Sforza an Italian court singer named Carlo Grillo 2 This would have to have been no earlier than the 1490s 3 The Frottole libro tertio published by Ottaviano Petrucci in 1505 is the only contemporaneous source of El Grillo It received considerably little attention from modern musicologists until 1931 when it was included in Geschichte der Musik in Beispielen by Arnold Schering 4 Analysis editThe song is scored for four voices 5 Written from a third person perspective 6 El Grillo concerns the cricket 7 The opening section is about the cricket s lengthy song while the second one compares crickets and songbirds The song concludes by suggesting that crickets may be better singers than songbirds particularly because they sing all the time rain or shine 7 The song contains both homophony and onomatopoeia 8 with its rhythm mimicking a cricket s mannerisms 9 Uncharacteristically for a frottola the ripresa of the poetic lines mostly have seven syllables whereas the piedi and volta have eight 10 According to musicologist Jaap van Benthem the number of notes in the ripresa 88 spells Des Prez in gematria while the 99 notes in the volta spell Josquin 11 Legacy editEl Grillo is considered one of Josquin s most popular works 5 12 13 Willem Elders calls it one of the most brilliant songs of the late fifteenth century 14 while Richard Sherr describes it as a delightful jokey little piece 15 Henry Vyverberg writes that it represents the frottola at its most attractive 16 Lyrics editThere are different versions of the lyrics The following is one of the most common versions Renaissance Italian original Modern Italiantranslation EnglishtranslationEl grillo e buon cantore Che tiene longo verso Dalle beve grillo canta Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli Come li han cantato un poco Van de fatto in altro loco Sempre el grillo sta pur saldo Quando la maggior el caldo Alhor canta sol per amore Il grillo e un bravo cantante Che tiene un lungo verso Beve e poi canta il grillo Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli Che dopo aver cantato un po Vanno via in un altro posto Il grillo invece rimane fermo Quando fa piu caldo Allora canta solo per amore The cricket is a good singer Who can hold long notes After drinking the cricket sings But he doesn t do like the other birds Once they ve sung a little bit They go somewhere else The cricket instead stands firm When it s very hot out He sings only for the love of itThe lyrics notably refer to the cricket as a bird while it is actually an insect This can be explained by different factors including the poetic liberty of the artist emphasizing the melodious and captivating nature of the cricket or limitations of the time such as a lack of scientific knowledge or a colloquial understanding in which the word bird was used more broadly to describe creatures that sang or produced musical sounds such as crickets References editCitations edit McDonald 2009 p 52 McDonald 2009 pp 39 40 Macey et al 2011 5 France and Italy 1494 1503 Fallows 2003 p 391 a b Elders 2021 p 201 Hund 2006 p 9 a b Hund 2006 p 10 McDonald 2009 p 39 Trutty Coohill 2013 p 88 Fallows 2003 p 396 Fallows 2003 p 398 Fallows 2003 p 390 Hund 2006 p 5 Elders 2021 p 62 Sherr 2000 p 428 Vyverberg 1988 p 254 Works cited edit Elders Willem 2021 Josquin Des Prez and His Musical Legacy An Introductory Guide Leuven University Press ISBN 9789462702851 Fallows David 2003 What Happened to El grillo Early Music 31 3 390 399 doi 10 1093 earlyj XXXI 3 390 JSTOR 3138101 Hund Marianne 2006 Fresh Light on Josquin Dascanio s Enigmatic El Grillo Tijdschrift van de Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis 56 1 5 16 JSTOR 20203933 McDonald Grantley 2009 Josquin s Musical Cricket El grillo as Humanist Parody Acta Musicologica 81 1 39 53 JSTOR 27793371 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 Sherr Richard 2000 Three Settings of Italian Texts and Two Secular Motets The Josquin Companion Oxford University Press pp 423 484 ISBN 9780198163350 Trutty Coohill Patricia 2013 Leonardo s Enchantress In Anna Teresa Tymieniecka M Kronegger eds The Aesthetics of Enchantment in the Fine Arts Springer pp 85 100 ISBN 9789401732345 Vyverberg Henry 1988 The Living Tradition Art Music and Ideas in the Western World Harcourt Brace Jovanovich ISBN 9780155511194 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title El Grillo song amp oldid 1201926378, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
