Josquin Desprez free essay sample

In the history of Western music Josquin Desprez became one of the most influential composers. Not much was known about this great composer’s time on earth. A lot of what people know about his life is expressed through his music. Josquin’s estimated date of birth is said to be 1440. Recent research shows that his birth date could have been later sometime in the 1450’s. Before he died in 1521 Desprez made a huge impact on the music during the Renaissance. Years after Josquin Desprez’s death, his music was distributed all throughout Europe and Germany. A quote from Todd M. McComb, who wrote a discography about Desprez, helps one to understand why his music became so popular and it says, â€Å"The clear textures and text declamation which Josquin employed set the stage not only for the next developments of technical harmony, but for the clarity and conciseness demanded by the Counter-Reformation of Palestrina et al. We will write a custom essay sample on Josquin Desprez or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page as well. Josquins output displays a rare combination of innovation and accomplished technical mastery, and has retained for him a position as the most prominent composer of the early sixteenth century, perhaps the high point of Western music as a whole. † This simply meant his music was recited clearly and concisely. He was doing things that no other composer had done to music. He also improved the techniques other composer had been using for years. This statement by McCobb sums up the reasons Desprez was honored so much for his music. His style allowed him to compose over a hundred motets and many other works while he was alive. Polyphonic imitation was a common technique in motets. Polyphonic imitation is where one musical line shares or imitates the same musical theme as the proceeding line. One song by Desprez, titled Ave Maria- Virgo Serena, uses polyphonic imitation all throughout the piece. This piece describes his work the best. One said, â€Å"With his strict canonic opening and subsequent structural interplay,† this song is a perfect example of his style. The songs meaning comes from when the angel Gabriel told Mary about Jesus’ birth. Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (Luke 1:28) is a scripture from the bible that is quoted in the song. Centuries later the song is still very popular. Since Desprez, many many composers have remade the song Ave Maria. I have heard the song played in theatre, at weddings, church, and now for a music assignment. Out of all the renditions of Ave Maria the version by Beyonce Knowles has made this song one of my favorite songs. Now that I have heard Josquins original version I see that Beyonce was nowhere near close to resembling this song. The most important aspect of the song is the imitation of the soprano voice to alto to tenor then bass and her rendition was more like a solo with a different meaning. Through his music Josquin Desprez influenced many composers of his time and he still continues to influence composers of modern times. To some, Desprez is still noted as the greatest composer of Western music and also a leader in Renaissance music. Josquin Desprez brought to the table polyphonic imitations which are still used today in chorus. Today Desprez’s work that happened centuries ago are still the influence for some artist today.

A poster from the movie The Graduate follows a general formulaic pattern in its presentation Essays

A poster from the movie The Graduate follows a general formulaic pattern in its presentation Essays A poster from the movie The Graduate follows a general formulaic pattern in its presentation Essay A poster from the movie The Graduate follows a general formulaic pattern in its presentation Essay Essay Topic: General In an argument, there are many types of tools used to evoke the audience to conviction and then to action. As a society, the importance of communicating a thought or idea to an audience has motivated different methods of arguments that can be expressed in written words, speech or pictures. Movie posters are a great example of the type of propaganda or arguments that the media uses today in order to promote a particular movie. A poster from the movie The Graduate follows a general formulaic pattern in its presentation, namely by presenting the facts of the movie, toying with the emotions of the on-looker, and challenging the values of society as a whole. The general argument of a movie poster is to convey the facts of the movie through the characters in the picture. This can be done by showing what they are doing or simply stating the title it is the posters statement and proof. In The Graduate poster, the main character is Dustin Hoffman, who plays the leading role as Ben Braddock. The only other character is a womans bare leg save the sheer pantyhose, which she is either putting on or taking off. This picture immediately grabs the audiences attention and presents the argument that this movie is about the experiences of one man, Braddock, and that the general theme of the movie has a sexual connotation. The title seems to at first confuse the on-looker because of its incongruity with the picture. It entices the audience to ask questions. Is the character graduating to a higher level of sexuality? Is he a recent graduate of school or the task he was motivated to complete? In the end, the audience leaves with the knowledge of who is involved in the movie and what it is possibly going to be about. Another benefit a movie poster has for an argument is its emotional appeal and response. The Graduate manages to do this in a shocking way. In the book, everythings an argument, the author says, If writers can use words to rouse readers to specific feelings, they might also move them to sympathize with ideas associated with those feelings, and even to act on them (Lunsford, 50). This view can be the same when considering pictures or paintings. The most famous scene from The Graduate is with Braddock (Hoffman) standing in a room, dressed, with his hands buried in his pockets and staring at a womans sexy leg. The expressions on his face and in his posture are uncertainty, vulnerability, and insecurity, which make the audience wonder who and what type of woman has this effect on him. All of these emotions are given to the on-looker and thus gives a sense of curiosity not only to see what his reaction in this scene will be, but most importantly, who is the leg? As a result, these feeling s can certainly lead to conviction and then action. Movie posters can also use the method of a value argument in the artwork. The Graduate accomplishes this simply from the time period that it was released. In 1967 the values of society were changing rapidly, and the ideas of conflict and controversy were an everyday occurrence. A bare leg exudes a level of confidence and control the woman has over Ben (Hoffman), giving the idea and values of sexual independence and freedom which was especially prevalent at this time. However, on the other end of the spectrum, the poster not only highlights the values of sexual freedom but also uncloaks the disgust, by some, of sexual promiscuity and immorality. Consequently, while this poster invigorates some, it offends others. The ability to understand different types and methods of arguments can be expressed and explained through cultural works of art, like movie posters. Additionally, using arguments of fact, emotion, and value can serve as a foundation for conviction and action both favorable and unfavorable to its cause.