Josquin des Prez was already an outstanding composer during his lifetime. The following assessment has been passed down from Martin Luther: "Josquin is the music master who has to do what he wants; the other singing masters have to do what the music wants." Also later, after Josquin's death, Cosimo Bartoli wrote in his "Raggionamenti accademici" (Venice 1567): "... that Josquin ... in music can be called a miracle of nature (" monstro della natura "), like ours Michelangelo Buonarotti has been t...