Josquin des Pres was without a doubt the most versatile and gifted composer of the mid-Renaissance. He was a Frenchman who, like most composers at the time, spent much of his life in Italy working for different patrons. He is credited with having explored all contemporary techniques and having brought some of them, such as the technique of imitation and the cantus firmus to new heights. The canon was one of Josquin&r
squo;s favorite devices. In some cases, he uses the canon not only to create interesting textures but as an architectural device.