Fortuna desperata
Fortuna desperata is a secular Italian song, possibly originally by Busnois. It was used by many other authors in the following 75 years, for both variations and cantus firmus masses, and over 30 such reworkings are known.
Words in the original Italian and in English and German are available at Choral Wiki .
The first verse is
translated as
Amongst the more well-known versions of the song are the three-voice version by Busnois, its reworking for six voices by Alexander Agricola, a three-part instrumental version possibly by Josquin, and a three-voice version by Heinrich Isaac. See for several others.Parody masses
Amongst the mass-settings are those by Josquin and Obrecht and Pierquin de Thérache.
