L'homme armé
The "Missa de Beata Virgine" was one of Josquin's last three masses, with the others being the "Missa Sine nomine" and the "Missa Pange lingua". It was probably the earliest of the three, and "Missa Pange lingua" the last. Distinguishing the last masses, and his late style period in general, was a general simplification and refinement: Josquin left behind the elaborate contrapuntal artifice evident in the masses of the preceding period, such as the two he wrote on the "L'homme armé" tune, and wrote music in which bringing out the meaning of the text, and having it understood, was more important than any virtuoso display.