4 - Folder 1 - Medieval Polyphony after 1300 Flashcards
What is Mensural notation?
a. New notational and theoretical system for organizing rhythm
b. Allowed both duple and triple subdivisions of the beat, and of the subdivisions
c. Ars Nova
i. treatise on mensural notation attributed to composer Philippe de Vitry (1291–1361)
ii. sourceof the name of the new style
What is Ars Nova (The New Art)?
a. New style of 14th century French music
b. Ars nova now contrasted with ars antiqua (ancient art; referring to the Notre Dame style of the 13th century)
c. The new style grew primarily from innovations in rhythmic notation
What was the Roman de Fauvel (c.1310–1314)?
a. A long collection of satirical poems and an important collection of Ars Nova music
b. Written by various members of the French nobility
c. One fifth of the musical compositions are polyphonic motets
d. The most sophisticated of these are by Philippe de Vitry
Describe Isorhythm.
a. Repeated rhythmic and melodic (pitch) patterns of varying lengths
b. New structural & rhythmic device used by Ars Nova composers
c. Developed from the repeated cantus firmus in many ars antiqua motets
d. Literally means “the same rhythm” (because the patterns are repeted)
i. Talea (“the count”; like the English word tally) — repeated pattern of rhythmic values
ii. Color (pronounced coh-lòr) — repeated pattern of pitches
iii. Isorhythmic works usually had both rhythmic and pitch patterns, often not of the same length
Describe and give examples of The Formes fixes (fixed forms).
a. Three secular poetic/compositional genres that flourished during the Arsnova
b. Could be monophonic or polyphonic
c. Some were highly sophisticated compositions
Ballade aabC aabC aabC stanza plus refrain
Virelai Abba Abba Abba begins with refrain,
and uses refrain
music at the end of
each stanza
Rondeau ABaAabAB two-part refrain (AB),
same melodic
material for the
stanzas, and first half
of refrain interrupts
stanza
(capital letters indicate refrain, same letters indicate same music, small case letters indicate stanzas and therefore different words)
Who was Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377)?
a. Most famous and most important composer of the French Ars nova
b. Active as a musician, poet, priest, and diplomat
c. First composer to compile his complete works and discuss his working method and compositional aesthetic
Describe Machaut’s compositional output.
i. 23motets
1. most are isorhythmic
2. four are for four voices
ii. Messede Notre Dame
1. earliest known polyphonic setting of the complete Mass Ordinary by one composer
2. Carefully structured throughout its six movements
3. Extensive use of isorhythm
iii. Monophonic songs in the tradition of the trouvères
iv. Polyphonic secular songs in the three formes fixes
Describe Trecento (meaning 300s, which isshort for 1300s) in depth.
a. Italian music of the 14th century
b. Italy had no tradition of organum
c. polyphonic composition was generally secular
d. no use of isorhythm, but still rhythmically complex w/duple and triple meter
Trecento - describe the Squarcialupi Codex (manuscript).
i. Primary source of Italian trecento music
ii. 354 works by 12 different composers
iii. genres represented: madrigale, caccia, ballata
Trecento - describe Caccia.
i. Meaning “chase”
ii. Two parts in strict imitation
Trecento - describe Madrigale.
i. not to be confused with Renaissance madrigal
ii. poetic form: two stanzas (set to same music) followed by refrain
iii. pastoral love songs for two voices, both sung
iv. upper voice is more florid
Trecento - describe Ballata
i. common Italian song form
ii. not the same as the French ballade
iii. closer in form to the French virelai
Who was Francesco Landini (c. 1325–1397)?
i. Most important composer of the Italian trecento
ii. Blind organist
iii. Worked for the church, but composed mostly secular ballate
iv. Noted especially for his use of 3rds and 6ths in polyphonic compositions
