Medieval Polyphony

Review guide: Medieval Polyphony Essay questions: A. Required essay: • What developments during the period 1000-1300 were most significant for the later evolution of music? What styles, practices, techniques, attitudes, or approaches that were new in this time have continued to affect Western music in the last 700 years? In your opinion, which of these traits have made the music of the western European tradition different from music of other cultures? B. Choices for second essay: 1. Explain the ways in which a chant’s structure and style dictated the polyphonic treatment it could receive. 2. Describe the development of the motet from its origins to the end of the 14th century. Short answer questions: Short answer questions will include definitions of terms, matching, isorhythmic analysis, and identification of rhythmic modes. Be familiar with the following terms and their related concepts, including the general time period and place associated with specific musical styles. For people, know who they were, when and where they were working, and what they composed. • Early Organum Parallel, oblique, note-against-note Parallel- voices move in exact parallel motion (same direction), with the organal voice a fifth below. *Organal voice is below Oblique- the organal voice remains constant, while the principal voice moves above it. *Organal voice is below Note-against-note- also called “Free Organum,” both voices move more freely in various voice leadings, keeping a 1:1 ratio between the two. Musica enchiriadis- 9th century treatise that spoke on the practice of creating Parallel and Oblique organum Winchester Troper/ Ad organum faciendum- A new manuscript of tropes / a new treatise on how to composer note-against-note (free) organum, 10th century St. Martial organum/ Aquitanian polyphony- Florid organum, the organal voice uses many melismas in their line, early 12th century • Notre Dame of Paris Magnus liber organi- treatise from 1285 that gives us the names of two musicians associated with creating polyphony for Notre Dame: Leoninus and Perotinus Organum purum- also called “duplum,” free rhythm, highly melismatic Discant- similar to organum purum, but in a rhythmic mode instead of free rhythm Clausula- a self-contained section of an organum that closes with a cadence, it is complete so it can be substituted in or out Rhythmic modes (numbers, rhythmic patterns)- groupings of longs and shorts, based on groups of perfection (3’s) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. LB BL LB(L) B(L)L LLL BBB Leonin, Perotin- spoke about in the Magnus liber organi, wrote organum for multiple voices (triplum, quadruplum) wrote organum on Viderunt omnes, duplum & quadruplum respectively Polyphonic conductus- strophic, one text sung homophonically, and simultaneously; more structured with equal phrases that rhyme; syllabic; it uses rhythmic modes with fractio modi (division of the mode into smaller parts) Early motets- new text and/or music (two different texts), set syllabically, one text may be in the vernacular Franconian motet- takes preexisting chant for the tenor, many texts repeat; usually 3 voices, upper 2 in Old French (Vernacular); smaller rhythmic values Petronian motet- (Petrus~ not Perotin) “morphing out of the church”- more and more are being set to French folk songs, sometimes about courtly love; 3 voices, all in Old French/Vernacular; Tenor is usually in mode 3, more irregular divisions of the beat: 5,6,7,9,11, etc. •Ars Nova (New Art) in France, 14th century Philippe de Vitry- French composer, called the “inventor of new art”- ars nova; earliest musical examples of isorhythm, wrote the motet “Cum statua/Hugo, Hugo/Magister invide” Guillaume de Machaut- another prolific ars nova composer; wrote a wide variety of pieces: Mass, Motets, ballades, rondeaux, virelais, etc. wrote Mass, rondeau “Rose, liz, printemps,verdue” and virelai Douce dame jolie Formes fixes: musical forms used over and over in this type of music Virelai- 3 stanzas, strophic, Abba Abba Abba Ballade- 3 stanzas, strophic, aabC aabC aabC Rondeau- 1 stanza, not strophic, ABaAabAB (Capital: same music, same text)(Lowercase: same music, different text) Isorhythm- “equal rhythm,” where the tenor, or other voices, are laid out in segments of identical rhythm Talea- repeated rhythmic pattern Color- repeated pitches or melody in the pattern that may or may not overlap with the talea Isorhythmic motet- tenor is isorhythmic; the other voices can be partially isorhythmic, or just have repeating rhythmic motives • Italian Trecento Music, 1300s/ 14th century Madrigal- a song for two or three voices without instrumental accompaniment, all voices sing the same text- usually a love poem, consist of 2 or 3 stanzas followed by a ritornello, aab form Ritornello- closing pair of sentences in a madrigal which is set to different music than before and with a different meter Ballata- has the form AbbaA, in which A is the ripresa, or refrain, and the single stanza consists of two two-lined piedi (bb) and a three-lined volta (a) which is sung to the music of the ripresa Francesco Landini- leading composer of ballate and the foremost Italian musician of the Trecento; had a specific way of composing and favored a specific movement to a cadence. Wrote the ballata Non avra ma’ pieta • Ars Subtilior- style of polyphony in the late 14th/ early 15th centuries in southern France and northern Italy, distinguished by extreme complexity in rhythm and notation (putting duple subdivision in triple meter) • English discanting- expanded use of imperfect consonances, often in parallel motion, more varied harmonic language in comparison to French Notre Dame music, influences of folk polyphony, used forms like the rondellus and rota Rondellus- in which two or three phrases, first heard simultaneously, are each taken up in turns by each of the voices Triplum abc Duplum cab Tenor bca Rota- a perpetual canon or round at the unison • Cadence formulas for different polyphonic styles 6th to 8ve- voices move in contrary motion to the octave Double leading tone- the bottom voice moves down a whole step and the upper voices move up a half step, forming a major third and a major 6th expanding to an open fifth and octave. Landini- as the tenor descends by a step; the upper voice decorates its ascent by first descending to the lower neighbor and then skipping up a third, a decorated 6th to 8ve cadence type. Typical in Italian Trecento music Phrygian cadences- sort of the opposite of the DLT: lower voice moves down a half step and the upper voices raise a whole step. Occurs naturally in the Phrygian mode