Transcript Early Polyphony; The Origins of Notated Rhythm; Early Secular Music Ars Antiqua & The Troubadours (1150 – 1300) Leonin, Motet: Salve, salus hominum, c.

Early Polyphony; The
Origins of Notated
Rhythm; Early Secular
Music
Ars Antiqua & The
Troubadours
(1150 – 1300)
Leonin, Motet: Salve, salus hominum,
c. 1190
Ars Antiqua
 Geographical centre in the
Cathedral of Notre Dame in
Paris
Twelfth and thirteenth
centuries
Style later became known as
the Ars Antiqua, or “old art”.
For the first time, individual
composer were credited, such
as Leonin and Perotin.
Several new musical forms
and techniques were created:
Perotin, Organum quadruplum: Sederunt, c. 1230
Notre Dame 1163- 1250
Notre Dame Organum
Like melismatic organum, but
tenor notes are much shorter;
Also called ‘discant’ style;
Use of triple metre (first use of a
metre – grouping of beats)
Use of 6 rhythmic modes
(rhythmic patterns). Most
common::
Iambic (a short note followed by a
Ibid
long note)
.
Trochaic (a long note followed by
a short note)
North Transept Rose Window Notre
Dame Cathedral
New Composition Types
Conductus
Composition for 2, 3, or 4 voice
parts;
Parts move together in same
rhythm (unlike melismatic
organum);
Tenor part is composed (not
Gregorian Chant);
Mostly syllabic (one syllable gets
one note);
Non-liturgical texts used (texts not
from the ordinary of the mass).
Conductus: Ave virgo virginum, c.1220
Motet
Musical form used in latter part of
thirteenth century “to be sung outside the
church service”*
 Juxtaposition of French and Latin,
sacred and secular texts, hymn and dance
melodies and Gregorian chant;
From French ‘mot’ meaning “word”
since texts were added to the Latin
Gregorian Chant;
Diverse melodies and texts had
thematic links which could be interpreted
by Medieval Man;
 Rhythmic variation in parts
necessitated the invention of early
rhythmic notation, by Franco of Cologne
Tenor part only had first syllable: it was
probably played on an instrument.
* Grout, 90, 101, 105
Philippe de Vitry: Motet, c.1300
North Tower of Chartres Cathedral
Secular Song:
The Troubadours
 Troubadours (“Trouveres” in the South
of France) were “gentleman amateur”
musicians who wrote compositions for
others to sing/play;
 Created first significant body of written
secular music;
 Wrote songs of love, often featuring
knights;
 Adam De La Halle (“The Hunchback of
Arras” was the last and most famous of
the Troubadours;
 “Jeu de Robin et de Marion – secular
musical play;
 This is a monophonic song with simple
instrumental accompaniment: a drone
on a violin-like instrument and a
melody doubled by lute and flute.
Source: Grout, 59-61
Adam de la Halle, Jeu de Robin et de Marion, 1284