ars nova

In medieval music, conductus is a type of liturgical vocal composition for one or more voices. The word derives from Latin conducere (to escort), and the conductus was most likely sung while the lectionary was carried from its place of safekeeping to the place from which it was to be read. The conductus was one of the principal types of vocal composition of the ars antiqua period of medieval music history. The form most likely originated in the south of France around 1150, and reached its peak development during the acti ...

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• Conductus - References and further reading

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The Burgundian School is a term used to denote a group of composers active in the 15th century in what is now eastern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, centered on the court of the Dukes of Burgundy. The main names associated with this school are Guillaume Dufay, Gilles Binchois, and Antoine Busnois. The Burgundian School was the first phase of activity of the Franco-Flemish School, the central musical practice of the Renaissance in Europe. Burgundian School - Background. In late Medieval and early Rena ...

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• Burgundian School - Background
• Burgundian School - Composers
• Burgundian School - Musical style and forms
• Burgundian School - Manuscript sources
• Burgundian School - Burgundian Composers
• Burgundian School - References and further reading

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Guillaume de Machaut's lyric output comprises around 400 poems, including 235 ballades, 76 rondeaux, 39 virelais, 24 lais, 10 complaintes, and 7 chansons royales, and Machaut did much to perfect and codify these fixed forms. Much of his lyric output is inserted in his narrative poems or "dits", such as Le Remède de Fortune (The Cure of Ill Fortune) and Le Voir Dit (A True Story). Many of Machaut's poems are without music, and Machaut stated clearly that for him, writing the poem always preceded (and had greater i ...

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Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume de Machaut - Life, Guillaume de Machaut - Poetry, Guillaume de Machaut - Music, Guillaume de Machaut - Sacred music, Guillaume de Machaut - References and further reading

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Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of art, ecclesiastical and concert music. A music is classical if it includes some of the following features: a learned tradition, support from the church or government, or greater cultural capital. Classical music is also described as complex, lasting, transcendent, and abstract. In many cultures a classical tradition coexisted with traditional or popular music, occasionally for thousands of years, and with differen ...

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History of music, History of music - Prehistoric music, History of music - Music in cradles of civilizations, History of music - Classical traditions, History of music - Asia, History of music - Europe, History of music - Timeline of Classical Composers' Music, History of music - Folk music, History of music - Popular music, History of music - Popular and classical musics, History of music - Blues, History of music - Country music, History of music - Jazz, History of music - Rock and roll, History of music - Punk Rock, History of music - Heavy metal, History of music - Disco funk hip hop salsa and soul, History of music - Electronic music, History of music - World music, History of music - New Age music

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Franco's most famous work was his Ars cantus mensurabilis, a work which was widely circulated and copied, and remained influential for about a hundred years. Unlike many theoretical treatises of the 13th century, it was a practical guide, and entirely avoided metaphysical speculations; it was evidently written for musicians, and was full of musical examples for each point made in the text. The topics covered in the treatise include organum, discant, polyphony, clausulae, conductus, and indeed all the compositional techniques of ...

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Franco of Cologne, Franco of Cologne - Life, Franco of Cologne - Writings, Franco of Cologne - References and further reading

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In Greek myth, pygmies were a tribe of people 27" tall (about 68.5cm) in India who warred with cranes. "Beyond these in the most outlying mountain region we are told of the Three-Span (Trispithami) Pygmae who do not exceed three spans, that is, twenty-seven inches, in height; the climate is healthy and always spring-like, as it is protected on the north by a range of mountains; this tribe Homer has also recorded as being beset by cranes. It is reported that in springtime their entire band, mounted on the backs of rams and she-goats ...

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Pygmy, Pygmy - Myth, Pygmy - External link

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In late Medieval and early Renaissance Europe, cultural centers tended to move from one place to another due to changing political stability and the presence of either the spiritual or temporal power, for instance the Pope, Anti-pope or the Holy Roman Emperor. In the 14th century, the main centers of musical activity were northern France, Avignon, and Italy, as represented by Guillaume de Machaut and the ars nova, the ars subtilior, and Landini respectively; Avignon had a brief but important cultural flowering because it was th ...

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Burgundian School, Burgundian School - Background, Burgundian School - Composers, Burgundian School - Musical style and forms, Burgundian School - Manuscript sources, Burgundian School - Burgundian Composers, Burgundian School - References and further reading

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High Middle Ages - Britain. Main article: Britain in the Middle Ages In England, the Norman Conquest of 1066 resulted in a kingdom ruled by a French-speaking nobility. The Normans invaded Ireland in force in 1169 and soon established themselves throughout most of the country, though their stronghold was the southeast. Likewise, Scotland and Wales were subdued to vassalage at about the same time, though Scotland later regained her independence. The Exchequer was founded in the 12th centu ...

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High Middle Ages, High Middle Ages - Historical events and politics, High Middle Ages - Britain, High Middle Ages - Scandinavia, High Middle Ages - Western and Central Europe, High Middle Ages - Southern Europe, High Middle Ages - Eastern Europe, High Middle Ages - Climate and agriculture, High Middle Ages - The Rise of Chivalry, High Middle Ages - Religion, High Middle Ages - The Church, High Middle Ages - The Crusades, High Middle Ages - Scholasticism, High Middle Ages - Golden age of monasticism, High Middle Ages - Mendicant orders, High Middle Ages - Heretical movements, High Middle Ages - Trade and commerce, High Middle Ages - Technology, High Middle Ages - Culture, High Middle Ages - Art, High Middle Ages - Architecture, High Middle Ages - Literature, High Middle Ages - Music, High Middle Ages - Timeline

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De mensurabili musica, most likely written around 1240, is the single most important treatise in the early history of rhythmic notation, for it is the first to propose notation of rhythm. Specifically, it describes a practice already in use, known as modal rhythm, which used the rhythmic modes. In this system, notes on the page are assigned to groups of long and short values based on their context. De mensurabili musica describes six rhythmic modes, corresponding to poetic feet: long-short (trochee), short-long (iamb), long-sho ...

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Johannes de Garlandia, Johannes de Garlandia - Life and problems of identification, Johannes de Garlandia - Works, Johannes de Garlandia - References and further reading

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Marchetto published two major treatises, the Lucidarium in arte musice plane (probably in 1317–1318), and the Pomerium in arte musice mensurate (probably 1318). He also published an abridged version of the Pomerium as the Brevis compilatio, though the date of this is not known. He stated in the Pomerium that he wrote it while staying at the house of Raynaldus de Cintis in Cesena, who was lord of the city from 1321 to 1326, howeve ...

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Marchetto da Padova, Marchetto da Padova - Life, Marchetto da Padova - Music, Marchetto da Padova - Writings and influence, Marchetto da Padova - References and further reading

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Italian Renaissance - Northern Italy in the High Middle Ages. By the late Middle Ages, central and southern Italy, once the heartland of the Roman Empire, was far poorer than the north. Rome was a city largely in ruins, and the Papal States were a loosely administered region with little law and order. Partially because of this, the Papacy had relocated to Avignon, France. Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia h ...

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Italian Renaissance, Italian Renaissance - Origins, Italian Renaissance - Northern Italy in the High Middle Ages, Italian Renaissance - European economy, Italian Renaissance - Fourteenth-century collapse, Italian Renaissance - Development, Italian Renaissance - International relations, Italian Renaissance - Florence under the Medici, Italian Renaissance - Spread of the Renaissance, Italian Renaissance - Wider population, Italian Renaissance - End of the Italian Renaissance, Italian Renaissance - Culture, Italian Renaissance - Literature and poetry, Italian Renaissance - Science and philosophy, Italian Renaissance - Sculpture and painting, Italian Renaissance - Architecture, Italian Renaissance - Music, Italian Renaissance - Notes

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Since Andrea was a member of the Servite religious order, whose records have largely survived intact, more is known about his life than is usually the case for 14th century composers. He entered the order in 1375, though at what age is not known. One of his first activities within the order was to carry out a commission to build an organ for the Servite house in Florence, for which he hired Francesco Landini as a consultant. Among the surviving records are the receipts for the wine that the two consumed during the ...

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Andrea da Firenze, Andrea da Firenze - Life, Andrea da Firenze - Music, Andrea da Firenze - References and further reading

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High Middle Ages - Britain. Main article: Britain in the Middle Ages and Scotland in the High Middle Ages In England, the Norman Conquest of 1066 resulted in a kingdom ruled by a French-speaking nobility. The Normans invaded Ireland in force in 1169 and soon established themselves throughout most of the country, though their stronghold was the southeast. Likewise, Scotland and Wales were subdued to vassalage at about the same time, though Scotland later regained her independence. The Ex ...

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High Middle Ages, High Middle Ages - Historical events and politics, High Middle Ages - Britain, High Middle Ages - Scandinavia, High Middle Ages - Western and Central Europe, High Middle Ages - Southern Europe, High Middle Ages - Eastern Europe, High Middle Ages - Climate and agriculture, High Middle Ages - The Rise of Chivalry, High Middle Ages - Religion, High Middle Ages - The Church, High Middle Ages - The Crusades, High Middle Ages - Scholasticism, High Middle Ages - Golden age of monasticism, High Middle Ages - Mendicant orders, High Middle Ages - Heretical movements, High Middle Ages - Trade and commerce, High Middle Ages - Technology, High Middle Ages - Culture, High Middle Ages - Art, High Middle Ages - Architecture, High Middle Ages - Literature, High Middle Ages - Music, High Middle Ages - Timeline

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Musically the productions of the ars subtilior are highly refined, complex, difficult to sing, and probably were produced, sung and enjoyed by a small audience of specialists and connoisseurs. Hoppin suggests the superlative ars subtilissima, saying, "not until the twentieth century did music again reach the most subtle refinements and rhythmic complexities of the manneristic style." They are almost exclusively secular songs, and have as their subject matter love, war, chivalry, and stories from classical antiquity; there are e ...

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Ars subtilior, Ars subtilior - Overview and history, Ars subtilior - Notational characteristics, Ars subtilior - Composers in Ars Subtilior Style, Ars subtilior - Reference

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Machaut was probably born and educated in the region around Rheims (his surname most likely derives from his birthplace, the town of Machault, 30 km to the east of Rheims in the Ardennes region). He was employed as secretary to John, Count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, from 1323 to 1346; in addition he became a priest sometime during this period. Most likely he accompanied King John on his various trips, many of them military expeditions, around Europe (including Prague). He was named as the canon of Verdun in 1330, Arras in 1332 and Rh ...

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Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume de Machaut - Life, Guillaume de Machaut - Poetry, Guillaume de Machaut - Music, Guillaume de Machaut - Sacred music, Guillaume de Machaut - References and further reading

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Until the mid 1980s it was believed that Johannes de Garlandia lived in the first half of the 13th century and wrote two treatises, De mensurabili musica and De plana musica, and thus was intimately connected with the composers of the Notre Dame school, at least one of whom — Pérotin — may still have been alive in the earlier part of his career. Unfortunately the linking of his name with those two works only began after 1270, and it now seems likely that Garlandia was one Jehan de Garlandia, a keeper of a bookshop in Paris ...

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Johannes de Garlandia, Johannes de Garlandia - Life and problems of identification, Johannes de Garlandia - Works, Johannes de Garlandia - References and further reading

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Machaut was by far the most famous and influential composer of the 14th century. His secular song output includes monophonic lais and virelais, which continue, in updated forms, some of the tradition of the troubadors. However, his work in the polyphonic forms of the ballade and rondeau was more significant historically, and he wrote the first complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass which can be attributed to a single composer. < ...

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Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume de Machaut - Life, Guillaume de Machaut - Poetry, Guillaume de Machaut - Music, Guillaume de Machaut - Sacred music, Guillaume de Machaut - References and further reading

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All of Andrea's surviving music with reliable attribution is in the genre of the ballata. Thirty are known, with eighteen being for two voices and twelve for three; in addition, one ballade in French may be his work, based on stylistic similarities and a contemporary attribution of it to a name similar to his. The main source for his work is the Squarcialupi Codex, which also includes, in the section containing Andrea's music, a colorful illustration of a man ...

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Andrea da Firenze, Andrea da Firenze - Life, Andrea da Firenze - Music, Andrea da Firenze - References and further reading

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A few details are known about his life, and more can be inferred. In his own treatise he described himself as the papal chaplain and the preceptor of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John at Cologne, an extremely powerful position in northern Europe in the 13th century. Other documents of the time refer to him as "Franco of Paris" as well as "Franco teutonicus"; since his writing on music is intimately associated with the Notre Dame School of Paris, and his Teutonic origin is mentioned in several sources, he was probably German, probably trav ...

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Franco of Cologne, Franco of Cologne - Life, Franco of Cologne - Writings, Franco of Cologne - References and further reading

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One of the techniques of the ars subtilior involved using red notes, or "coloration"; these red notes indicated a reduction of note values by one third. For instance, a three bar passage if written entirely in red notes would only be two bars long. If a "perfect" passage would be written in red notes it would become syncopated; this syncopation was considered a hemiola (see example 1). Triplets occurred when an "imperfect" passage was transcribed into red notes (see example 2). Example 1: time signature of 3/4. If three d ...

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Ars subtilior, Ars subtilior - Overview and history, Ars subtilior - Notational characteristics, Ars subtilior - Composers in Ars Subtilior Style, Ars subtilior - Reference

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