Chapter 5 - Polyphony through the 13th century

organum definition

two or more voices singing notes in agreeable combinations, term used 9th-13th centuries

4 types of organum

drone: melody over a sustained pitch, usually ends in octave or fifth, very very old

parallel: chant is principal voice, organul voice is a fifth below

mixed parallel and oblique: organul voice remains stationary, chant uses a mixture of parallel and oblique motion, and adjustments are made to avoid a tritone

note against note: new style in the late 11th century, organul voice is more independent and prominent

Wincester Troper

manuscripts of tropes and other liturgal music notating only the organul voice, largest source of organa for the mass and the office

Ad Organum Faciendum

preserved rules for the note against note organum

aquitanian polyphony

new, more ornate polyphony named because main sources are manuscripts found in Aquitaine in France

two styles of aqtuitanian polyphony

discant: voices move at about the same rate, 1-3 notes in the upper voice per note in the lower voice

florid: upper voice sings note groups of various lengths and the lower voice moves much more slowly

aquitanian notation

pitches are reasonably clear and vertical alignment indicates which parts are sung together, but duration is not indicated

characteristics of polyphony before notre dame vs characteristics of notre dame polyphony

before notre dame only 2 voices, chant and music was composed and written down later

after notre dame even more ornate, first time using more than 2 voices, valued artistry in decorating chant, and was preserved in memory before written down

notre dame notation

first notation since ancient greeks to indicate notation, ligatures combine groups of notes to indicate the rhythmic pattern

combines longs and breves derived from chant notation

notre dame rhythmic modes

6 rhythmic patterns called modes which combine to create the composistion, tempus is the basic unit of time and always grouped in 3s

Leoninus

organista in paris, compiled the Magnus Liber Organi which is a collection of organum

Perotinus

added clausula, created multiple styles of organum (duplum, triplum, quadrulplum)

coherence and variety in long sections of organum

clausula

self contained setting or a word or syllable, most in discant style

polyphonic conductus

2-4 voice setting of rhymed, rhythmic, strophic, latin poem

can be sacred or secular

new motet definition in the 13th century

newly written latin words to upper voices of a discant clausula

can now include french words, secular topics, 3 or more topics

became independent from the churchm and the tenor lost its liturgical function

motets in the later 13th century

3 voices, 2 are on related topics in latin or french

tenor can now be based on other sources like chant or secular melodies

development of cantus firmus

franconian notation

codified in Ars Cantus Mensurabilis

note shape indicates relative duration, 4 signs for single notes long, double long, breve, semi breve

based ternary groups of tempus

franconian motet

each upper voice has a distinct rhythmic shape, no longer conforms to rhythmic modes

late 13th century harmony

5th and octave expected at the beginning of each perfection (3 groups of 3 tempus), 3rds are allowed, occasional dissonance, 4th treated as a dissonance

how was english music similar to french at this time

wrote in all notre dame styles, discant settings of mass tropes, focused on sacred latin texts

organum, conductus, motet

characteristics of english music

imperfect consonances in parallel motion

rondellus: elaborate system or voice exchange

rota: perpetual canon or round at the unison