Ch. 3 Music in the 14th Century

Chapter 3 Music in the 14th Century History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-1 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 France: The Ars Nova Increased use of minim and semiminim Duple meter fully equal to triple meter Imperfection by notes of more remote values Use of red ink to make perfect rhythmic values imperfect History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-2 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 The Roman de Fauvel Composed c. 1316 Commentary on dangers of corrupt, incompetent government ministers Isorhythm – based on a repeating fixed rhythmic and melodic pattern History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-3 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 France: The Ars Nova Polyphonic Settings of the Mass Ordinary Three polyphonic cycles have survived from 14th century Also, Guillaume de Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame (“Mass of Our Lady”), 1360s Only 14th-century polyphonic setting of complete Mass Ordinary All movements based on a plainchant version of appropriate element of the Ordinary History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-4 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 France: The Ars Nova The Ars subtilior at the End of the 14th Century Music as art of sound and object of contemplation that engaged and challenged the intellect and the soul History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-5 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 France: The Ars Nova Italy: The Trecento Principal secular vocal genres: ballata, caccia, madrigal Each genre with own textual and musical characteristics History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-6 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 England Repertory of English song preserved from 13th and 14th centuries Stylistically, English composers and theorists used interval of a third more than composers on continent History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-7 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Instrumental Music Used to accompany or double vocal lines Often used independently of voices Some church patriarchs were uneasy about purely instrumental music, considering music without a text transient and empty History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-8 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Instrumental Music Medieval instrumental music was seldom written down Musicians made use of available instruments Notated dance music characterized by short repeated sections called puncta (“points”) History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 3-9 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evans Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458