Page 23 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

EARLY MUSIC 1000–1400 21

Adam de la Halle’s The Tournai Mass, French composer
Le Jeu de Robin et composed by several Guillaume de
de Marion, regarded anonymous authors, is the Machaut’s
as the first secular first known polyphonic polyphonic mass
French play, is setting of a Mass Messe de Notre
premiered in Naples. transcribed to a manuscript. Dame is composed.

C.1280–1283 C.1320 C.1360–1365

C.1170 C.1300 C.1350

In Paris, Léonin Music theorist The Toulouse
bridges the gap Johannes de Mass assembles
between plainchant Garlandia’s De polyphonic Mass
and polyphony in his mensurabili musica movements adapted
Magnus liber organi. explains modal from existing motets
rhythmic systems. for three voices.

and in the 11th century a system of the plainchant, was succeeded By the mid-14th century, polyphonic
of differently shaped dots written by a more complex style, polyphony, music with interweaving vocal
on a staff of four or more horizontal in which each voice has its own lines had become known as Ars
lines was established this way— melody. This new technique was nova, the “New Art,” and composers
the forerunner of our modern pioneered by Léonin and Pérotin who had mastered the technique
system of music notation. in Paris and rapidly caught on were commissioned to write
across Europe. Masses for the cathedrals.
Music spreads At the same time, secular The new style was not
Notation not only helped standardize music was flourishing, too, in the exclusively developed for the
performance but also enabled form of traveling minstrels who Christian Mass. Composers also
musicians to write new music, entertained in the aristocratic wrote shorter settings of words in
which they did from the 12th courts and on the street. Known the same polyphonic style called
century onward, marking the as trobadors, trouvères, or similar “motets.” Some were settings of
beginning of classical music as regional variations, they were sacred texts, but a number of
it is known today. Music was no poets as well as composers and “serious” composers were also
longer anonymous and passed performers and, unlike church writing polyphonic motets on
on orally, and this led to the musicians, sang their songs with secular poems. As the medieval
emergence of composers and an instrumental accompaniment. period drew to a close, and the
compositions. This new breed It is likely that these entertainers Renaissance got under way,
of composer was keen to try out also played purely instrumental the Church’s monopoly on music
innovatory techniques. The simple music for dancing, but as such was on the wane. Sacred and
harmony of organum, with voices secular music was still an oral secular music were about to
singing in parallel with the melody tradition, none has survived. flourish side by side. ■

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