Early Polyphony 9th through 13th centuries

polyphony: music that results from the simultaneous combination of two or more independent melodic lines

•early organum (early 9th—12th c.)

•Ars Antiqua (late 12th –13th c.)

What is ORGANUM?

Organum is early polyphony involving the addition of one or more voices to a chant. It is not the composition of new works.

Organum is found in several documents, including:• Musica Enchiriadis and Scholica

Enchiriadis• Ad Organum Faciendum• manuscripts from Aquitaine, France

Musica Enchiriadis and Scolica Enchiriadis

•1st known attempt at outlining rules for polyphony•Early organum was improvised. These documents contain examples of how to do this.•principal voice: the upper voice. This is the original chant.•organal voice: the lower voice. This is the added voice.•intervals used in organum: 4th, 5th, octave.•two types of organum found in these documents are:• Parallel organum:

• Mixed parallel and oblique organum:

• this type was used to avoid tritones

late 9th century:

Ad Organum Faciendum

•examples of free organum•these were improvised or composed

Alleluia Justus ut palma

ca. 1100

Aquitanian polyphony

The crypt from the Abbey of St. Martial de Limoges

•Aquitaine is in southwestern France•the manuscripts were once held at the Abbey of St. Martial de Limoges•duplum: the upper voice. This is the added voice.•tenor: the lower voice. This is the original chant.•two types of organum found in these documents are:• Florid organum:

• Discant organum

• both parts move at about the same rate, with one to three notes in the upper part for each note of the lower voice. Often rhythmic.

•Jubilemus exultemus• an example of Aquitanian polyphony• this is a type of piece called a versus

early 12th century

What is Ars Antiqua?

Ars Antiqua is sacred polyphonic music of late 12th through 13th centuries. This is the period before the Ars Nova, the music of the 14th century.

There are two main periods within Ars Antiqua:• late 12th to early 13th century:

Notre Dame organum• 13th century: motet

Notre Dame PolyphonyNotre Dame Polyphony

1160-1250Leonin and Perotin

•Notre Dame Cathedral, built 1160-1345•Paris was the intellectual and cultural leader of Europe•Latin was the official language of church, school and government•polyphonic music added to the aura of the church

Léonin (fl. 1150s—ca. 1201)

Pérotin (fl. ca. 1200)

•Magnus liber organi• contained 2-part settings of solo portions of responsorial chants. The

respond is still in unison, sung by the choir. • florid and discant• Viderunt omnes; Organum duplum• Cadences on 4th, 5th, or octave.

•polyphonic conductus• settings of Latin poetry

•substitute clausulae• passages designed to replace earlier (Perotin’s) polyphonic passages.• discant• 3 or 4 voices.

• quadruplum—top voice• triplum• duplum• tenor—lowest voice.

• All voices in similar range.• Cadences on 4th, 5th, or octave.• Viderunt omnes; Organum quadruplum

•polyphonic conductus• Ave virgo virginum

Notre Dame Organum

Rhythmic modes

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Perotin’s Viderunt Omnes

Rhythmic notation was an important innovation by Notre Dame composers.

• the rhythmic mode is defined by the shape of the first ligature

• a ligature is a neume used in rhythmic notation

From Chant to Motet

So, what exactly is a motet?• Motet in the Early 1200s:

– developed when Notre Dame composers added words to the upper voices of discant organum

– Double motet: 2 texts above the tenor (three total voices)

– Triple motet: 3 texts above the tenor (four total voices)

– Tenor may have been played on an instrument.

– Motets are named from the first words of each part, from the top voice to the bottom voice.

– sacred or secular

• Motet in the late 1200s:– three voices– upper two voices contain

texts on related topics– Latin or French– The tenor is also called a

cantus firmus—melody which becomes the basis of a motet. This melody can now come from a chant or secular music.

• Be careful with the word “motet”—it is used throughout music history to mean many different things.

• note shapes determine

rhythm• rhythmic modes no

longer necessary: allows for more rhythmic variety

13th century motet composers improved upon Notre Dame rhythmic notation.

Franconian notation

note values, longshort

•frequent use of 3rds and 6ths , often in parallel motion

Sumer is icumen in

English Polyphony