Development of Polyphony - Medieval

Gregorian Chant
Pipe Gregorian I590-604
Composer: Hildegard of Bingen
Notation: Neume

Mass
Office

Syllabic
Nemunatic
Melismatic

Organum 11~13th

Melody against drone

Parallel Organum: chant->principle voice organal voice-> parallel melody

Mixed parallel and oblique organum

Free Organum:

Aquitanian Polyphonic ()

France

Discant style -> note to note, same rate

Florid Organum -> elaborative

Added melody are above principle melody, tenor.

Norte Dame Polyphony

First : more than two voices

polyphonic music Composed in writing
Notation => six rhythmic modes for triple time

Clausulae
a self-contained section of an organum
Clause or phrase
Discant style= both melodies move in model rhythm.

clausulae= Discant + melisma organum florish + cadence

Conductus

1. tenor newly composed

2. All voices sing the text together
3. mostly syllabic
Motet. 13th (mot=word)

Early Motet: Adding new written Latin text to the upper voice above the discant clausulae.
-> French words, secular topics, more than three voices, rhythmic pattern
increasing free.

Different text in each voice.

Motet is flexible => sacred or secular, tenor lost its function and could be replaced by
instrument.

Late Motet : tenor -> cantus firmus, could be performed by instruments

new notation -> Franconian notation. First relative duration ( double long, Long,
Breve, Semibreve )

Ars Nova 14th

France

1. Minims
2. Duple allowed (only allowed triple before) imperfect
3. Syncopation
4. Mesuration signs.
Percise notation

5. Isorhythm = same rhythm

Repeating rhythmic unit: talea
Repeating melody unit: color
Hocket - two voices alternate rapidly.

Cuillaume de Machaut
- French Ars Nova- Messe de Nostre Dame (Mass of our lady)
- Earliest polyphony setting of Mass Ordinary.

fixed form- ballade, rondeau, virelai

Ars Subtiltior () late 14th

more subtle manners, complex notation and rhythmic patterns

Trecento 14th
Italy

Madrigal
2-3 voices, pastoral, idyllic, love poem. Composed by stanza and ritornello (refrain )

Caccia
strict canon- hunting song.

Ballata
to dance
Renaissance 16th
revive the ideas of ancient Greek and Rome.
Humanism

1. imitative counterpoint
3th, 6th, 5th, 8th, no dissonance and parallel 5th
2. Homophony ()
3. Printing- making notated music available for public => vernacular language,
instrumental music

English school

Countenance angloise
John Dunstable =>

Guillaume Du Fay - Burgundian- international style

Polyphonic Mass : separated pieces-> coherent whole : Dunstable

-> polyphonic mass cycle (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei)

Cantus-firmus() Mass- use head motive throughout the entire Mass

Plainchant Mass- base on existing chant

Ockeghen french
- wider range
- cantus firmus

4 voices, 5~6 sometimes

Imitative counterpoint and homophony
Request full harmony, melodies, motives to free from framework of cantos-tenor
tenor replaced by bass

Antoine Busnoys

Josqiun Des Prez

1.depict images and emotion of the text though music
2. Imitation Mass - base on polyphonic work, all voices, no cantus-firmus.
3. paraphrase Mass - paraphrase hymn (monophonic) melody to four parts, treating it as
imitation or homophonic texture. no cantus firmus.

Baroque 17th
ornate, dramatic, expressive
Affection
Polyphony -> homophonic
Basso continuo : polarity of treble and bass, basso continuo provide harmonic support
dissonance, chromaticism
Harmonically driven counterpoint -> not equal polyphony, melody subdominant to harmony
Ornamentation (trills, scales, arpeggios) -> moving affection
Tonal
Opera
1. means to work ,16th.
2. Affection. Likewise its predecessor, Madrigal,
3. Florence, revive the ethics. Greek tragedy.
4. Orfeo,1600, Peru , first opera.
5. Peru,recitative. Caccini: melody
6. Monody: vocal + accompaniment. ( Arias, recitative )
7. The most successful opera composer in 16th is Monteverdi.
8. Rome opera focused on epic rather than myth, stage effects. Aaria and recitative became
distinctive. Many Rome opera also comprised sinfonia. Female rules: castrati.
9. Venice, international port, wealth, commercial. Middle class families. myth and epic( Homer
and Aristo). More arias, female singers, Diva, to show off their voices and skills.

Cantata
Italy
to be sung
secular solo voice with continuo

Air de cour (cour air)

France
Homophonic and strophic music with lute accompaniment.

Oratorio
17th rome
1. religious
2. Action was subscribed, not performed.
3. Narrator
4. Latin