History of Music, Mr. Robert L. Johnston

Early Polyphony (Day 1)

Aim:

What is polyphony?

Instructional Objectives:

At the conclusion of this unit, students will:

  1. Have defined and received an introduction to polyphony.
  2. Have an understanding of the rise of academic and secular life.
  3. Have received an understanding of its geographical development and key figures.
  4. Have heard a strong representation of polyphony.

Motivation:

Play Foweles in the Frith by Mediaeval Baebes. What is different about this particular work versus the plainsong we have heard to this point? (2:08)

Development/Procedures:

  1. The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music defines polyphony as, “One of the three basic musical textures [incl. monophonic, homophonic]. Music is said to be polyphonic if it is composed of two or more voice parts…”
  1. Miller states that it is not known when polyphony, or what he terms part-singing, began.
  2. The Greeks used heterophony, where two voices sang the same melody, with one voice making slight modifications. (Harvard)
  3. Miller goes on to say that part-singing probably began in secular music before it began in sacred music.
  4. There were various forms of this early polyphony.
  5. Magadizing, or singing the same melody an octave apart.
  6. Gymel or Cantus gemellus (“twin song”), or singing the melody in thirds.
  7. Melodies were also sung in fourths and fifths.
  8. Demonstration on piano.
  9. He cites that the earliest reference to part-singing was from the 8th century.
  10. Known developments in polyphony from the 9th through 13th centuries took place in sacred music and were based on plainsong, and these will be the focus of our discussion.
  1. We need to revisit plainsong for a moment and discuss some early developments that eventually led to polyphony.
  2. Between the 9th and the 12th century, two new forms of plainsong developed. (Miller)
  3. The trope was a phrase of text inserted syllabically into a melodic line of plainsong. (Miller)
  4. The text was either inserted in a melismatic passage, or a new melody was created for the text.
  5. The leading composer of tropes was another St. Gall monk, Tuotilo (d. 915).
  6. The sequence was a special kind of trope.
  7. The sequence was created, much like a trope, by adding text to a melisma. (Miller)
  8. The difference was the text was added specifically to jubilus, a long melismatic passage from the Alleluia of the Mass. (Miller)
  9. The sequence also had a specific form.
  10. There was a single line of text and its own melody.
  11. It was then followed by pairs of text lines, each with the same melody, and then concluding with a single line of text and melody.
  12. A BB CC DD E.
  13. A familiar figure, Notker, is the earliest known composer of sequences.
  14. St. Thomas Aquinas also composed sequences.
  15. Sequences eventually became a separate form from the Alleluia.
  16. The sequence and the trope point to the loosening of the constraints of the characteristics of plainchant that we initially discussed.
  17. As noted in Shirmer, only the most highly skilled professionals could be expected to perform polyphony.
  18. This repertory was found in only a handful of manuscripts in only a few of the leading ecclesiastical institutions.
  19. Shirmer terms it, “the very dramatic, avant-garde, ear-catching tip of the reportorial iceberg.”
  20. These types of development can be called horizontal elaboration. (Shirmer)
  1. The first major form of polyphony was organum.
  2. The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music defines organum as, “…name for the earliest form of polyphonic music, from the 9th to the early 13th century. It is vocal music in two, three, or occasionally four parts, and shows no evident connection with the organ.”
  3. To understand organum, we must understand the three major types of motion between voices.
  4. Parallel motion is when voices move together at the same interval.
  5. Play example on piano.
  6. Contrary motion is when voices move in opposite directions.
  7. Play example on piano.
  8. Oblique motion is when one voice moves, and the other stays the same.
  9. Play example on piano.
  10. Miller identifies three types of organum.
  11. Parallel Organum
  12. This is the earliest form of organum and polyphony. (Miller)
  13. Consisted of two voices moving in parallel motion. (Miller)
  14. There was an existing plainsong melody, called the vox principalis. (Miller)
  15. The vox principalis was usually doubled a fourth below by the vox organum. (Miller)
  16. Occasionally, one or both voices were doubled at the octave (composite organum) to create three and four part organum. (Miller)
  17. Show examples on board.
  18. In the 11th century, parallel organum was replaced by free organum. (Miller)
  19. Along with parallel motion, oblique and contrary motion was used. (Miller)
  20. This gave each voice melodic independence, which is not the case when voices are married to each other in parallel motion. (Miller)
  21. The organal voice was added above the plainsong. (Miller)
  22. The predominant intervals were fourths, fifths and octaves. (Miller)
  23. The voices still moved in note-against-note style, therefore precluding rhythmic independence. (Miller)
  24. Show examples on board.
  25. Finally, in the 12th century, a melismatic organum emerged. (Miller)
  26. Other terms to identify it are organum purum or St. Martial organum. (Miller)
  27. An existing plainsong was written out in long, sustained notes. (Miller)
  28. A higher, faster moving voice was added above it. (Miller)
  29. This achieved both melodic and rhythmic independence. (Miller)
  30. Show examples on board.
  31. Play Perotin’s Viderunt omnes as recorded by the Hilliard Ensemble. (11:36)
  32. This work, and this particular recording is one of my personal favorites.

Materials of Instruction:

Smart Board

Various Recordings

Blackboard

Piano

Summary:

Music, by the time of organum, will now start to unfold in both the sacred and secular worlds. We will, in our next class meet major figures, discus their geographical centers of creativity, as well as note important texts.

It will be important to remember the ideas of independence of voices as we delve further into the development of music in the next number of weeks.

Assignment:

Read “Getting the Ball Rolling” in Barber’s Bach, Beethoven and the Boys. Be prepared to discuss both the content of his writing as well as its delivery. There might be a one or two-question quiz to assure that you read the assignment.

Extra credit to anyone who can translate the text to Viderunt omnes.

“Viderunt omnes fines terrae salutare Dei nosri:

Jubilate Deo omnis terra.

V. Notum fecit Dominus salutare suum:

ante conspectum genitum revelavit justitiam suam.”

Bibliography:

History of Music, Hugh H. Miller, Barnes & Noble Books, New York. 1972

The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music, Willi Apel and Ralph T. Daniel, Washington Square Press, New York. 1960

Suggested Reference:

History of Music, Hugh H. Miller, Barnes & Noble Books, New York. 1972

Robert L. Johnston