MUSC 752 Lecture 14 Paris in the 13th century; Notre Dame polyphony I
I. Paris in the 12th and 13th century
A. History
1. "Ile de la Cite" (see illustration p. 361) inhabited as early as the early
Paleolithic Age
2. The Parisii (Celts?) seemed to have settled in 3rd c. B.C.
3. Conquered by Rome 52 BC
4. Franks invade, conquer late 5th c.
B. Paris in the Middle Ages
1. Capetian monarchs make Paris capital of France
2. Center of commerce
a. Large merchant population
b. Easy access for boats, barges via Seine
3. Seat of intellectual activity
a. Universite de Sorbonne opened its doors in 1253
b. But learned congregating around capital prior to that date
4. As a result of increased trade, education, city grows rapidly
a. Grand fortress constructed alongside the river to protect the city
i. Erected c. 1200
ii. Louvre
b. Another grand building project – Cathedral of Notre Dame
C. Cathedral of Notre Dame
1. Proposed to King Louis VII by Bishop Maurice de Sully
2. Already a Romanesque church on that site, built c. 528
a. Which replaced Gallo-Roman temple of Jupiter
b. And earlier Christian basilica
2. Construction began 1163
2. Not completed until 1330
a. Apse and choir completed 1182
b. Altar dedicated on Pentecost of that year
c. Administrator of the cathedral at that time – Master Leo, or Leoninus
II. The Notre Dame School
A. Leonin
1. Long known as poet and writer
2. Only discovered. in this century that was also creator of new polyphonic style
a. Late 13th c. musical treatise by anonymous writer – Anonymous IV
b. “Note than Master Leoninus, according to what is said, was the
best composer of organum. And he made a great book of
organum (Magnus Liber Organi) from the mass and office chants
to elaborate the Divine Service.”
3. Are group of extant mss. that, by description of Anon. IV, know contain
repertoire from Notre Dame at this time
a. W1 (Wolfenbüttel 667), W2 (Wolftenbüttel 1206), F1 (Florence,
Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, Pluteus 29.1), Helmstedt 1099,
Madrid, Bib. Nac. 20486 (Toledo Codex), and parts of a few others
b. Collectively represent the Magnus Liber
c. Cycle of graduals, alleluias, and Office responsories for major feasts
4. Big development -- rhythmicization of lines in discant sections
a. Probably by Leonin -- know was accomplished poet
b. System of rhythm based on repeating rhythmic patterns
i. Rhythmic modes -- See p. 367
ii. Based on units of Latin poetry
aa. Alternations of short and long syllables
bb. Ex. - iambic pentameter: mode 2
c. Different combinations of neumes given diff. modal values
i. Ex.: ligature with two elements, another with two, and
another with three = mode 2
ii. Sources for info
aa. Parrish, Notation of Medieval Music
bb. NG article on rhythmic modes
d. Clearly, somewhat limited, but
5. Changes everything
a. Allows for rhythmic independence of lines
b. Also stricter control over consonance and dissonance
i. About this time strict definition of intervallic qualities
ii. Perfect: unison, octave, 4th, 5th
iii. Imperfect: thirds (O.k. to use, but not too often)
iv. Dissonances: 2nd, 7th, 6th, TT
c. Discant should be mostly consonances with occasional use of
dissonance for flavor
6. Strict separation of sections of discant and florid organum
a. Not mixed, as in Aquitinian polyphony
b. See ex. 9-5 pp. 370-71
c. Opening: set as florid organum
i. Almost always for syllabic portions of chant
ii. N. B.: in organum sections, long melismas to each note
of chant
7. See 3rd system p. 371
a. Section labeled copula (“connection”)
b. Midway between florid organum and discant
c. Top voice rhythmicized, bottom voice not
d. Will often see used as transition between the two
8. Note: still solo portions of chant set polyphonically
a. bottom of p. 371
b. choir section of chant still monophonic
I. Will be throughout Medieval era
ii. Singing polyphony considered to be for specialists
9. See p. 372
a. Section of florid organum
b. 3rd system - copula that leads into....
10. Discant clausula (“section”)
a. Note: both voices rhythmicized
b. Both move along at fairly decent clip
11. Alternation of organum, discant, and copula gives form to piece
12. Ex.: recording Alleluia Spiritus Sanctus
C. Notre Dame manuscripts also contain a large number of pieces called conductus
1. Non- or quasi-liturgical pieces, based on some type of metrical Latin verse
2. Two or more voices singing same text in essentially same rhythm
3. Essentially homophonic - though often brief ornamentation of standard rhythm
in one of the voices
4. Other characteristics:
a. Tenor often not based on a plainchant - newly composed
b. Text set more or less syllabically
c. Strophic, like a hymn
5. Example 9-6 Flos Ut Rosa Floruit
a. note common cadential formula in duplum only of each verse
b. Melisma at end – cauda = tail
C. Perotin
1. Leonin’s successor at Notre Dame
2. Responsible for 2 new developments in polyphony:
a. 3 part polyphonic compositions
b. Composed new discant sections for pre-existing polyphony
3. New discant sections = substitute clausulae
a. Anon. IV: “The Magnus Liber Organi was still in use until the
time of the great Perotin, who shortened it and substituted a
great many better clausulae, becvause he was the best
composer of discant, better than Leonin.”
b. Show subsititue clausulae example: remove Leonin section,
insert Perotin one
i. Transforms piece
ii. Wrote many substitutes for same section, so lots of choices
iii. Hundreds of clausulae in surviving manuscripts
4. Example of how such substitutions might have worked -- See Alleluia Pascha
Nostrum (supplemental CD)
a. Sets only solo parts of the chant
b. Most solo sections set as florid organum
c. Motets based on chant lines substituted for either organum or clausulae
d. NB: Both the organum and discant sections are solo sections of the
chant
5. Perotin also responsible for increasing number of voices added above chant
a. 1st voice added above chant = duplum
b. 2nd = triplum
c. 3rd = quadruplum
d. Bottom = tenor
6. Characteristics of organum triplum - See ex. 9-9 p. 387
a. Old florid organum style replaced with copula
i. Have to coordinate two upper vcs.
ii. Notes of tenor quite long
b. Shorter discant sections
c. Voice exchange
i. Motive in one voice transferred to another voice
aa. m. 61 triplum=m. 63 duplum
bb. And vice versa
ii. Listeners wouldn’t hear, but singers noted
d. Combining of rhythmic modes
i. See mm. 76
ii. Triplum: mode 5
iii. Duplum mode 1
iv. Upshot - more rhythmic variety
e. Repetition or other manipulation of chant
i. Significant in later compositions of the Middle Ages
ii. Indication that chants viewed as musical material – not
sancrosanct
f. Listen to Alleluya, Posui Adiutorium
g. Note: all of this organum based on plainchant tenor
i. The “bedrock” on which one built polyphony
ii. Remained that way until the Renaissance
II. Polyphonic notation
A. Discantus positio vulgaris (c. 1225-1240)
1. Describes French practice of using neumes to convey rhythm
2. Earlist period from which we KNOW that notation carries rhythmic value
3. Doesn't lay out modal system
B. More fully explained by Johannes Garlandia, De Musica mensureé (c. 1240-60)
1. Modes and method of conveyance
a. Mode 1 - Long-Short: 3li - 2li- 2li
b. Mode 2 - Short-Long: 2li-2li-2li
c. Mode 3: 4 li-3li-3li
d. Mode 4: 3li-3li-3li
e. Mode 5: 3li rest 3li
f. Mode 6: 4li-3li-3li
2. Contextual system
a. All 2li = B-L (?)
b. Penultimate note always breve, last long