14th Century Music: “New Art” in Italy & France

1. 14th Century Music: “New Art” in Italy & France Part 2, Section 5 - 10/3/17

2. 14th Century Music (1300’s) • Secular music became more important than sacred music • Composers wrote music that was NOT based on Gregorian chant • Largely polyphonic • Drinking songs, songs that imitated hunters’ shouts, birdcalls, etc. • New system of music notation evolved that specified almost any rhythm & pitch • Ars Nova (meaning ‘New Art’): Italian & French music of the 14th Century, drastic musical style change

3. Francesco Landini • Most celebrated Italian composer of the 14th Century • Blind from childhood • Famous organist, poet, scholar & inventor of new string instrument • Composed Ecco la primavera (Spring Has Come)

4. Ecco la primavera (Spring has come) • Carefree, about the joys of springtime • Ballata: An Italian poetic & musical form that originated as a song to accompany dancing • Instrumentation: 2 voices • Form: A BB AA • Texture: Polyphonic/Homophonic • Meter: Triple • Notes:Includes a lot of syncopation

5. Guillaume de Machaut • Musician & poet • Traveled to many courts & presented beautifully decorated copies of his music/poetry to noble patrons • Studied theology, served various royal familes, served as church official • Composed the Notre Dame Mass, the best known composition of the 14th Century

6. Puis qu’en oubli sui de vous (Since I am forgotten by you) • Instrumentation: 2 voices, low range • Form: Rondeau (ab aa ab ab) • Meter: Duple • Notes:Melancholy work, expresses Machaut’s “farewell to joy” since a relationship with a woman fell through after years of writing letters

7. Notre Dame Mass, Agnus Dei • Instrumentation: 4 voices, (probably solo voices, not chorus) • Form: ABA • Texture: Polyphonic • Meter: Duple • Notes: Part of the mass ordinary, based on a Gregorian chant Mass ordinary: Consists of texts that remain the same from day to day throughout the church year 5 sung prayers - Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei