Music in the Medieval World
by Albert Seay
Period: Medieval
Born: c. 1300 in Champagne, France
Died: 1377 in Rheims, France
Nation of Origin: France
Major Works:
Machaut's Messe de Notre Dame is the earliest known
polyphonic setting of the Catholic mass.
Other Information:
Machaut was probably born in Machaut, a town in the Champagne
region of France. He died in Rheims. Machaut was a musician, poet,
and an educated priest. He worked and traveled in a variety of
capacities for King John of Bohemia. He also worked in the court of
Charles V of France. He was canon of Reims from 1337 until his
death in April of 1377. He is regarded as the most prominent
composer of the 14th century and is the composer of earliest
existing polyphonic setting of the Catholic mass (by a single
composer) and many other works, sacred and secular.
Most of his 23 motets were in the traditional form using a cantus
firmus tenor accompanied by upper voices with different texts.
Motets of this time were getting longer, more secular, and more
rhythmically complex. Machaut's motets use the techniques of
isorhythm and hocket.
His monophonic songs continued the trouverè tradition in
France. He composed 19 lais and about 25 songs (known as virelais
in the form Abba).
He also composed polyphonic virelais (Abba), rondeaux (ABaAabAB),
and ballades (aabC). These were known as the formes fixes and were
composed in a style anticipating the Ars Nova.
Machaut developed the ballade or cantilena style with settings for
high solo tenor or duet with two instrumental parts below.
Although parallel fifths are still common, Machaut's music also
used many 3rds and 6ths.
Of course he is most famous for the Messe de Notre Dame
(Mass of our Lady), a 4-part setting of the Ordinary (Kyrie,
Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) of the Mass. It was the
first 4-part setting of the Ordinary. While there is no thematic
unity to the work as in 15th and 16th c. masses, Machaut does use
one motive which recurs throughout the work.
Composer Bibliography:
Earp, Lawrence, Guillaume De MacHaut : A Guide to Research,
Garland Reference Library of the Humanities, Vol 996, Garland
Publications, October 1995, ISBN: 0824023234
Levarie, Siegmund, Guillaume de Machaut, Sheed and Ward,
1969, ASIN: 0306718316
Reaney, Gilbert, Guillaume de Machaut, Oxford University
Press, 1971, ISBN: 0193152185
Schrade, Leo, Polyphonic Music of the 14th Century, Monaco:
Editions de l'oiseau-lyre, 1956.
General Bibliography:
Kennedy, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of
Music, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997, ISBN:
0198691629
Reese, Gustave, Music in the Middle Ages : With
an Introduction on the Music of Ancient Times, W.W. Norton
& Company, October 1940, ISBN: 0393097501
Sachs, Curt, The Rise of Music in the Ancient
World , W. W. Norton & Company, 1943, ASIN:
0393097188
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc.,
January 2001, ISBN: 1561592390
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors,
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group,
December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Links to essays at other sites:
Music in the Medieval World by Albert Seay |
Please note: These links will open in a new window.
Biographical essay from the Grove Concise Dictionary of
Music
Biographical essay at the Karadar site
If the Karadar link does not work, try searching karadar.com
directly.
Biographical essay at the Naxos site
If this link does not work, try searching naxos.com directly.
International Machaut Society
Biography, Discography, Works
Machaut and the French Ars Nova by Hope
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