The Evolution of the Motet Essay - 1297 Words

The Evolution of the Motet The Evolution of the Motet Throughout the history of music, there have been few styles that not only have opened doors to masterwork compositions in their own genres, but have also led the way to other musical techniques over the musical eras and one of these magical music styles is the motet. The motet can easily be confused with other musical structures but what separates the motet from other types of group-performance based styles of music is a piece of music in several parts with words.1 This is the closest definition of motet as can be said without overgeneralization and will operate from the beginning of the 13th century well into the late 16th century and beyond. Some scholars†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Medieval motets tended to be isorhythmic; that is, they employed repeated rhythmic patterns in all voices—not only the cantus firmus—which did not necessarily coincide with repeating melodic patterns.†2 This new isorhythmic principle, brought on mostly by the composer Macha ut, was used not only in the tenor voice but also rather with much more freedom in the upper voice parts. The application of discant over a cantus firmus marked the beginnings of this new revolutionary style, the motet, in Western music. The key motet composers in the medieval period were few in number; Phillip de Vitry and Machaut were one of the earliest composers to institute the isorhythmic technique, which set the style for other medieval composers like Willelmus de Winchecumbe. Guillaume de Machaut was a more famous named late-medieval composer to institute the discant which caught on in other music styles and only helped to evolve the motet into its later stylings. These composers helped carry the motet to the new Flemish motet style. The Flemish style of motets marked the peak of the motet, in my opinion. The Flemish motet was more polished and refined while in contrast, the medieval motet was a diamond in the rough.Show MoreRelatedSatire, Stain Glass And The Hagia Sophia1303 Words   |  6 Pageswritten in the style of the motet. Là ©onin had never wrote any of the music himself, he only notated the music he had learned during his career as a singer. One of the many unique features of the Magnus Liber is the addition of the third and fourth voice parts above a tenor, which are credited to Pà ©rotin. This had never been seen before and allowed more harmonies and cadence to be added. Pà ©rotin also coined the motet and that within itself has impacted my life. The motet has multiple voice parts singingRead MoreMusic History Through the Middle Ages, Rennisance, Baroque, Etc...2017 Words   |  9 Pagesshape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution. Middle Ages Beginning with fall of Rome in 476a.d. the first half of this millennium is referred to as the dark ages. In society, all power flowed from the king with the approval of the Roman Catholic Church and its bishops. This is whatRead More Music History thru the Middle Ages, Rennisance, Baroque, etc...1983 Words   |  8 Pagesshape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution. Middle Ages Beginning with fall of Rome in 476a.d. the first half of this millennium is referred to as the â€Å"dark ages†. In society, all power flowed from the king with the approval of the Roman Catholic Church and its bishops. This is what we knowRead More History Of Music Essay2522 Words   |  11 Pagessang for their own enjoyment. The content of these songs often portrayed a hero and celebrated his strength or wisdom in battle or on a quest. Many manuscripts of this music have been successfully recovered. One of the primary landmarks in the evolution of the plainchant and music as a whole was the advent of polyphony. Polyphony is the singing (or playing) of two separate melodies at the same time while still maintaining a pleasing sound. Polyphony was first used in France, with the first in veryRead More The Baroque Concerto Essay821 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Introductionnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In simple terms, the word â€Å"concerto† translates into â€Å"concert.† Motets by Vidana, madrigals by Monteverdi as well as works by Corelli and Torelli are all described by their composers as ‘concertos’. The Baroque era was one in which many different styles of music had been formulated. These differing forms of music wereRead MoreMusic And Its Influence On The Italian Genre1785 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout history, various styles of music have developed to further the evolution and complexity of music, wether it be commissioned by nobility or, composed for the enjoyment of the normal, common populace. English madrigals, though not the longest lasting style, is one such form of music that has had a lasting impact on the continuing composition of music. Madrigals are defined four ways in A History of Western Music. The fourth definition, â€Å"English polyphonic work imitating the Italian genreRead MoreMusical Hybridization: Surveying Guillaume1653 Words   |  7 Pagestechnique†¦to return to first essentials with†¦economical means.† Three Marian works worth analyzing are the Salve Regina, Ave Maris Stella, and Petrarch’s setting of Vergene Bella. Although Vergene Bella is not a Marian antiphon, it is a cantilena motet expressing Marian praise. Vergene Bella, Ave Maris Stella, and Salve Regina not only contain multinational compositional traits, but also provide evolutionary musical cognizance into Dufay’s early, middle, and late periods, respectively. Dufay’sRead MoreThe Evolution of Music Essay2161 Words   |  9 Pagesinstruments. There are also many ways that the two styles can cross over each other; this is seen in popular music and a lot of video game music. Though many people cannot see any similarities between modern and classical music, modern music is really an evolution of classical music; the roots of modern music go back to classical era. The term â€Å"classical music† refers to the western influence, not the eastern influence of Asia; the two are very different (History). Classical music can be split into several