A Critical Companion to Medieval Motets (Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music)

Motets constitute the most important polyphonic genre of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Moreover, these compositions are intrinsically involved in the early development of polyphony. This volume - the first to be devoted exclusively to medieval motets - aims to provide a comprehensive guide to them, from a number of different disciplines and perspectives. It addresses crucial matters such as how the motet developed; the rich interplay of musical, poetic, and intertextual modes of meaning specific to the genre; and the changing social and historical circumstances surrounding motets in medieval France, England, and Italy. It also seeks to question many traditional assumptions and received opinions in the area. The first part of the book considers core concepts in motet scholarship: issues of genre, relationships between the motet and other musico-poetic forms, tenor organization, isorhythm, notational development, social functions, and manuscript layout. This is followed by a series of individual case studies which look in detail at a variety of specific pieces, compositional techniques, collections, and subgenres. Jared C. Hartt is Associate Professor of Music Theory at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Contributors: Margaret Bent, Jacques Boogaart, Catherine A. Bradley, Alice V. Clark, Suzannah Clark, Karen Desmond, Lawrence Earp, Sarah Fuller, John Haines, Jared C. Hartt, Elizabeth Eva Leach, Dolores Pesce, Gal Saint-Cricq, Jennifer Saltzstein, Matthew P. Thomson, Stefan Udell, Anna Zayaruznaya, Emily Zazulia List of Figures ix List of Music Examples x List of Tables xiii List of Contributors xiv Preface xv Acknowledgments xvi Abbreviations xvii Introduction: Approaching Medieval Motets / Jared C. Hartt 1 1. The Genre(s) of Medieval Motets / Elizabeth Eva Leach 15 2. Origins and Interactions: Clausula, Motet, Conductus / Catherine A. Bradley 43 3. Tracing the Tenor in Medieval Motets / Alice V. Clark 61 4. Isorhythm / Lawrence Earp 77 5. Notations / Karen Desmond 103 6. Thirteenth-Century Motet Functions: Views through the Lens of the 'Portare' Motet Family / Dolores Pesce 131 7. A Prism of its Time: Social Functions of the Motet in Fourteenth-Century France / Jacques Boogaart 155 8. Motets, Manuscript Culture, Mise-en-page / John Haines and Stefan Udell 175 9. Clerics, Courtiers, and the Vernacular Two-Voice Motet: The Case of 'Fines amouretes'/'Fiat' and the 'Roman de la poire' / Jennifer Saltzstein 193 10. When Words Converge and Meanings Diverge: Counterexamples to Polytextuality in the Thirteenth-Century Motet / Suzannah Clark 205 11. Motets in Chansonniers and the Other Culture of the French Thirteenth-Century Motet / Gaël Saint-Cricq 225 12. Building a Motet around Quoted Material: Textual and Musical Structure in Motets Based on Monophonic Songs / Matthew P. Thomson 243 13. The Duet Motet in England: Genre, Tonal Coherence, Reconstruction / Jared C. Hartt 261 14. 'Materia' Matters: Reconstructing 'Colla'/'Bona' / Anna Zayaruznaya 287 15. Machaut’s Motet 10 and its Interconnections / Margaret Bent 301 16. A Motet Conceived in Troubled Times: Machaut’s Motet 22 / Sarah Fuller 321 17. A Motet Ahead of its Time? The Curious Case of 'Portio nature'/'Ida capillorum' / Emily Zazulia 341 Bibliography of Works Cited 355 Select Glossary 373 Index of Cited Motets 377 General Index 383 First full comprehensive guide to one of the most important genres of music in the Middle Ages.Motets constitute the most important polyphonic genre of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Moreover, these compositions are intrinsically involved in the early development of polyphony. This volume - the first to be devotedexclusively to medieval motets - aims to provide a comprehensive guide to them, from a number of different disciplines and perspectives. It addresses crucial matters such as how the motet developed; the rich interplay of musical,poetic, and intertextual modes of meaning specific to the genre; and the changing social and historical circumstances surrounding motets in medieval France, England, and Italy. It also seeks to question many traditional assumptions and received opinions in the area. The first part of the book considers core concepts in motet scholarship: issues of genre, relationships between the motet and other musico-poetic forms, tenor organization, isorhythm, notational development, social functions, and manuscript layout. This is followed by a series of individual case studies which look in detail at a variety of specific pieces, compositional techniques, collections, and subgenres. JARED C. HARTT is Associate Professor of Music Theory at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Contributors: Margaret Bent, Jacques Boogaart, Catherine A. Bradley, Alice V. Clark, Suzannah Clark, KarenDesmond, Lawrence Earp, Sarah Fuller, John Haines, Jared C. Hartt, Elizabeth Eva Leach, Dolores Pesce, Gaël Saint-Cricq, Jennifer Saltzstein, Matthew P. Thomson, Stefan Udell, Anna Zayaruznaya, Emily Zazulia Introduction: Approaching Medieval Motets / Jared C. Hartt -- Genre(s) Of Medieval Motets / Elizabeth Eva Leach -- Origins And Interactions : Clausula, Motet, Conductus / Catherine A. Bradley -- Tracing The Tenor In Medieval Motets / Alice V. Clark -- Isorhythm / Lawrence Earp -- Notations / Karen Desmond -- Thirteenth-century Motet Functions : Views Through The Lens Of The Portare Motet Family / Dolores Pesce -- Prism Of Its Time : Social Functions Of The Motet In Fourteenth-century France / Jacques Boogaart -- Motets, Manuscript Culture, Mise-en-page / John Haines And Stefan Udell -- Clerics, Courtiers, And The Vernacular Two-voice Motet : The Case Of Fines Amouretes/fiat And The Roman De La Poire / Jennifer Saltzstein -- When Words Converge And Meanings Diverge : Counterexamples To Polytextuality In The Thirteenth-century Motet / Suzannah Clark -- Motets In Chansonniers And The Other Culture Of The French Thirteenth-century Motet / Gaël Saint-cricq -- Building A Motet Around Quoted Material : Textual And Musical Structure In Motets Based On Monophonic Songs / Matthew P. Thomson -- Duet Motet In England : Genre, Tonal Coherence, Reconstruction / Jared C. Hartt -- Materia Matters : Reconstructing Colla/bona / Anna Zayaruznaya -- Machaut's Motet 10 And Its Interconnections / Margaret Bent -- Motet Conceived In Troubled Times : Machaut's Motet 22 / Sarah Fuller -- Motet Ahead Of Its Time? : The Curious Case Of Portio Nature/ida Capillorum / Emily Zazulia. Edited By Jared C. Hartt. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 355-372) And Indexes. Contents 1 List of Figures 10 List of Music Examples 11 List of Tables 14 List of Contributors 15 Preface 16 Acknowledgments 17 Abbreviations 18 Introduction: Approaching Medieval Motets 22 1. The Genre(s) of Medieval Motets 36 2. Origins and Interactions: Clausula, Motet, Conductus 64 3. Tracing the Tenor in Medieval Motets 82 4. Isorhythm 98 5. Notations 124 6. Thirteenth-Century Motet Functions: Views through the Lens of the Portare Motet Family 152 7. A Prism of its Time: Social Functions of the Motet in Fourteenth-Century France 176 8. Motets, Manuscript Culture, Mise-en-page 196 9. Clerics, Courtiers, and the Vernacular Two-Voice Motet: The Case of Fines amouretes / Fiat and the Roman de la poire 214 10. When Words Converge and Meanings Diverge: Counterexamples to Polytextuality in the Thirteenth-Century Motet 226 11. Motets in Chansonniers and the Other Culture of the French Thirteenth-Century Motet 246 12. Building a Motet around Quoted Material: Textual and Musical Structure in Motets Based on Monophonic Songs 264 13. The Duet Motet in England: Genre, Tonal Coherence, Reconstruction 282 14. Materia Matters: Reconstructing Colla / Bona 308 15. Machaut’s Motet 10 and its Interconnections 322 16. A Motet Conceived in Troubled Times: Machaut’s Motet 22 342 17. A Motet Ahead of its Time? The Curious Case of Portio nature / Ida capillorum 362 Bibliography of Works Cited 374 Select Glossary 394 Index of Cited Motets 398 General Index 404 Motets constitute the most important polyphonic genre of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Moreover, these compositions are intrinsically involved in the early development of polyphony. This volume - the first to be devoted exclusively to medieval motets - aims to provide a comprehensive guide to them, from a number of different disciplines and perspectives. It addresses crucial matters such as how the motet developed; the rich interplay of musical, poetic, and intertextual modes of meaning specific to the genre; and the changing social and historical circumstances surrounding motets in medieval France, England, and Italy. It also seeks to question many traditional assumptions and received opinions in the area.0The first part of the book considers core concepts in motet scholarship: issues of genre, relationships between the motet and other musico-poetic forms, tenor organization, isorhythm, notational development, social functions, and manuscript layout. This is followed by a series of individual case studies which look in detail at a variety of specific pieces, compositional techniques, collections, and subgenres.0