Hearing the Motet : Essays on the Motet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance

The motet was unquestionably one of the most important vocal genres from its inception in late twelfth-century Paris through the Counter-Reformation and beyond. Heard in both sacred and secular contexts, the motet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance incorporated a striking wealth of meaning, its verbal textures dense with literary, social, philosophic, and religious reference. In Hearing the Motet, top scholars in the field provide the fullest picture yet of the motet's "music-poetic" nature, investigating the virtuosic interplay of music and text that distinguished some of the genre's finest work and reading individual motets and motet repertories in ways that illuminate their historical and cultural backgrounds.How were motets heard in their own time? Did the same motet mean different things to different audiences? To explore these questions, the contributors go beyond traditional musicological methods, at times invoking approaches used in recent literary criticism. Providing as well a cutting-edge look at performance questions and works by composers such as Josquin, Willaert, Obrecht, Byrd, and Palestrina, the book draws a valuable new portrait of the motet composer. Here, intriguingly, the motet composer emerges as a "reader" of the surrounding culture--a musician who knew liturgical practice as well as biblical literature and its exegetical traditions, who moved in social contexts such as humanist gatherings, who understood numerical symbolism and classical allusion, who wrote subtle memorie for patrons, and who found musical models to emulate and distort.Fresh, broad-ranging, and unique, Hearing the Motet makes vital reading for scholars, performers, and students of medieval and Renaissance music, and anyone else with an interest in the musical culture of these periods. Contributors include Rebecca A. Baltzer, Margaret Bent, M. Jennifer Bloxam, David Crook, James Haar, Paula Higgins, Joseph Kerman, Patrick Macey, Craig Monson, Robert Nosow, Jessie Ann Owens, Dolores Pesce, Joshua Rifkin, Anne Walters Robertson, Richard Sherr, and Rob C. Wegman.

the Motet Was Unquestionably One Of The Most Important Vocal Genres From Its Inception In Late Twelfth-century Paris Through The Counter-reformation And Beyond. Heard In Both Sacred And Secular Contexts, The Motet Of The Middle Ages And Renaissance Incorporated A Striking Wealth Of Meaning, Its Verbal Textures Dense With Literary, Social, Philosophic, And Religious Reference. In hearing The Motet, Top Scholars In The Field Provide The Fullest Picture Yet Of The Motet's Music-poetic Nature, Investigating The Virtuosic Interplay Of Music And Text That Distinguished Some Of The Genre's Finest Work And Reading Individual Motets And Motet Repertories In Ways That Illuminate Their Historical And Cultural Backgrounds.l L How Were Motets Heard In Their Own Time? Did The Same Motet Mean Different Things To Different Audiences? To Explore These Questions, The Contributors Go Beyond Traditional Musicological Methods, At Times Invoking Approaches Used In Recent Literary Criticism. Providing As Well A Cutting-edge Look At Performance Questions And Works By Composers Such As Josquin, Willaert, Obrecht, Byrd, And Palestrina, The Book Draws A Valuable New Portrait Of The Motet Composer. Here, Intriguingly, The Motet Composer Emerges As A Reader Of The Surrounding Culture—a Musician Who Knew Liturgical Practice As Well As Biblical Literature And Its Exegetical Traditions, Who Moved In Social Contexts Such As Humanist Gatherings, Who Understood Numerical Symbolism And Classical Allusion, Who Wrote Subtle Memorie For Patrons, And Who Found Musical Models To Emulate And Distort.l L Fresh, Broad-ranging, And Unique, hearing The Motet Makes Vital Reading For Scholars, Performers, And Students Of Medieval And Renaissance Music, And Anyone Else With An Interest In The Musical Culture Of These Periods. Contributors Include Rebecca A. Baltzer, Margaret Bent, M. Jennifer Bloxam, David Crook, James Haar, Paula Higgins, Joseph Kerman, Patrick Macey, Craig Monson, Robert Nosow, Jessie Ann Owens, Dolores Pesce, Joshua Rifkin, Anne Walters Robertson, Richard Sherr, Rob C. Wegman.

The motet was unquestionably one of the most important vocal genres from its inception in late twelfth-century Paris through the Counter-Reformation and beyond. Heard in both sacred and secular contexts, the motet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance incorporated a striking wealth of meaning, its verbal textures dense with literary, social, philosophic, and religious reference. In Hearing the Motet, top scholars in the field provide the fullest picture yet of the motet's'music-poetic'nature, investigating the virtuosic interplay of music and text that distinguished some of the genre's finest work and reading individual motets and motet repertories in ways that illuminate their historical and cultural backgrounds. How were motets heard in their own time? Did the same motet mean different things to different audiences? To explore these questions, the contributors go beyond traditional musicological methods, at times invoking approaches used in recent literary criticism. Providing as well a cutting-edge look at performance questions and works by composers such as Josquin, Willaert, Obrecht, Byrd, and Palestrina, the book draws a valuable new portrait of the motet composer. Here, intriguingly, the motet composer emerges as a'reader'of the surrounding culture--a musician who knew liturgical practice as well as biblical literature and its exegetical traditions, who moved in social contexts such as humanist gatherings, who understood numerical symbolism and classical allusion, who wrote subtle memorie for patrons, and who found musical models to emulate and distort. Fresh, broad-ranging, and unique, Hearing the Motet makes vital reading for scholars, performers, and students of medieval and Renaissance music, and anyone else with an interest in the musical culture of these periods. Contributors include Rebecca A. Baltzer, Margaret Bent, M. Jennifer Bloxam, David Crook, James Haar, Paula Higgins, Joseph Kerman, Patrick Macey, Craig Monson, Robert Nosow, Jessie Ann Owens, Dolores Pesce, Joshua Rifkin, Anne Walters Robertson, Richard Sherr, and Rob C. Wegman. The motet was unquestionably one of the most important vocal genres from its inception in late twelfth-century Paris through the Counter-Reformation and beyond. Heard in both sacred and secular contexts, the motet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance incorporated a striking wealth of meaning, its verbal textures dense with literary, social, philosophic, and religious reference. In Hearing the Motet, top scholars in the field provide the fullest picture yet of the motet's "music-poetic" nature, investigating the virtuosic interplay of music and text that distinguished some of the genre's finest work and reading individual motets and motet repertories in ways that illuminate their historical and cultural backgrounds. How were motets heard in their own time? Did the same motet mean different things to different audiences? To explore these questions, the contributors go beyond traditional musicological methods, at times invoking approaches used in recent literary criticism. Providing a cutting-edge look at performance questions and works by composers such as Josquin, Willaert, Obrecht, Byrd, and Palestrina, the book also draws a valuable new portrait of the motet composer. Here, intriguingly, the motet composer emerges as a "reader" of the surrounding culture - a musician who knew liturgical practice as well as biblical literature and its exegetical traditions, who moved in social contexts such as humanist gatherings, who understood numerical symbolism and classical allusion, who wrote subtle memorie for patrons, and who found musical models to emulate and distort. Fresh, broad-ranging, and unique, Hearing the Motet makes indispensable reading for scholars, performers, and students of medieval and Renaissance music, and anyone else with an interest in the musical culture of these periods. Contents......Page 10 Contributors......Page 13 Introduction......Page 16 Conference Introductory Remarks......Page 25 1. The Polyphonic Progeny of an Et gaudebit: Assessing Family Relations in the Thirteenth-Century Motet......Page 30 2. Beyond Glossing: The Old Made New in me fu grief/Robin m'aime/Portare Mout......Page 41 3. Which Vitry? The Witness of the Trinity Motet from the Roman de Fauvel......Page 65 4. Polyphony of Texts and Music in the Fourteenth-Century Motet: Tribum que non abhorruit/Quoniam secta latronum/Merito hec patimur and Its "Quotations"......Page 95 5. Du Fay and the Cultures of Renaissance Florence......Page 117 6. For Whom the Bell Tolls: Reading and Hearing Busnoys's Anthoni usque limina......Page 135 7. Love and Death in the Fifteenth-Century Motet: A Reading of Busnoys's Anima mea liquefacta est/Stirps Jesse......Page 155 8. Obrecht as Exegete: Reading Factor orbis as a Christmas Sermon......Page 182 9. Conflicting Levels of Meaning and Understanding in Josquin's O admirabile commercium Motet Cycle......Page 206 10. Josquin, Good King René, and O bone et dulcissime Jesu......Page 226 11. Miracles, Motivicity, and Mannerism: Adrian Willaert's Videns Dominus flentes sorores Lazari and Some Aspects of Motet Composition in the 1520s......Page 256 12. Lasso as Historicist: The Cantus-Firmus Motets......Page 278 13. Tonal Compass in the Motets of Orlando di Lasso......Page 299 14. Palestrina as Reader: Motets from the Song of Songs......Page 320 15. On William Byrd's Emendemus in melius......Page 342 16. Byrd, the Catholics, and the Motet: The Hearing Reopened......Page 361 B......Page 388 D......Page 389 I......Page 390 M......Page 391 R......Page 392 Z......Page 393 In Hearing the Motet, top scholars in the field provide a picture of the motet's "music-poetic" nature, investigating the virtuosic interplay of music and text that distinguished some of the genre's finest work and reading individual motets and motet repertories in ways that illuminate their historical and cultural backgrounds. How were motets heard in their own time? Did the same motet mean different things to different audiences? To explore these questions, the contributors go beyond traditional musicological methods, at times invoking approaches used in recent literary criticism. Providing as well a look at performance questions and works by composers such as Josquin, Willaert, Obrecht, Byrd, and Palestrina, the book draws a portrait of the motet composer. Here the motet composer emerges as a "reader" of the surrounding culture--a musician who knew liturgical practice as well as biblical literature and its exegetical traditions, who moved in social contexts such as humanist gatherings, who understood numerical symbolism and classical allusion, who wrote subtle memorie for patrons, and who found musical models to emulate and distort. --From publisher's description In this collection, musicologists provide a picture of the motet's "music-poetic" nature, looking at the interplay of music and text that distinguished the genre's finest work and reading motets and motet repertories in ways that illuminate their historical and cultural backgrounds dence.One author, prompted by her new understanding of an upper-voice text, examines a fourteenth-century motet and uncovers multiple layers of structure in addition to the expected isorhythmic skeleton.