Listening Journal for Western Music History

Joanne Lee
October 7th, Tuesday
Cum statua/Hugo, Hugo/Magister invide (NAWM 25)
This is one of those songs that contain the title in the first few seconds of the song. Which
makes it recognizable first of all, and also sets the mood with those first entrance. Already, the
isorhythmic fiber of this piece is consolidated, and the other voices do not have as many words
as the primary voice in the top, but they very well support and aid the top solo line with its
rather chordal movements. Every once in a while, the middle voice joins with the lyrics,
dovetailing into the solo top line. This seems to be four or maybe even five voices, I am not too
sure.
La Messe de Nostre Dame (NAWM 26a-b)
Honestly, Machaut is my favorite composers. His harmonic ideas are daring, gorgeous and
immensely interesting. His music being the FIRST! polyphonic mass, its amazing that he
conceived such harmonically daring ideas. After all, ass Ordinary to be written by a single
composer and conceived as a unit. Gloria is a discant, starting with a solo voice moving in
directions that really add a propulsion and then is joined by the rest of the choir creating a
sense of harmonic unity one another. The Kyrie is isorhythmic, and you can see how the same
rhythm is repeated, sometimes in very noticeable differences.
Douce dame jolie (NAWM 27)
This clearly shows Machauts instincts as a wonderful poet, and to me, among the repertoires virelai, rondeau and ballads, I honestly love the virelai the most. Its free form yet flowing (and
rhyming!) stanzas and the beauty of a crystalline, pure monophonic voice line. How better can
vocal music get? Beautiful! You can also feel the rhythmic innovations from the Ars Nova that
was fully employed here by Machaut. Syncopation, imperfect time and minor prolations.

Rose, liz, printemps, verdure (NAWM 28)

This one has such a beautiful rhythmic movement. Its absolutely idyllic. You can just hear from
this rondeau, a beautiful French sound accompanying a dance or a regal court. It has such
beautiful colorings. Its hard to realize that this music is perfectly fitted from a poem by the
composer himself! I believe it is about spring and it really resembles that atmospheric world.
This has three voices, and it is also just voices. Its hard to believe and realize how Machaut has
such a wide breadth of repertory for the voices - with all these types of dances and the Mass as
well!
Non al suo amante (NAWM 30)
This one, we venture outside of Machaut and explore into the world of the composer Jacopo de
Bologna from the 1350s. It is definitely distinctively different from the French Machaut - I can
definitely identify the Italian-esq sound. There are moments of dissonances, which I am sure is
on purpose. For example, there are minor thirds and I thought I heard a tritone as well. Two
voices do so much against each other, rubbing note against note. It sounds really cool.
Non avr ma pieta (NAWM 32)
This is so far, the first all female voice track weve listened to, and I must tell you, its absolutely
refreshing and breathtaking - not saying I didnt like the male voices, but you know what I
mean. This ballata - a ballata being an extension from the forme fixe with the form AabbA
poetry, it really resembles the french virelai - the previous track douce dame jolie by Machaut. I
can see how the Italian Trecento music was definitely influenced by the French Ars Nova. This
one is by the famous, and leading Trecento composer, Landini (who was so pivotal in this era,
with his Landini cadence and great musical achievements).
Cosi pensoso (NAWM 31)
Again, this song starts by singing cosi pensoso, a cute and catchy, but I am sure it was a helpful
song in what it was - a hunting song for the men, caccia, from the 14th century.
En remirant vo douce pourtraiture (NAWM 29)

This is a prime example of the Ars Subtilior - a subtle art - its rhythmic complexity is
immediately heard just in the first stanza. Its beautiful, though, as the voice is tied in different
places with the instrumental figure, it creates a novice, syncopated (and upbeat) feel, in this
case the rhythm is what drives this melody. Its really mind-altering! How did Phillipus Caserta
come up with such cerebrally challenging yet breakthrough rhythmic music? This kind of
rhythmic disjunction still sounds beautiful to the listener, as opposed to the rather raw
Stravinsky.
Sumer is icumen in (NAWM 24)
This is a rota from the 1250, a rather earlier example of the English music, containing
isorhythmic content, still being a motet. Its really original, at points the rhythmic thematic
material is passed around the voices in the most organized yet interesting (even fun to listen to)
manner. The rhythm is so upbeat and delightful, you cant help but love this.
Alleluia: A new work (NAWM 33)
WOOHOO! We are finally in the renaissance stage, and the female voices here in this track is
immensely beautiful - kind of like the non avra! I love all-female voices. I can see how this
definitely has the Anglaise or English - it has a lot of parallel motion in the texture, adding to the
expansiveness is the perfect fourths or fifths that occasionally pop out. Mostly though, there
are a lot of sixths. This is a carol.
Quam pulchra es (NAWM 34)
Dunstable, a leading polyphonic composer from England shows his majestic palette in this
motet. This too has the English sound, although in Latin, it has an expansive feel with
harmonies that are mostly consonant with occasional unisons and perfect fifths that give this
the expansive feel :) It is three parts, I can see there is isorhythm employed. Most of the piece
seems to be in sixths and thirds that move in parallel motion a lot, sometimes oblique.