15th Century: Burgundian Lands
Setting
100 years war between France and England: 1337- 1453
French government distracted so local dukes had a good amount of autonomy and power.
Dukes: Philip the Bold
Philip the Good, and Charles the Bold
The dukes highly valued art and music so they attracted minstrels from other countries to write music and perform.
Popular Genres: French Secular Chansons, Motets (polyphonic, Latin text, not for mass), Magnificats, and Mass Ordinary. 3 voices were most common
DuFay
Secular Works:
Resvellies Vous, ballade from 1423
written for a marriage, lots of melismas, stratified rhythms, complex, syncopation homophonic. Infl. by Ars Nova and Italian, unlike Machaut
Se La Face ay Pale, ballade from 1430's
syllabic, through composed with only the final melisma, voices move together. More English and Italian influence. Lyrics more important
Sacred Works: Motet and Chant
Fauxbourdon Technique
cantus and tenor written, third voice is improvised. Alternating monophonic and fauxbourdon stanzas. Paraphrase!!!
Missa se la face pale, 1450's, cantus firmus mass
First mass to be base cantus firmus on a secular tune
Voices have different functions. harmonic, augmentation of original ballade, exchanging stepwise motives
How to connect mass items
Cantus Firmus (tenor mass):
construct each movement around the same cantus firmus
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
Cantus Firmus Imitation Mass: Add more than one voice/ melody from the source
Plainsong Mass: use existing chant for the text to link the parts
Molto Mass: Use a head motive to line the parts
Significance
Innovation of 4 part texture. Added a contratenor/ bassus under the tenor
Polyphonic Mass Setting was the trend
Development of the International Style
Leading French composer. Lived from 1397 to 1474