Wednesday, March 15, 2006

#6 - Machaut and the Ars Nova

Guillaume de Machaut (1300 - 1377) a French priest, poet, and a contemporary of the English writer Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote :

"Quant en moy" a secular polyphonic motet

The background instrument, a viol, plays a plain chant melody. The two voices each have their own melodies and words from different poems (polyphony). All three share the same overall rhythm (isorhythm).

Listen for the hockets!

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