One of the great masterpieces of medieval music and of all religious music, it is the earliest complete setting of the ordinary of the mass attributable to a single composer. The third statement of c is extended, a common procedure that creates a complete structure of a a a b b b c c c. The following description comes from the website of the boston camerata. It holds its own with all other available recordings. Kyrie eleison lord have mercy the chant melody for the two kyrie sections are often related, but not here, so the overall melodic form is a b c. He is one of the earliest composers on whom significant biographical information is available. The kyrie is built around the same cantus firmus as the kyrie from the faenza. Machaut is one of the earliest composers on whom substantial biographical information is available, and daniel leechwilkinson called him the last great. Available formats pdf please select a format to send. Publication date 65 topics masses, religious works, for mixed chorus, scores featuring mixed chorus. However, the modes used are quite similar to more modern scales, and barring unusual sounding cadences, parallel fifths and the like in some sections i. Widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of medieval music and of all religious music, it is historically notable as the earliest complete setting of the ordinary of the mass attributable to a single composer in contrast to earlier compilations. Ky ri e 23 23 8 2 3 8 2 3 28 chri chri chri chri christe ste ste ste ste. Music for the mass in fourteenthcentury france machaut s mass is well known as the first polyphonic setting of the ordinary of the mass by a single known composer.
Machaut helped develop the motet and secular song forms particularly the lai and the formes fixes. In his livre du voir dit book of the true poem, machaut amassed assorted poems, letters, and songs into a semiautobiographical scrapbook dedicated to peronne darmentieres, a young woman with whom a much older machaut was infatuated. He is a part of the musical movement known as the ars nova. Machaut utilises opportunities presented by polyphony better than anyone else of his time. But he is best known for his secular music and was very influential on chaucer.
Machauts mass was certainly a landmark in musical history, but this mass is far from being avantgarde merely for the sake of uniquity, it is considered to be one of the most advanced examples of choral polyphony in the history of music. Machaut is known for his use of panisorhythm isorhythm appearing in all parts and his throughcomposed monophonic lais. The messe of nostre dame mass of our lady is a polyphonic mass composed. As it is with historys appreciation of the reims cathedral. Machaut sets each of these four melodic units a b c and c only once. Certainly the space one hears, tonally, around the voices themselves serves to heighten mood, and to emphasise the harmonies and layering again. One other complete polyphonic mass ordinary survives as the first composed by one individual.
Licensed to youtube by merlin idol distribution on behalf of alpha. The setting has close connections with reims cathedral and is thought to have been composed in the early 60s. Rec 1996 summerlys reading has the advantage of having been recorded in the very building where the mass may first have been heard more than 600 years ago rheims cathedral. Here, this mass is candidly assessed without the knowledgeenriched air of a regular music essay. Sans cuer dolens click here to search for this composer on cpdl publications external links. He is regarded by many musicologists as the greatest and most important composer of the 14th century.