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Mass became a proving ground for composers' abilities - much like the symphony with French composes in the first half of the 19th century Why cantus firmus? Allowed composers to unify five movements of the mass into an integrated whole four voice texture, adding a voice below the tenor, allowed composers more freedom and eventually became the standard not just in cantus-firmus massesīass - also known as contratenor bass, bassus polyphonic mass in which each movement is based on the same polyphonic mode, normally a chanson or motet, and all voices of the model are used in the mass, but none is used as a cantus firmus cantus firmus/tenor mass: use of a head-motive combined with another way of linking movements: constructing each other around the same cantus firmus normally placed in the tenor motto mass: polyphonic mass in which the movements are linked primarily by sharing the same opening motive or phrase plainsong mass: mass in which each movement is based on a chant to the same text Polyphonic mass cycle - including all five main items of the Ordinary: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei pairing of movements such as Gloria and Credo What we would transcribe as ties across the barline were not possible to notate, except for double longs.Īllowed composers to achieve more rhythmic freedom and variety Signs for rests and ligatures indicated durations in a similar manner. A double long has the value of two longs, and a tempus may contain two or three semibreves. Three tempora constitute a perfection - akin to a measure of three beatsĪs in the rhythmic modes, a long may last two or three tempora, and a breve is normally one tempus but can last two tempora if needed to fill a perfection. Like rhythmic modes, Franconian notation is based on ternary groupings on the basic unit, the tempus (now normally transcribed as a quarter note rather than an 8th, as is customary for Notre Dame polyphony Only the organal voices are notatedĬomposer and theorist Franco of Cologne codified the new system now called Franconian notation in his Ars cantus censurabilis (The Art of Measurable Music) written around 1280.įor the first time, relative durations were signified by note shapes, a characteristic of Western notation. Largest source: Winchester Troper - manuscript of tropes and other liturgical music which contains 174 organa. The styles of organum in Musica enchiriadis were ways for singers to adorn chant in performance based on strict rules for deriving added voices from the chant.Īrezzo also described organum in Micrologus Mixed parallel and oblique organum - early form of organum that combines parallel motion with oblique motion (in which the organal voice remains on the same note while the principal voice moves) to avoid tritones Organal voice - moving in exact parallel motion a fifth belowįourths were acceptable but the tritone had to be avoided - this was done by having one voice remain on one note while they could proceed in parallel fourths Parallel organum - voices moving in fifths Organum - term used in treatises to describe two or more voices singing different notes in agreeable combinations according to given rules drones typically sustain the modal final, sometimes joined by the fifth above.įor listeners, drones grounded the melody in its tonal center and heighten the sense of closure when the melody cadences on the final singing or playing a memlody against a drone