Medieval composers

Started by Saul, June 16, 2010, 08:46:17 AM

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Saul

Thomas Fabri was a composer from the Netherlands, who worked probably around the 1400s.

http://www.youtube.com/v/xZdoBTRKyzk




Johannes Alanus (fl. late 14th or early 15th century) was an English composer. He wrote the motet Sub arturo plebs/Fons citharizancium/In omnem terram. Also attributed to him are the songs "Min frow, min frow" and "Min herze wil all zit frowen pflegen", both lieds, and "S'en vos por moy pitié ne truis", a virelai. O amicus/Precursoris, attributed simply to "Johannes", may be the work of the same composer.

As with many medieval composers, there is some confusion as to Alanus's identity. For the composer represented in the Old Hall Manuscript, who has sometimes been conflated with Johannes Alanus, see Aleyn. The composer of Sub Arturo plebs, is identified as Jo.Alani and referring to J.Alani Minimus. He has been identified with Dominus Johannes Aleyn (or John Aleyn), who was a chaplain for the chapel of Edward III of England and later Canon of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle from 1362 until his death in 1373. He received many other favors which indicate royal patronage, probably from Queen Philippa of Hainault.

http://www.youtube.com/v/9iYWsNi-PbA

Niccolò da Perugia (also Nicolò) (fl. second half of the 14th century) was an Italian composer of the Trecento, the musical period also known as the "Italian ars nova". He was a contemporary of Francesco Landini, and apparently was most active in Florence.
Little is known for certain about his life; only a few biographical details are verifiable from extramusical sources. He was probably from Perugia, and may have been the son of the provost there. In 1362 he was listed as a visitor to the monastery of Santa Trinita along with Gherardello da Firenze. From the evidence of his music, he was probably a friend of the Florentine poet Franco Sacchetti, and must have done the bulk of his composing between 1360 and 1375, since those are the outside dates known for the poems he set. He may be the same as the Ser Niccolò recorded as a notable singer of laude in 1393. One of his compositions, La fiera testa, was likely written against the Visconti family when Florence was at war with Milan between 1397 and 1400; Niccolò may have been in Perugia then.

http://www.youtube.com/v/EUCfgUrA6d8


kentel

#1
Quote from: Saul on June 16, 2010, 08:46:17 AM
Thomas Fabri was a composer from the Netherlands, who worked probably around the 1400s.


Thank you for your message : I know none of these composers, that should be interesting :)

I take this opportunity to introduce a fascinating medieval composer : Perotin. His music sounds strikingly modern today. It is minimalist, flowing with slow waves of notes, and it has a specific eerie sound and ethereal atmosphere. In some ways, it is rather close to Scelsi and to Kancheli, but the closest modern composer one would think about is certainly Pärt (or Tormis maybe).

But Perotin is very far from us in time: born in 1160, died in 1230 in Paris, he lived during  the reign of Philippe II and the English Wars. Not the best period one could think about. He belonged to the School of Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame looked VERY different at this time than it does now), and generally used the organum writing technique. Organum is a kind of composition technique where you have a minimalist form for counterpoint built upon 2 conjunct melodic motions and a bass. It is seen as a transitory form between plainchant and the polyphony of Ars Nova.

The most striking piece is certainly Viderunt Omnes (written 1198). It is a pure moment of ecstasy, as if we were listening to echoes from another world. Unfortunately, the sound quality of the recordings I found on youtube is very poor and does not give a fair insight of the beauty of this music. I therefore highly recommend this CD :



Strange to think that such a composer can be both so remote from us and so present.


Teresa

Saul thanks for the links and bios, this is quite different from the ancient and medieval dance music and troubadour songs I love.  Is this maybe early sacred music?

My favorite early composer is Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) but I also love that ever popular anonymous.

My favorite early music groups are Atrium Musicae De Madrid, Clemencic Consort, Collegium Terpsichore and the Ulsamer Collegium.



Saul

Quote from: Teresa on June 18, 2010, 03:18:47 PM
Saul thanks for the links and bios, this is quite different from the ancient and medieval dance music and troubadour songs I love.  Is this maybe early sacred music?

My favorite early composer is Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) but I also love that ever popular anonymous.

My favorite early music groups are Atrium Musicae De Madrid, Clemencic Consort, Collegium Terpsichore and the Ulsamer Collegium.



So Beautiful! Thank you!
http://www.youtube.com/v/TFVczfmDKEU

Saul


arkiv

Recently, I have discovered the enchanting vocal opus by Leonin and Perotin, masters of the Medieval period.
Advanced music for that time.

zamyrabyrd

"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one."

― Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds