In music history, the period from 1320 to 1400 is known as “Ars Nova”. It follows the Ars Antiqua (1100 to 1320). Ars Nova, meaning “New Art” in Latin, refers to a musical style and era, particularly in France, characterized by significant innovations in musical notation and composition. This period moved away from the strict rhythmic modes of the Ars Antiqua towards greater rhythmic freedom and complexity. Key figures include Philippe de Vitry and Guillaume de Machaut.
Advancements in notation during the thirteenth century enabled notes to be written with more rhythmic freedom, breaking away from the strict rhythmic modes of the Ars Antiqua. Secular music began to adopt the complex polyphony that had previously been exclusive to sacred music. Additionally, new techniques and forms, like isorhythm and the isorhythmic motet, became popular. These innovations brought about music that was more expressive and varied compared to the previous century.
Before diving into Ars Nova, let’s first examine its historical context.
The 14th century in Europe was a particularly dark time for several reasons:
- The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) raged between France and England, involving prolonged conflicts among their kings and nobles. During this war, Joan of Arc attempted to support the French king but was betrayed, tried, and burned at the stake.
- The plague wiped out a quarter of Europe’s population.
- Global cooling led to widespread famine and poverty.
- The Christian church faced numerous internal power struggles.
- Taxes on common people steadily rose to fund conflicts and wars among the nobility.
Despite these hardships, this era served as a stepping stone toward the brighter period of the Renaissance.
This challenging era also gave rise to fascinating and intricate music. Let’s explore some of the unique characteristics of the Ars Nova music.
Iso-Rhythm
Ars Nova introduced one of the most significant compositional techniques: isorhythm.
Isorhythm is a technique of combining and repeating melodic and rhythmic patterns.
A fixed rhythmic pattern (called a talea) is repeated in one or more voices throughout a composition.
This talea is combined with a melodic pattern (called a color), which may be of the same or a different length than the talea.
When the melody and rhythm are of different lengths, the melody will appear each time with a different rhythm. Composers frequently incorporated syncopation, leading tones and semitones, making the music challenging to sing. Isorhythm feels almost like modern music and was commonly used in Ars Nova motets, which serve as a hallmark of this era.
New note durations
Until now, music was written only in 3/4 time (ternary rhythm). But during the Ars nova composers began to be compose in 2/4 time and 4/4 (Binary rhythm).
Three new notes were added to the existing ones: minima and semi-minima and fusa, allowing more complex rhythms to be expressed.
Formes fixes – ballade, rondeau, and virelai
The Ars Nova period in French music is known for its development of formes fixes, which are specific poetic and musical forms used in songs. These forms are the ballade, rondeau, and virelai, each characterized by specific patterns of repetition and refrains. They originated from earlier troubadour and trouvère song forms but achieved a new level of complexity and standardization during the Ars Nova.
- Ballade:
Typically serious in tone, often used for philosophical, historical, or celebratory themes.
Musical structure: AAB. - Rondeau:
Often focused on love themes.
Musical structure: ABaAabAB. - Virelai:
May describe nature and relate it to feelings of love. It is also sometimes associated with a round dance.
Musical structure: ABaAabAB.
Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377) and Philippe de Vitry (1291–1364) were the most prominent composers of the Ars Nova era. Let’s explore a few of their isorhythmic motets.
Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)
was a French composer, music theorist, poet, diplomat, administrator, and bishop ! a busy man!
His innovations significantly influenced 14th-century music. Vitry’s innovative use of isorhythm in his motets, along with his theoretical work, paved the way for greater complexity and expressiveness in music during the Late Middle Ages. He served in the French court and became Bishop of Meaux in 1351. His compositions are less well-preserved than those of his contemporary Guillaume de Machaut. Vitry was highly regarded as a leading intellectual, and his contributions to music theory and composition made him an important figure in Western music history.
Philippe de Vitry’s “Tuba sacre fidei” is an important isorhythmic motet from the French Ars Nova period.
Tuba sacre fidei translates to “The trumpet of holy faith,” a title that evokes religious imagery and a sense of proclamation. The motet features multiple voices singing different texts simultaneously, with the bottom voice (tenor) often derived from a fragment of a Gregorian chant melody.
Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1377)
Guillaume de Machaut was a French composer and poet born in the region around Reims. He is considered the most important figure of the Ars Nova musical style bridging medieval and Renaissance music. His works include secular music such as motets, 33 Villerets, 21 Rondos, and 42 Ballades, as well as masses. He was a prolific writer, creating over 400 poems and setting many of them to music. One of the most important works in musical history is his Mass of Notre Dame (Masseur de la Virgen), composed in 1340 for Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims. It is one of the earliest polyphonic compositions. The piece has four voices and uses isorhythmic techniques.
(The Reims Cathedral in France holds great historical significance. It served as the coronation site for all of France’s kings, and Joan of Arc played a key role in liberating Reims from English control, ensuring Charles’s traditional crowning as King of France.)
Let’s listen to three excerpts:
1. Villeret, Ronde, Ballad
2. Motet “Helas! pour quoy”
3. From the Mass of Notre Dame (Mass of the Virgin Mary)
Next time: Trecento
Next, we’ll dive into Italy and the Trecento period of Ars Nova music. This era, centered in Milan, Florence, and Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet), had Francesco Landini as its standout composer. While it shares traits with French music, Italian music feels a bit more natural. French Ars Nova often comes across as overly complex and a bit “forced”. After Ars Nova, the cultural spotlight in music and art shifted away from Paris to Italy.