Development of Polyphony

Treatise Musica & Scolica Enchiriadis

850

A musical treatise that was the first attempt to set up rules for polyphony. Within music, movement consisted of of fixed intervals and the Vox Organalis was written below the original chant line.

St. Martial in Southern France

930

Musicians within the town of St. Martial furthered developed the rules of polyphony. More dissonance was added with the exception of the devil's interval.

Guido’s Micrologus

1026

The "Micrologus" was a musical treatise that was written by Guido de Arezzo. The Micrologus helped to create a system for teaching music in an efficient way. This made it easier for choir members to sing, but his works also made its way into the secular field. Lastly, his works in music theory and organum paved the way for counterpoint. The Micrologus began the creation for the modern music staff, solfege syllables, modified parallel organum, Oblique motion, and Voice crossings

John Cotton "De Musica"

1100

"De Musica" was a treatise that encouraged and furthered the practice of polyphony. John Cotton's works inevitably made room for dissonance as a result of contrary motion and more creativity for composers.
Compositional choices that were made:
-Broke away from parallel organum
-Real stride toward melodic independence for the vox organalis
-At this point 7ths were introduced
-Occasional 3rds and 6ths
-No devil’s interval!
-Vox organum above the original chant

Ad Organum Faciendum

1100

A manual with an anonymous author that gave directions to composers on how to make organum.
Compositional rules that the manual provided:
-Occasional thirds while traveling to the unison
-Voice crossing
-Real stride toward melodic independence for the Vox Organalis
-Melismas against and above a single note of chant
-Occasional 3rds and 6ths
-More independence than De Musica

Leoninus and Perotinus

1163

Leoninus and Perotinus were the leading composers within the School of Notre Dame that accelerated the development of polyphony. Leoninus, was the first polyphonic composer to be know by name. He was the best writer for organum and created a textbook that would be mandatory for future composers. Perotinus was the successor of Leoninus who expanded the organum to 3-4 voices. He was considered the best writer of discant, a style of liturgical singing that developed within the school.

School of Notre Dame

1163

Around the 11600's, a group of composers and singers gathered under the patronage of the cathedral of Notre Dame. It was an historic event because the School of Notre Dame produced the earliest repertoire of polyphonic music to gain international attention.

Anonymous IV

1163

Anonymous IV was a compositional student within the School of polyphony in Notre Dame. Musicians today have learned everything about polyphony up till the 12th century based on Anonymous IV's notes.