The ars nova (~1320 - 1380) is a difficult time period to cover in a compilation, largely because of the scarcity of sources available to modern musicians. The collection is necessarily skewed towards Guillaume de Machaut, both because he was the best composer of the period and because he went out of his way to catalog his work before he died. All of the pieces listed below are French except for "Vestisse La Cornachia" and "Nella partita pianson," which are Italian. The latter is by Francesco Landini who, despite my distaste for his music, is a necessary component of any ars nova collection. The first track, "Douce Dame," is off of a difficult-to-find recording of the Roman de Fauvel by the Clemencic Consort, so if you can't locate that track, I suggest "Impudenter Circumivi" in its place.
1. Douce Dame (alternative: Impudenter Circumivi)
2. Clap, clap, par un matin
3. Vestisse La Cornachia
4. Douce Dame Jolie
5. Kyrie from La Messe De Nostre Dame
6. Lasse! comment oublieray
7. Nella partita pianson
8. Ma Fin Est Mon Commencement
The total running time is ~35 minutes.
The albums/collections I've heard, in order of preference:
1. De Machaut: La Messe De Nostr Dame - A magnificent recording of the first ever cyclic mass. The only of these collections I would recommend even to casual listeners.
2. Machaut: Chansons - A collection of Guillaume de Machaut's chansons (including ballades, rondeaux, and virelais). Notably lacking "Douce Dame Jolie," but otherwise a very pleasurable listen.
3. Roman de Fauvel - The only of these recordings that really captures the more "edgy" beginnings of the ars nova musical revolution. Difficult to find, but worth the effort.
4. Music of the Gothic Era - A rather diverse sampling of early medieval music that
also includes ars antiqua pieces.
5. The Second Circle: Love Songs of Francesco Landini - A famous early music female vocal group, Anonymous 4, performs a sampling of Landini's ballate. A rather bland set of compositions, in my opinion, but not unrepresentative of his work.
6. Guillaume de Machaut: Motets & Music From The Ivrea Codex - A collection of sacred music from one of the principal source for ars nova music, the Ivrea Codex. Except for some of Machaut's pieces, this collection falls rather flat. Nevertheless, it presents some of the anonymous work from the period.
Latest Update: 08/27/09
1. Douce Dame (alternative: Impudenter Circumivi)
2. Clap, clap, par un matin
3. Vestisse La Cornachia
4. Douce Dame Jolie
5. Kyrie from La Messe De Nostre Dame
6. Lasse! comment oublieray
7. Nella partita pianson
8. Ma Fin Est Mon Commencement
The total running time is ~35 minutes.
The albums/collections I've heard, in order of preference:
1. De Machaut: La Messe De Nostr Dame - A magnificent recording of the first ever cyclic mass. The only of these collections I would recommend even to casual listeners.
2. Machaut: Chansons - A collection of Guillaume de Machaut's chansons (including ballades, rondeaux, and virelais). Notably lacking "Douce Dame Jolie," but otherwise a very pleasurable listen.
3. Roman de Fauvel - The only of these recordings that really captures the more "edgy" beginnings of the ars nova musical revolution. Difficult to find, but worth the effort.
4. Music of the Gothic Era - A rather diverse sampling of early medieval music that
also includes ars antiqua pieces.
5. The Second Circle: Love Songs of Francesco Landini - A famous early music female vocal group, Anonymous 4, performs a sampling of Landini's ballate. A rather bland set of compositions, in my opinion, but not unrepresentative of his work.
6. Guillaume de Machaut: Motets & Music From The Ivrea Codex - A collection of sacred music from one of the principal source for ars nova music, the Ivrea Codex. Except for some of Machaut's pieces, this collection falls rather flat. Nevertheless, it presents some of the anonymous work from the period.
Latest Update: 08/27/09
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