Una Panthera: A Meeting of the Minds

Album: Saracen and the Dove
Track: "Una Panthera" (Track #10)
Composer: Johannes Ciconia
Instruments: 3 voices
Musical Form: Madrigal
Year: 1399

New music is born at the intersection of pre-existing movements; this truism is well known by punks as much as by classical composers. Unfortunately, during the late medieval period, musical cross-fertilization was a slow and difficult process, in no small part due to the Black Plague that was ravaging Europe. Nevertheless, one musical patron, a man by the name of Gaston Febus, managed to both navigate the turmoil of the times and foster an atmosphere of invention in his court. To the music world, he was much like a medieval Andy Warhol, attracting the great composers of the day and encouraging them to compose in the complex ars subtilior style.

In addition to having its own cast of talented musicans, Febus' court attracted many visiting composers, including those from Italy. In the late 14th century, the Italian Trecento was itself flourishing, pioneering musical techniques and forms, such as the canon and imitation, led by composers such as Johaness Ciconia. It is not known whether Ciconia ever visited Febus' court, but it is clear that the ars subtilior style had a big influence on his later work, most notably "Una panthera." This madrigal can be heard to alternate between the elegant fluidity of the Italian Trecento and the rhythmic experimentation of the ars subtilior.

As it would turn out, the late Trecento period (late 14th century and early 15th century) would be the last hurrah for the elaborate experimentation characteristic of the ars subtilior. Early Renaissance compositions saw a return to a more graceful (and accessible) style that, although not lacking in beauty, lacked the cerebral sophistication of the music coming from the court of Gaston Febus. Compositions with such rhythmic complexity would not be heard again until the 20th century.

Related Links: Gaston Febus, Allmusic

Saracen and the Dove: This Dove Can Fly

Album: The Saracen and the Dove
Instruments: Vocal
Musical Form: Mixed Sacred Music
Period: Late Trecento (~1380-1420)

I had nearly lost hope for Trecento music after listening to the work of its supposed shining star, Francesco Landini. However, the recording, The Saracen and the Dove, is one of the most impressive and fascinating that I've heard so far. It is a collection of music from the late Trecento period, especially highlighting the work of Johannes Ciconia and Antonia Zachara da Teramo. Included in the collection are motets, madrigals, ballata, and even a short canon (like a round, more on this in a later post). In addition, although this blog has thus far avoided discussing individual performances and recording artists, I feel inclined to tip my cap to the vocal group, the Orlando Consort. I've encountered them several times on my journey and every time they have delivered superb vocal renditions, often of extremely difficult material. The Saracen and the Dove is no exception, give it a listen.

Related Links: Orlando Consort

The Trecento Madrigal: Art by Improvisation

Album: Landini and His Time: 14th Century Italian Ars Nova
Track: "Vestisse la Cornachia" (Track #9)
Composer: Jacopo da Bologna
Instruments: 1 voice, 1 vielle
Musical Form: Madrigal
Year: ~1350
Composition for comparison: "Freddie Freeloader" by Miles Davis (1959)

For those of us who like to sing or hum along to our favorite songs, improvised music can present an unwelcome challenge. Unlike arranged music, it should not be approached with the intention of developing familiarity; just the opposite, the thrill of improvisation is in the unexpected. It's not completely random (like the more obscure "chance music") -- the musicians are still working within a prearranged structure -- but the driving melody is seldom predictable or repetitive. The notes that are played depend more upon the mood of the musician at the moment it was recorded than on any larger artistic purpose. The casual listener may allow the music to carry them astride, like an elaborate neural massage, while for the connoisseur the experience may be more like a voyage of discovery -- notes arise in new and unexpected patterns as the performers freely explore the vast musical spaces stored in their brains.

Truly improvisational music is, of course, a fleeting thing. There is no way for a modern performer to play ancient improvised music in the way it was intended to be played because our minds are polluted by exposure to the many centuries of subsequent musical development. Nevertheless, there do exist musical forms that are written in a pseudo-improvisational manner; that is, with a melody that is fairly free in form and not adhering to any larger-scale melodic structure. One such form is the madrigal, a development of the Italian Trecento in the mid-14th century.

A short but characteristic example of the madrigal is "Vestisse la Cornachia" by Jacopo da Bologna. The piece is composed for two voices, but in this particular arrangement, only the melody is carried by a vocalist. Note the relatively simple manner in which the two parts interact, with the accompanying vielle moving steadily in the background as the lead voice provides an elaborate melismatic foreground. There is a great deal of similarity between melodic motion heard here and that found in modern improvisation forms, such as jazz and blues. For comparison, listen to "Freddie Freeloader," a jam off of Miles Davis' groundbreaking album, Kind of Blue (1959). Listen to how the saxophones, piano, and trumpet exchange the lead melody, while the backing musicians provide a skeletal accompaniment.

The madrigal did not last much beyond the 14th century, although an unrelated form with the same name arose in 16th century Italy. It seems that the early madrigals of this type had very little popular appeal... if only Coltrane had been born six centuries earlier.

Related Links: Improvisation in Madrigals