More Details

Summary:

In today's digital landscape, we have the luxury of experiencing music anytime, anywhere. But before this instant accessibility and dizzying array of formats -- before CDs, the eight-track tape, the radio, and the turntable -- there was only one recording technology: music notation. It allowed singers and soloists to travel across great distances and perform their work with stunning fidelity, a feat that we now very much take for granted. Thomas Forrest Kelly transports us to the lively and complex world of monks and monasteries, of a dove singing holy chants into the ear of a saint, and of bustling activity in the Cathedral of Notre Dame -- an era when the only way to share even the simplest song was to learn it by rote, church to church and person to person. With clarity and a sense of wonder, Kelly tells a story that spans five hundred years, leading us on a journey through medieval Europe and showing how we learned to keep track of rhythm, melody, and precise pitch with a degree of accuracy previously unimagined. Kelly reveals the technological advances that led us to the system of notation we use today, placing each step of its evolution in its cultural and intellectual context. Companion recordings by the renowned Blue Heron ensemble are paired with vibrant illuminated manuscripts, bringing the art to life and allowing readers to experience something of the marvel that medieval writers must have felt when they figured out how to capture music for all time.

Table of Contents:

• Isidore : Writing as recording
• St. Gregory and the recording of music
• Guido the Monk and the recording of pitch
• The great book : Leoninus and the recording of rhythm
• Franco figures it out
• It takes a scientist : Philippe de Vitry
• Into the future : Later developments.
• CD. Gregorian chant, Introit "Ad te levavi" (Michael Barrett, soloist)
• Gregorian chant, Introit "Resurrexi" (David McFerrin, soloist)
• Gregorian chant, Alleluia "Pascha nostrum" (Paul Guttry, soloist)
• Hymn, "Ut queant laxis"
• Alleluia "Pascha nostrum" / Leoninus (Jason McStoots, soloist)
• Alleluia "Pascha nostrum" / Perotinus (Michael Barrett and Sumner Thompson, soloists (Alleluia) ; Owen McIntosh and Jason McStoots, soloists ("Pascha nostrum")
• Clausula, "Latus est" (Mark Sprinkle, soloist)
• Motet, "Immolata paschali victima" (Mark Sprinkle and Jason McStoots)
• "Sumer is icumen in ; Perspice Christicola"
• Motet, "Diex qui porroir ; En grant dolour ; Aptatur" (Jason McStoots, Mark Sprinkle, and Scott Metcalfe)
• Motet, "Aucun ont trouvé ; Lonctans me sui ; Annun[tiantes]" (Jason McStoots, Michael Barrett, and David McFerrin)
• Motet, "Garrit gallus ; In nova fert" / Philippe de Vitry (Ian Howell, Martin Near, and Scott Metcalfe)
• "Biauté qui toutes autres pere" / Guillaume de Machaut (Owen McIntosh, Laura Jeppesen, and Scott Metcalfe)

• "Io son un pellegrin" (Owen McIntosh and Sumner Thompson)
• "Musica son" / Francesco Landini (Owen McIntosh, Jason McStoots, and Sumner Thompson)
• "En attendant, Esperance conforte" / Jacob Senleches (Owen McIntosh, Charles Weaver, and Scott Metcalfe)
• "Belle, bonne, sage, plaisant" / Baude Cordier (Martin Near, Charles Weaver, and Scott Metcalfe).

View 4 more lines View less

Author/Creator:

Kelly, Thomas Forrest , author

Contributors:

Metcalfe, Scott , director

Léonin, active 12th century , composer

Pérotin, -1238? , composer

Vitry, Philippe de, 1291-1361 , composer

Guillaume, de Machaut, approximately 1300-1377

Landini, Francesco, approximately 1325-1397

Jacob, de Senleches, active 1378-1395

Cordier, Baude, active 15th century

Blue Heron Renaissance Choir , singer, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/sng

Catholic Church

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Capturing music: the story of notation [by Kelly, T.F.]

Included Works:

Biaute qui toutes autres pere [by Guillaume, de Machaut]

Musica son che mi dolgo/Già furon/Ciascun vuol [by Landini, F.]

En attendant esperance [by Jacob, de Senleches]

Belle, bonne, sage [by Cordier, B.]

Pascha nostrum [Catholic Church]

Subjects:

Guido, d'Arezzo

Léonin, active 12th century

Franco de Colonia

Vitry, Philippe de, 1291-1361

Musical notation — Europe — History — To 1500

Gregorian chants — History and criticism

Church music — Catholic Church — 500-1400

Guido

To 1500

Gregorian chants

Church music — Catholic Church

Church music

Musical notation

Europe

Genres:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

History

Performers:

CD performed by Blue Heron (Michael Barrett, Paul Guttry, Ian Howell, David McFerrin, Owen McIntosh, Jason McStoots, Martin Near, Mark Sprinkle, Sumner Thompson, and Paul Max Tipton, voices ; Laura Jeppesen, vielle ; Scott Metcalfe, harp and vielle ; Charles Weaver, lute) ; Scott Metcalfe, director.

General Notes:

Accompanying CD contains performances of the musical compositions represented in the book's illustrations.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-225) and index.

Physical Description:

xv, 238 pages : illustrations (some color), music ; 25 cm + 1 audio disc (4 3/4 in.)

Physical Characteristics:

25 cm

Audio Characteristics:

digital

Digital Characteristics:

audio file; CD audio

Call Numbers:

ML431 .K44 2015
LPCD 149,901

ISBNs:

9780393064964 (hardcover)
0393064964 (hardcover)

Library of Congress Control Numbers:

2014023336

OCLC Numbers:

881721206