Reply To: Lesson 1: Names, Melodies and Monachus
Hello
Just wanted to give a little background information to the last class,
For a short overview of Guilimus Monachus, and the parallel sixths schema we discussed at the last lesson see: http://www2.ouk.edu.tw/yen/grove/Entries/S11988.htm
For an idea of how such schemas can be used in practice and improvisation style in late 15th Century, the Buxheimer Orgelbuch (1460/1470), contemporary with Monachus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkVL4QLlAfA (there are also many more youtube videos and a lot of the music is also available on ISMLP)
La Folia ‘Rodrigo Martinez’ version played by Jordi Saval, The same as we ended the class with but the tenor is a different rhythm.
Heinrich Issac ‘Innsbruck Ich Muss Dich Lassen’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI712ZGflAQ, you can hear (and see the music in the video) a lot of parallel 6ths between the tenor and upper voice.
If you’d like to read a little more in depth, the following two articles might be interesting:
Improvisation and Polyphony in Mexico:
http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/webclient/StreamGate?folder_id=0&dvs=1505995370905~414
the following article might be a little technical but discusses how the schemas are used in compositions by Heinrich Isaac:
‘Composing Imitative Counterpoint around a Cantus Firmus- two motets by Heinrich Isaac’
http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/webclient/StreamGate?
folder_id=0&dvs=1505995142839~989
James