The motet arose from discant (clausula) sections, usually strophic interludes, in a longer sequence of organum, to which upper voices were added.
Usually the discant represented a strophic sequence in Latin which was sung as a discant over a cantus firmus, which typically was a Gregorian chant fragment with different words from the discant.
The practice of discant over a cantus firmus marked the beginnings of counterpoint in Western music.
Nevertheles the syght of discant is sometyme abowe the plainsong and sometyme with the plainsong and so every discantor of the mene shall begyn his discant with the plainsong, as I said before and the fyfte abowe the [-145-] plainsong in voce.
Neverthelesse he that syngyth the mene of discant may sometyme syng a 10, if the plainsong gos low, and so the syght of the 10 in his degree is a sext abowe the plainsong.
[8.] the discantor of the trebill shall begynn his discant with the plainsong in syght, as I sayd before, and the 8 abowe in voce, the 3 beneth the plainsong in syght and the 6 abowe in voce.
OPINRC1 MOBB842(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-03)
It is to wit that ther are ix acordis in discant that is to say 1 3 5 6 8 10 12 13 15 of the whilke ix.
Neuer the lesse the sight of discant is somtyme beneth the playn sounge and sumtyme abowyn and sumtyme with the playnn sounge And so the discant of the mene sal begynne hijs discant with the playnn sounge in syght as I sayd before and the v.
Also it is skylful that ilke discanter bygynne and end in a perfyte acorde The mene shal end in a v yf the playn sounge descend hafyng a iij before [yf the playne songe descend del.] the trebil in a viij hauyng a vj.
[No title](Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-03)
His innovation and expansion of organum and discant can be looked upon as one of the most important progressive movements in the history of music in the Western World.
Perotin was considered the best discant composer of his time, and because of his additions of compositional ideas, his works led to the possibility of alternate texts, which in turn enabled the origins of the Motet to develop.
All in all this example of copula and discant when sung in its entirety with the Gradual, lasts approximately twenty minutes in performance time due to the held tenor(tenere) notes.
Encyclopedia: Music of France(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-03)
The motet evolved from the Notre Dame school when upper-register voices were added to discant sections, usually strophic interludes, in a longer sequence of organum.
Usually the discant representing a strophic sequence in Latin which was sung as a descant over a cantus firmus, which typically was a Gregorian chant fragment with different words from the descant.
Descant or discant can refer to different things in music; A form of medieval music where one person sang a fixed melody, and others accompanied with improvisations.
MUSL 242: Perotin and Notre Dame Organum(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-03)
Perotin was considered the greatest composer of discant of his time.
There are three styles of Notre Dame Organum, each differing in its use of measured or unmeasured rhythm: organum purum, where both voices have unmeasured rhythms; copula, where the upper voice or organalis has a measured rhythm while the vox pricipalis is unmeasured; and discant, where both the upper and lower voiced have measured rhythms.
During the time of Perotin florid organa was often replaced with discant clausulae, and old clausula were replaced with substitute clausula, which contain new rhythmic motives.
Early Polyphony(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-03)
Like other styles of earlier organum, the 13th-century organum and discant styles of composition were at first applied only to sections of pieces, still those sections of the chant that were normally sung by soloists.
The sections of pieces that were set in organal style were called organum, and the sections of pieces that were set in discant style were called discant clausulae.
Music wholly mensurable is discant, because discant is measured by time in all its parts.
B. Leonin of the Notre Dame School (1180-1260) wrote organum duplum (in two voices) which can be found in the Wolfenbuttel MS.
C. Discant - when two voices move note against note in polyphony it is called discant.
Conductus motet - discant style upper two voices with tenor on a chant, slower notes.
home.kc.rr.com /mpfritz/motet.html (1021 words)
Alleluia nativitas gloriose virginis marie(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-03)
It includes the organum for the word "Alleluia" and the first syllable of "nativitas." Below the manuscript is the button that will actually play the recording, along with a tablulated analysis of the text to help your listening.
Stylistically we can also see that the organal sections are written with generally more precise rhythms than the organal sections in Léonins compositions.
They begin to approach the style of the discant sections giving the music a greater sense of continuity from one section to the next.
