jan 1, 1250 - Ars cantus mensurabilis (Franconian Notation and Early Motets)

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Written by Franco of Cologne, music theory treatise concerning Franconian notation (c. 1250-1280)

“Franconian” Notation
1. Early motets demanded a more precise manner of notating rhythm.
2. Mensural notation specifies rhythm by specific shapes.
3. In the Ars cantus mensurabilis, Franco of Cologne describes mensural notation.
4. The motet was a hybrid of the court tradition of the trouvères (in that it was a
courtly literary text) and the ecclesiastical tradition of Notre Dame polyphony (in that it is
related to clausula and contains chant).

The New Trobar Clus:
1. Motets became increasingly elaborate throughout the thirteenth century.
2. Composers delighted in textual play—seemingly simple texts that include
hidden meanings.
a. This type of music was not for everyone but rather for the new elite who
aspired to connect themselves to an older, established aristocracy.

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