Léonin (jan 1, 1150 – jan 1, 1201)
Description:
the first known significant composer of polyphonic organum. He was probably French, probably lived and worked in Paris at the Notre Dame Cathedral and was the earliest member of the Notre Dame school of polyphony and the ars antiqua style who is known by name."Magnus liber organi" is the name of his great book of organum. Much of the Magnus Liber is devoted to clausulae—melismatic portions of Gregorian chant which were extracted into separate pieces where the original note values of the chant were greatly slowed down and a fast-moving upper part is superimposed. Léonin might have been the first composer to use the rhythmic modes, and may have invented a notation for them. All pieces in this book were two voices.
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1150
jan 1, 1201
~ 51 years