Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame [w/ score - part 1 of 4]

Performers: Marcel Pérès/Ensemble Organum. 1st part :
Kyrie.

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rf5uAnoQYc

Messe de Nostre Dame (Mass of Our Lady) is a polyphonic mass composed before 1365 by the French poet, composer and cleric Guillaume de Machaut (circa 1300-1377). One of the great masterpieces of medieval music and of all religious music, it is the earliest complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass attributable to a single composer.

Structure:
The Messe de Nostre Dame consists of 5 movements, the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, followed by the dismissal Ite, missa est. The tenor of the Kyrie is based on Vatican Kyrie IV, the Sanctus and Agnus correspond to Vatican Mass XVII and the Ite is on Sanctus VIII. The Gloria and Credo have no apparent chant basis, although they are stylistically related to one another.
Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame is for four voices rather than the more common three. Machaut added a contratenor voice that moved in the same low range as the tenor, sometimes replacing it as the lowest voice.

Unification

In the liturgy of the Mass, the items of the Ordinary are not performed consecutively, but are separated from one another by prayers and chants. Machaut's unification of these items into an artistic whole is the earliest instance of a Mass Ordinary setting that is stylistically coherent and was also conceived as a unit. This gesture imposed on the Ordinary a previously unconsidered abstract artistic idea, and potentially influenced composers throughout the ages to continue setting the Ordinary to stylistically coherent music.

Purpose and Style

Machaut composed his Messe de Nostre Dame for the Cathedral at Reims where he was a canon, a permanent member of the clergy. According to a rubric found at the Cathedral, it would have likely been performed for the Saturday Lady Mass. Some scholars hypothesize that contrary to popular belief, Machaut did not actually come to work for the Reims Cathedral until the end of the 1350s, composing the mass as as an act of devotion and dedication marking his arrival in the precinct[4]. In conformity with the wills of Guillaume and his brother Jean, also a canon at the Cathedral, the mass was believed to have been transformed into a memorial service for them following their deaths. However, neither the specific nature of its performance (if such a performance exists) nor the service the Mass was prepared for has been conclusively ascertained.
It is possible that Machaut was familiar with the Tournai mass, an even earlier polyphonic 14th century mass setting in which each movement is believed to have been written independently by different composers. The Gloria and Credo of the Messe de Nostre Dame exhibit some similarities to the Tournai mass, such as textless musical interludes, simultaneous style, and long melismatic Amens. The other four movements of Machaut's mass are composed in motet style with mass text.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• guillaume
• de
• machaut
• notre
• dame
• nostre
• missa
• messe
• mass

[ivoryconsort]

Now this is just fantastic! I'm so thrilled first of all to hear this magnificent and powerful performance of such a great piece of music, but more importantly, to hear the result of such courageous and excellent scholarship, in a genre of music where most performances so completely miss the point of "historical performance", especially in the case of vocal styling. i want very much to hear this group live, and wish them the greatest of success.

[stormrender0]

This is my favorite performance/recording, the voices are so deep and crisp.

[zephir471]

Déroutant non? Nous sommes tellement habitués à des voix plus "lisses", sans doute de mise pour les polyphonies de la renaissance, mais qu'en était il au XIVe siecle? Sans doute ne le sauront nous jamais, mais il est fort possible que M.Peres soit plus proche de la réalité que nous le pensons.

[eleanorrable]

Sine no-one knows absolutely for certain how this would have been performed, this rendition is every bit as valid as any other. Always loved the music of Machaut, however it is performed.

[battaglia01]

@NoahSV You don't think our idea of beauty has changed that much over the years?

[tulitula]

Machaut, un des grands maîtres de Nôtre Dame. Magnifique!

[jakubisek]

Well, "our" idea of beauty has changed drastically over centuries (suffice to see the beauties on paintings...). Whether or not people sang some similar way like Peres in the times of Machaut is a question. (I personally think they did not, but they did so some centuries earlier). But be sure people do sing - somewhat - similar like this even nowadays. It is no big secret that Peres took most of his inspiration from Greek Orthodox singing (as it is today).

[dxf323]

@NoahSV Get over your self, it is apparant that some people just cant stand the idea of difference, anyway who died and made you a western music historian??, do you know it is also sacrilege to judge others unfairly, you seem to be doing that pretty well. Jerk.

[NoahSV]

I honestly doubt people would sing like this in any age. I don't think our idea of beauty has changed that much over the years. Moreover, I think it is sacrilege to moan the name of Christ.

[dyscole]

So this is not matter of protestant/catholic but a peculiar flaw of our times, recognisable also in religious architecture, moral and metaphysical conceptions, language, and every aspect of civilisation, of which religion is the most significant.

[dyscole]

@Strefanasha

What you very rightly describe as insincere sounding music (pardon my "English") doesn't only apply to protestantism since the cantica in catholic churches have now the same platitude and emptiness, absence of spirit, grace and beauty. And certainly protestantism allowed and even fostered Bach et alios.

[flexibartr]

Sardinian ethnic style? Where's the bagpipes?