Medieval music - Ma fin est mon commencement by Machaut

Ma fin est mon commencement by Machaut. This piece is a rare example of a musical pallendrome. Performed by Lumina Vocal Ensemble, Musical Director Anna Pope. Recorded by Ray Thomas at St Aloysius' Church, Sevenhill, South Australia, 2008. Rachel Sag, Angela Randall, Anna Pope, Saam Thorne, Rosemary Byron-Scott & Tim Muecke. Available on the 2009 CD 'Lay a garland'. lumina.org.au

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mediaeval
• medieval
• machaut
• pallendrome
• by end is my beginning
• Lumina Vocal Ensemble
• classical music

[Jowaile]

What do you mean by Musical pallendrome? Is it like a pallendrome in a word (kayak) so that it would sound the same reverse? (I can't tell)

[LuminaVocalEnsemble]

@Jowaile Good question. In this piece the musical notes are the same both backwards and forwards in every part. However the words are not. So if you play it backwards (which we have tried for fun) it sounds much the same. Perhaps one day we will post a backwards version for fun :-)

[libys5]

@LuminaVocalEnsemble In my score the second voice is the first backwards and vice versa. On the lowest (third) line, the first and second sections are mirror images of one another.

[Jowaile]

@LuminaVocalEnsemble Oh waw great! Thanks, that's very interesting! Actually, the lyrics give a clue to it: My end is my beginning. But yes, I would have doubted the lyrics would have sounded the same. And if the composer managed to do a pallendrome with the music AND the lyrics, then he would have been a madman X-D

[Charlesbex]

Merci beaucoup ! 

[Charlesbex]

Merci beaucoup !

[ChesterEldar]

very nice, many compliments!

[SeanTagen]

I regret not learning French