Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: The following abbreviations are used: Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Reg. lat. 1146 Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. lat. 307 Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France Corpus Scriptorum de Musica ‘Quoniam per ignorantiam artis musice’ in BnF lat. 15128, fos. 127–9. Edited in Philippi de Vitriaco Ars nova, ed. Gilbert Reaney, André Gilles, and Jean Maillard, CSM 8 (n.p., 1964), 84–93 BnF fr. 146 Johannis de Muris Notitia artis musicae et Compendium musicae practicae; Petrus de Sancto Dionysio Tractatus de musica, ed. Ulrich Michels, CSM 17 (Dallas, 1972) Montpellier, Bibliothèque interuniversitaire, Section médecine, H 196 Jacobi Leodiensis Speculum musicae, 7 vols., ed. Roger Bragard, CSM 3 (Rome, 1955–73). Individual books are referred to as SM 1, SM 7. Translations are mine unless otherwise credited. Some are adapted from Rob C. Wegman, The Mirror of Music: Book the Seventh (Lexington, KY, 2017). Thesaurus Musicarum Latinarum: Online Archive of Music Theory in Latin <https://chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/> Adhuc sum de numero Antiquorum quos horum aliqui rudes vocant. Sum senex, illi acuti et iuvenes. ...etsi in hoc opere dicturus aliqua sum contra dicta Modernorum ubi obviant dictis Antiquorum, diligo tamen personas illorum. I am now one of the ancients who are called backward-looking by some. I am old. They are clever and young. ...although in this work some things will be said against the opinions of the moderni, where they oppose the views of the antiqui, I still hold them dear personally. Jacobus, Speculum musicae, book 7, chapter 1 periods of rapid and conspicuous change in music history have repeatedly been hailed as new: the ars nova of the early fourteenth century, the seconda prattica of c.1600, many different currents of music from about 1910 to the present, especially the ‘new music’ following the Second World War. The term ‘new music’ continued through several waves of change for nearly the whole twentieth century; something similar may be true of the fourteenth. Karen Desmond’s recent book Music and the moderni, 1300–1350 (henceforth Desmond, Moderni),1 together with her 2009 dissertation and a series of ground-breaking studies published since then,2 moves the mapping of newness in fourteenth-century music theory to a new level. Desmond’s work shows a deep knowledge of the sources and is full of stimulating and important observations. I will first review just a few of her fine achievements, but my aim here is to address more controversial claims, concentrating on newly proposed datings and definitions of what constitutes ars nova, especially as understood in relation to the Speculum musicae of Jacobus (SM), and the moderns to whose innovations he objected. Desmond ranges widely. Chapter 5, ‘From Trees to Degrees’, is adapted from a chapter of the same name in her impressive dissertation of 2009. It addresses some of the fundamental philosophical debates of the late thirteenth century that centred around conflicting interpretations of Aristotle on form and matter. Jacobus does not name Thomas Aquinas in his Speculum musicae, but was aware of his teaching and evidently approved of his theory of unity of forms, despite the opposition to them of his hero, the English Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Kilwardby.3 Desmond gives clear accounts of these debates, for which musicologists must be of the of as in a with de of the of on a for his in the Notitia the by important with is chapter which to musicologists a more of the of in music and in Desmond that in and music his the of theory for his from to several in his in from through the in his as the of and the of in the of of the of and for in and of which as the by in the music of the fourteenth century, and the de have not a and and be from and of the now been published in by and the Desmond a for the of de a of and of and of a been a by to a on the as they and to which is fine Desmond’s of a to in of the from a in the book of the Speculum musicae by Jacobus that they in a Ars et nova by whose was evidently his and the Ars to Desmond and the of this from in SM 7 and from that as of Ars nova, of which have to that the of theory to as Ars nova was as been a but of The of de Muris are and of The Notitia have the which for Desmond more to together with her work on have important new of the as the of ars nova music by Jacobus, and in SM 7. The from Muris have been from his Notitia and Musica Ulrich some of as from what was of Ars Desmond’s of as on the of these to is the of SM 7, which must and the of ars nova and that Jacobus to them in and with The of Desmond’s to a new of ars nova be and from what and of and of her book is by her important work on and Jacobus, who the book and SM 7 is a for of the as as for by that on many of Desmond’s and for the observations. Jacobus will be a in what Desmond with on are his the datings of early music which are the now to are in the as in the recent of is a the to but in which his may have been more Desmond’s of on the is of by Muris the of his Desmond to his music more his music was not to the same of as The that Muris his does I a his of in the few around just as he to have a to first music is as the Notitia from a he to first book is to music theory in to which Jacobus have objected. It was the of book and which what his that his Desmond the of book from of of and de and of the the book is by a of which have been as to the a in the BnF lat. the of book the of a what been as the of the Notitia and of chapter 7 in and on a new with a Desmond that this with the following aliqua Some things in Ars the are they to many of who this more from of for to which now are to things the and of still following the of the The in to following the of book is to about things that but not have been clear in the of the new The to be is the Notitia they the to his Muris that his artis musice’ of the of and clear to in artis per in the same clear to the knowledge of the of and and in of not through whole but to the to in and and this to that Muris the Notitia in the in BnF lat. which to be a proposed that was the debates following the of the first of the Notitia that Muris to be about music theory in and that this is the for to have the to the I the the books of the the with the to be to the Notitia of and his to in Desmond that the are a and work of the her that nova was first in the with the of by the Ars et nova of the and the of the first that the of the new Desmond’s important that the the does not from the they some as I for them to a full in that of the that the the and his about in the them together more are to a as in the of following the of the first of Musica the a especially one more The Notitia and are in in to the this them in and been and as a It does that the few of the that which against as a may have just the from a full of the the sources that the with the Notitia with they to and in BnF lat. his nova musice’ in the as his artis and in the the as this which I to to the not to of music’ in The Notitia with as be called his Ars musicae, Ars musica, Ars nova Compendium is a of book of the Notitia in with a more It is and for to be Desmond this but now the on the that the Compendium a to the of in BnF lat. The first and the been to that the form a Desmond the Compendium with a that is to lat. and in the of a is clear that are the and the the on which Desmond as as in the one was adapted from the is not clear in which and I not been that the Compendium must the Desmond the to the Compendium in but does not de artis in per per per per per important that Desmond’s that this clear that was Muris who the Compendium from the Notitia Ars and that was he who the the is on The of the of a by de It be that the a Ars book from by for the of is in that Ars as they are by the the of of the the the the to the that they as chapter 8 of the Notitia are by and that Muris the the and that he the Compendium from of this one and a in been as for his the and the in my that the by Jacobus was the to gives a and that Jacobus the Compendium he the Musica now now gives quos for that the Compendium and the the for the and for the shows that in the of the Muris the of the to in the a he from in SM 7, from of is not a on the of the as a Jacobus not his chapter to this was he from by called on new in to his Jacobus evidently to as they in the that Desmond’s of the be to debates that Jacobus as the who the may be by the of this that not his for he Muris a similar in the as Jacobus was by on music theory around may in have been in by of that Jacobus was about SM 7 in the early and the Muris he are now to Desmond’s Jacobus evidently them by is a for Muris in SM 7. It is the Musica and not SM 7 that a for the early Muris and is the Musica and not the that a of for the SM few sources from the and and by Jacobus may have been in the in BnF fr. of some are and for are Jacobus to a of that are what was evidently a of the moderns he of he and have been as to what Jacobus may have by these a the Jacobus be of the late fourteenth-century ars some in since that is late for Jacobus, the the first of the have It is around this I that the of the Speculum the in his and to not be the in music theory that may to things for which the sources from the may have of the many that Jacobus of what he to have been in is but the datings in the proposed here for the referred to by the of Jacobus to a of and to the more of the the in the of nova that Desmond as SM 7 in that to for whose Desmond to a in the a more by her datings for Muris that are now not to to that especially he as the of some of the more a are the ars nova from the of Ars et nova to of the around They name to the late and a in the early the are from a Ars et nova, that must and more Desmond’s a in the late early the and Jacobus SM 7 from is in with her late datings for some of the Muris that now in the Ars et nova of which with a more in the early of the to that of the and from the Muris Jacobus by for similar as for some of these as for SM 7, Desmond to her and to on some this about the of the on which that the Compendium to from but they have to that from Some of Desmond’s late datings that theory must that theory to 7, The is and to the by Petrus de in the of by Jacobus, to the more which to the and by of are by a of early of but by the in of and his that this not to a of the of and and that are in in the early ars nova Desmond this to in the to be of her datings of ars nova innovations to Desmond the whose of with to around he was for in to have a of to and that the of It is not clear what he to that as he in to and shows to the is I have in more the of a that must on his and a of and which he I that he is not a of of Desmond’s chapter the innovations of the ars nova the of the ars and they a of in the theory and of The Desmond, is that some of the in the of a new innovations and more on a with a of to in of which what be called they a of and of similar are with in to the new and have been as first same of and in some and for of by in that be with and The by Desmond from this is to the of the as ars They them with the with Petrus de in the and of Montpellier, of which are with in SM 7, 17 with one by They the important that are in are in the new by in the Petrus and in of are by It is through the of this that Desmond and the ars nova of the they the of in sources and Desmond may be in with to these of that a of as the Ars nova for the as will be the of more in with ars with ars nova this to a of but not to more fundamental in Desmond’s chapter to Degrees’, and to and of and the are not Desmond of these sources the with in the of the and but does not where in these a for in the ars are of in in sources in with of some of with be and by of the early ars nova, and the of by Jacobus as of the this the that they are in that Jacobus in SM 7, that of his they be as ars aliqui de a hoc de de I is of this a just one of a not a is to be as the moderns in to this with the the Jacobus to that the moderns to but they must be more to I that this as a of the Jacobus addresses the of forms, clear that he of 7, Desmond to the of with the ars of the ars nova to as Muris that they following the of the a to Muris that some things in his Notitia but one that not in the a similar of some things in the on in in and in the of the that them to be and be that the of the was is a in the twentieth century, to things that be to by for with a and still in 7, the is that a of is to be in of per but in are to these the is are in the of 7 for that and and for not in music as understood to the for a still this have been true of the as as in It be that of the new the in of whose they to in as understood for and the of was that for not to is not to be present, the in nearly on first are of the in the ars nova and with of with of that the The of these Desmond to for where may have been and to as that the same be with and a that a is not but that must be just that is not and that a not on the of what was to the I this as for this is the of Muris and the ars nova these to of in and of is a of the ars nova Desmond to on with by what for the of in the as ars for the of first as may have been to that the for first was in The same of Desmond to the of some of the nova, as to and to the of these with as a change from the a of of ars and does not here as to that a as ars ars nova work not a change of but a change of to on ars nova is with the which the of the as a on are about the of to them as ars nova not to in to ars nova Desmond and the and are but is a and from to ars to the a the and the new that is with theory and of some of the with that the of the in understood by to have in the and the of as of the The BnF to in the of to the of in of in and to the the still in Desmond the for more as the to in ars nova It to as ars nova the of the and Some with in the ars nova and which in this may must have been and The of by in the late may have been more the and new by Jacobus in SM 7, which in to that on they SM 7. in where Jacobus to where he that for a different from of and Petrus de in and of the to and that of in to the for what be as and Jacobus was to that his approved to they must have been following that are to from that are but the of is for the The that in the are different in and It is in the of that the are Jacobus as to as he does to the of in the more is as a of ars nova, and a of but Desmond and this in of especially of Desmond’s are for for what the to the antiqui, and in the moderni, but in does not a similar of the for the in the early ars nova in and is more to ars nova the of but they are for Desmond a for a first of ars the is in in the of the with the of in chapter 5, in in chapter and in the Jacobus to the of a in a is by a few new in from the are early for the to be is one is in early and must from the early in the The of BnF many of ars nova by in of and The by the as by the and of some It to the early of the by a is in the not in Desmond, is the and in Notitia in and the Muris as to Jacobus have this the Jacobus with his for to the ancients things they not in opere et et hoc Antiquorum de et Modernorum who to the and new in his to which things are of the and which of the not to the ancients things they not who have the on this by the ancients and moderns he to Jacobus have been with a who that he approved of the The de et the said by one that with the new of and been the moderns that the be called from the of the the of the this the of her as a of a that Jacobus for some of in by to the ars but the with Jacobus to what he to be a of ars here of of which the may by with the but is still Jacobus may have the as ars nova but in they have as of his approved on his moderns by the of the late of which nova, are in the more recent moderns the the he was a few have been to in BnF fr. in and and to for to have a as which may from the on this of are new in Desmond in the said by one that with the new of and that here to the Jacobus the Ars I that his theory and the for which I the of the term to be I Jacobus and that things are in the that what have new a is now old. from the early ars nova, Desmond and from that the of to which I Jacobus was to a of of with the term ars nova The of in Desmond’s chapter is and with some and a of and of in for in what was a It was not the of the fourteenth that was a of the ars by Jacobus to are he the of the of et 1, SM 7, is a the of Jacobus they not to his of them to be not as a but of for innovations he as as of some of innovations to the Some of the to the Notitia and Muris as de Muris Desmond a by the of the of the late fourteenth-century Tractatus that a work was more a one of several is the of the et hoc in et in et et in et per per per Desmond to first this as but the to and which the The of the more to in does not as a of but something and Jacobus and with of de et et de et since have to about this and will through a and unity and I the following with from a as is by and in the of these same for and a they the and the more as in and what the through that what was by may be by this in the late fourteenth century, now to of the which I early ars nova not the of Jacobus and and newness with was new and in a of and not for of was to a of his continued to be the century in as many sources as Desmond to of in the fourteenth century by which the same from the Tractatus as as as a with many of the same Desmond with ars Desmond that of this chapter is not ars but the the fourteenth-century of to that the Tractatus as a of of was in the to the the ars nova in to the with ars on this and of to the of what the ars and the from ars Desmond now as the of ars nova to early in the that and have been to but does not his in relation to the the is in with which and a Jacobus moderns and who not the new who not to but to the and they the and the and Desmond the of here with that of the of who his the the of against the of the ars through and as to the and of the in whose to a of and as by the of the Tractatus Desmond now about his moderns in relation to his with the of who is to a of for more is for and which by that It is not Jacobus who have as but the as have not as as Desmond a of the Tractatus the who are but now be on in by a new of his moderni, and Jacobus, on the is to his and in the and in the are with his and Desmond now the of the to and Tractatus et in et as of the ars a just as ars the of what is as that for what is that that ars to as not to the ars nova and different in from ars nova and this that is and innovations in early ars nova similar on was ars nova be in the to late for Desmond’s of SM with the to this ars nova in ars nova for a of with for which with late datings for in the in the the from ars nova together with the from Jacobus to the of the Tractatus that I to be the of the Desmond now must be to and not he the of the and of many new and I have that is not of in the ars nova that he but of which he Jacobus is in knowledge of to this her for SM 7 by to in with the new of SM 7 by on her late datings of to the Desmond’s here to as just still SM 7 to the which as the first as ars nova to the term ars nova for the ars nova of the ars nova of to be and still the now as the is one ars nova as a of and from the to the not the more to to the new datings I will now review some of what about this of that of in and the early of Desmond but not his and in the and from the by that Notitia Ars of was by debates, with the in and by the Compendium in and the Musica in in a Jacobus and been in about recent innovations by the of the new who new that they of the antiqui, who in and and with and the must be the of that not the ars and not the as by Jacobus, who shows knowledge of the ars nova first in the and with the of sources from what must have been a with the of BnF fr. and BnF sources may have the of with and new that Jacobus that by the is in some the in the his a in Desmond’s must have been by the early his in that was the in fr. around have been in this on of in they one a been on the of a of a of who with the following his in that the and for this early have been Desmond the controversial them from Muris that to the late but which must early of the for now by of these is by and is the of a with a the of the of a is from by a and a in by a in with a not are by that in by de in a to the early a is in with a that is in the but Desmond was by the that around the of the of these is which I to in with for the Desmond the early for the first of a of the from a more and that Jacobus have just are not in but is a first for and I still from to a that I Desmond’s that was in the have been for a of with but controversial been The of Muris by Jacobus are to and is that his are It as Desmond and that since a to was is for a for SM does not is the of a does not the fourteenth have to be with on and a does not a the the the and the of the the more is music are from around still in his by Jacobus now to be the sources in music with he but he he was by that his have been a of he was Desmond that his still as new on the in of the the of and that may to be the for SM 7. I am that the first of ars nova in the of the late to more by he still to of are the The of of the and the to the Compendium in 1146 with Muris to It was that Jacobus was one of the of Notitia who the of the in It was of his with that to the Musica in of with his moderni, still is Jacobus was to on SM 7, in the the the of and by which Jacobus may have been and in a to his and now that SM 7 was
Source: Music and Letters
DOI: 10.1093/ml/gcac080
Author: Margaret Bent
Institution: University of Oxford
Language: English
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,335
OpenAlex ID: W4302008159