An Outline of The History of Western Music Grout ... - The Reel Score

(1) Brought in the most talented composers and musicians from France, Flanders,
& the Netherlands
i) Heinrich Isacc ca. 1450-1517
ii) Alexander Agricola ca. 1446-1506
iii) Philippe Verdelot ca. 1500-1550
iv) Jacques Arcadelt - founded a tradition of Madrigal composition
v) Jacob Obrecht ca. 1458-1505
vi) Antoine Brumel ca. 1460-1515
b) These imported musicians dominated until 1550 bringing their music, methods of
singing & composition, and their vernacular songs
c) They also absorbed the less complicated, chordal, & treble dominated often
danceable manner of the improvised and popular music of Italy
d) This combination of northern and Italian elements accounted for many
characteristics of the prevailing style in the 16th century
C. Music Printing
1. The growth of printing made much wider dissemination of written materials possible
a) Printing from movable type was known in China for centuries and perfected in
Europe by John Gutenberg (around 1450)
b) First polyphonic music printed entirely from movable type - the Harmonice musices
odhecaton - was brought out in 1501 by Ottaviano Petrucci
(1) This required multiple passes for different staff elements
(2) First single pass printing was done by John Rastell in London (about 1520)
and applied systematically on a wide scale by Pierre Attaingnant in Paris
(1528)
2. Application of moveable type to music had far reaching effects
a) Provided a larger & reproducable supply of music scores
b) A uniform accuracy was achieved eliminating the errors introduced with hand
copying
c) Printed music spread through out the world - including North & South America
d) Encouraged the formation of both amateur & professional ensembles
e) Preserved many more works for performance & study by future generations
D. Northern Composers & Their Music
1. Johannes Ockeghem ca. 1420-1497
a) Celebrated as a composer & teacher of many leading composers of the next
generation, his primary occupation was that of singer
b) Many of the next generation of Franco-Flemish composers were directly or
indirectly pupils
c) Known output was relatively small for a composer of his renown - 13 Masses, 10
Motets, & 20 Chansons
d) Chansons made use of the traditonal formes fixes of courtly poetry
2. The Generation after Ockeghem
a) Their music mixes and even combines northern & southern elements
(1) Northern Elements
i) The serious tone