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Music of the Middle Ages 29
it. Motets still used a segment of Gregorian chant melody at their core, yet the chant was
usually obscured through a variety of techniques. The pre-existing chant melody in the
motet, as well as in all music of this period, was called the cantus firmus.
The latest examples of motets from the Medieval period were very complex pieces
of music, even by today’s standards. In the “ars nova” tradition, the original chant text
could be “supplemented” by a freely composed melody and sacred text that would be
sung simultaneously with the chant. Yes, that means that two different sets of lyrics
would be sung at the same time. Usually, the second text would be a sacred Latin poem,
newly composed, but referring to the words used in the cantus firmus. As the popularity
of the motet grew, a third melody was often incorporated into the piece. An independent
melody with secular lyrics, often a love poem in French, would be woven into the
fabric of the motet, making three the total number of different melodies and lyrics being
heard. Obviously, this music is often so complex as to be very difficult for the average
listener to follow.
On the other hand, the very complexity of the motet gave composers the opportunity
to develop many interesting musical techniques. One such technique was the hocket,
in which a rhythmic idea was traded among the different lines in the motet. Often, the
rhythmic idea might have been no more than a couple of beats or rests arranged in an
identifiable pattern, which was then treated sequentially among the different melodic
lines. In this way, the hocket served to bind the independent lines together, and therefore
the entire work. The technique became so popular that many works so constructed
were often simply called “hocket.” From the hocket, it is easy to understand how music
became more rhythmically sophisticated, and how counterpoint, the study of the rhythmic
and harmonic relationship between two or more polyphonic lines, developed in
later periods of music.
Another clever rhythmic development during the ars nova was the isorhythmic
motet. An isorhythm was originally a repeated rhythmic treatment of the Gregorian
melody in a motet or other work of the period. Eventually, other voices in the motet
were given this treatment. Entire melodic lines would be given a repeated rhythm throughout
the work. Often, the composer would take liberties with the isorhythmic patterns by
doubling or halving the duration of each note. In this way, the work would have an
organic “sameness” which gave it unity.
By far the most well known composer of the late medieval period was Guillaume de
Machaut. Machaut was a brilliant intellect, who composed motets containing the most
fervent sacred texts, as well as heartfelt love poetry. He combined these seemingly unrelated
texts into motets with surprising emotional drive through the use of rhythmic
devices like the hocket and isorhythmic treatments. Machaut also had an astute sense of
harmonic effects when different melodic lines were blended together. If you listen to a
motet, you will notice the rhythmic interplay among the separate melodic lines, as well
as the way in which they periodically join in harmony to form chords.
Secular Music in the Middle Ages
As mentioned earlier, it would be incorrect to assume that secular music did not exist
through the Middle Ages. However, little evidence exists of such music until around
800 A.D. The reason for the lack of written secular music stems from the overwhelming
power of the Catholic Church over common people of the time. Wealthy landowners
and nobility were less intimidated by the Church, and often employed musicians as
entertainers. Indeed, some people of noble blood became poet-musicians themselves,
and worked alongside commoners in their passion for expressing love through poetry
and music. They traveled from town to town, sometimes setting up temporary