Ars nova

Ars nova is one period in the medieval Musique Western.

History

The time of the ars nova covers about the years 1320 with 1380; it has as a center Paris. The name given at that time comes directly from a theoretical treaty on the music of Philippe of Vitry entitled Ars Nova or art nouveau towards 1320. Several tear off the invention of this system of which known named Philippe of Vitry, Jean of the Walls, mathematician with the Sorbonne which had already presented the system mensuralist of the ars nova in Notitia Artis Musicae in 1321 and Jacques of Liege which gathered to him the whole of the musical theory of the Middle Ages in 7 enormous entitled books Speculum Musicae of 1321 with 1324. This new clearer, measured and strict marking system brings infinite possibilities as well on the technical and practical point of view as theoretical. Moreover, it made it possible the profane mass to exert the music with more facility beyond the word of mount and of the mnemonic exercises which had the annoying tendency to deform motets, hoquets and rondos with the wire of time and the improvement of the singers and musicians.

Characteristics

In opposition to the ars nova, the Ars antiqua or old art precedes this one and covers the approximate period of the year 1240 with 1320. It is difficult to trace a clear separating line between Ars Antiqua and the time of the École of Notre-Dame. The same kinds belong to the two periods, moreover, the notation and the rate/rhythm rather developed with the advent of Ars Nova towards 1320, which makes the two first even more similar by their juxtaposition in time. The principal improvements which took place at the time of the advent of the Art nouveau are major such as the polyphony, the system mensuralist, the measured notation, the isorythmy and the isoperiodicity.

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