Early Polyphony, Architecture and Minimalism

I had two recurring thoughts while listening to the two, three and four part organum from this past week's listening:

1. The influence of architecture on the music being made

2. Steve Reich

Allow me to explain.

The music of early polyphony is most frequently tied to two composers, Leonin (c. 1169-1201) and Perotin (c. 1198-1236). These musicians produced a substantial amount of music during their time at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Using the existing chant as a foundation, Leonin produced a collection of organum, known as the Magnus liber organi (Great book of organum). These works were substituted  for portions of the chant during major events throughout the liturgical year. This substitution allowed musical diversity; for me, a welcomed step away from the ubiquitous plainchant. Although it is hard to notice without looking at the score, the original chant remained in tact during these new polyphonic sections. Sections of the chant were simply augmented to add the additional voice (duplum). Augmenting the chant and placing a florid line above it created an atmospheric, entrancing sound. While the unison chant promotes a certain mindset, it (in my opinion) does not create the sense of wonder found in polyphony. Listening to the recording of Viderunt Omnes provoked ethereal, unearthly feelings. Although the music is simple, employing only two vocal lines, it is complex in the emotions it evokes. For me, the augmented chant sections that serve as the foundation keep the listener grounded, while the florid duplum awakens the imagination. It is no wonder that Leonin was creating music of this spirit. He likely spent most of his time composing at Notre Dame, a place that still today, despite our advancements in technology and architecture continues to draw people from around the world to witness it's awesome beauty. If we today are still astounded by this architecture, imagine how inspiring it must have been to someone 900 years ago.

Continuing on the idea of atmospheric sounds and awakening the imagination, as well as chronologically, it is natural to now consider the music of Perotin. Perotin expanded the work of Leonin by adding a third (triplum) and fourth (quadruplum) voice to the texture.
Doing so added weight and color to the sound. This addition of voices is similar to the concurrent additions being added to the Cathedral. As the structure extended upward, adding more mass and detail, so did the music that was being produced within it's walls. The auditory effect of adding these new colors to the music creates a similar consciousness I experience when listening to minimalism; particularly the music of Steve Reich. Structurally, the music of Leonin and Reich are surprisingly similar. They employ the use of repetitive rhythms built on top of a slow moving harmonic foundation. The music also shares audial similarities. I use words and phrases such as "meditative" or "a cloud of sound" to describe what I hear when listening to this music. I find it very interesting that identical emotions are awakened when listening to music that spans such a vast amount of time. Because of the striking similarities, I did a bit of reading to see if Reich draws on the music of Perotin for ideas in his own compositions. Here is a quote I found in an interview between Reich and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. Reich says:

Machaut's  isorhythms are of real interest to me, but my heart belongs to earlier music by Perotin at Notre Dame in Paris in the late 12th century... for Perotin it is the idea of taking a line of Gregorian Chant and augmenting its duration enormously so that instead of a melody it becomes a series of long drones. He (and Leonin) originate what we would call today very slow harmonic rhythm. 


So the similar experiences I have when listening to these two composers is rooted in the foundation, or harmonic rhythm of their music. For Leonin and Perotin, the foundation was built on the original chant that  served as a reminder of the generations of church musicians who had sung the same repertoire. By building on the ideas of their predecessors, they expanded the genre to create an ethereal experience. Reich does the same. By looking back to the days of early polyphony, on which Western music is built, he is able to produce an identical mindset. We may not be able to travel back in time, but music will always serve as a vehicle to channel the same emotions experienced by those who have come before us.


Suggested listening: