Matthew Harmon
MUH3211
Blog Topic 2
13 January 2012
After
flipping through the Norton Anthology, the pieces I decided that I like the
most are O Magnum Mysterium, La Messe de Nostre Dame, and Canzon septimi toni
a8, from Sacrae Symphonaie.
The only one of these pieces that I am
familiar with is O Magnum Mysterium. I’ve
heard this piece before, but every time I hear it, it still gives me
chills. It is one of my favorite pieces
from the sixteenth century. I love
listening to the polyphony and the dark timbre that it creates. I feel that this piece is full of rich
textures that I can definitely continue to listen to and learn about.
When I read the title “La Messe de Nostre
Dame,” I couldn’t help but be curious about a mass of Notre Dame, the famous cathedral
in France. The opening statement of the kyrie immediately
grabbed my attention and I continued to listen.
The thick polyphony of the mass creates a strong spiritual presence
which makes this piece more than just a pleasure to listen to. It is kind of enlightening. It is almost as if I can feel the history in
the music. I can see myself continuing
to listen to this piece because I feel that there might be more to this piece
than just the title and the polyphony.
When
I saw Canzon septimi toni a8 in the anthology, I was a little surprised. I did not know that there was actual
instrumental ensemble music yet during this time period. This piece sounds very regal and almost processional-like. As a listener, you can tell that this piece
was probably written for private parties or a royal ceremony. As an instrumental musician, it’s nice to
hear music that started the genre in which I play. I enjoyed this piece and I’m pretty sure that it
would be nice to continue listening to it.
