Perotinus Magister, known simply as Perotin, was a French composer of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. As a composer of sacred music in Paris during the High Gothic Period, he quickly became most prestigious of that period through his famous discant and organum quadruplum. Most likely born circa 1160, Perotin probably studied with his older contemporary, Leonin. His association with the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, allowed his compositions to belong to the collection of the Notre Dame
(or Parisian) School, of which he and Leonin are the only members known by name. Perotin also helped enlarge and edit a collection of organa written by Leonin, which is known as the Magnus Liber Organi. It is believed by a majority of music theorists of the 13th century, that during his revising of the Magnus Liber Organi, his concern of the development of the genre of music which is now called "motetus," was what inspired him to write four-part works. It is unsure when Perotinus Magister died, however it is not unsure of his place in the history of the music of the Middle Ages. His innovation and expansion of organum and discant can be looked upon as one of the most important progressive movements in the history of music in the Western World.
Perotin's compositional work was originally influenced by his older predecessor, Leonin, and Leonin's subsequent involvement with Notre Dame organum. Notre Dame organum was the most advanced style of organum, because of its melismatic passages and its inclusion of the rhythmic modes.
Perotin's "Sederunt principes," is a wonderful example of the usage of rhythmic modes, as the duplum, triplum, and quadruplum(upper three of the four voices) all utilize them. These separate lines are what in turn create polyphony, and it was the Notre Dame School that has been given the credit of elaborating monophonic chant into polyphony.
Organum
The style of polyphony which developed from these independent lines, was organum, hence, Notre Dame Organum. There were three styles of organum which soon culminated: the earliest being organum purum, where two voices sung simultaneously in unmeasured rhythm; copula soon followed, where the vox organalis sung in measured rhythm, while the vox principalis sung with unmeasured rhythm; and discant was the third style, where both voices contained measured rhythm. Perotin took this style of copula organum to another level with his "Viderunt omnes." Both the "Sederunt principes" and the "Viderunt omnes" have the unique distinction of being written in four parts-organum quadruplum. At this point in time this was unheard of and had not even been attempted by other composers. Theorists have claimed these pieces to have the architectural grandeur of Notre Dame, itself.
In accordance with these pieces, the tenor line(the lowest of the voices) which was taken from plainchant, moves extremely slowly and patiently. This provides for extremely long movements, which exceeded any length of structure and overachieved the expectations of Medieval church music. This patience allowed for Perotin to do more interesting things with the upper voices, like contrasting rhythmic modes, exchanging of phrases between voices, and substitution of clausula, as in replacing a copula section with a discant section.
In Closing
Perotin was considered the best discant composer of his time, and because of his additions of compositional ideas, his works led to the possibility of alternate texts, which in turn enabled the origins of the Motet to develop. Perotin was nicknamed "The Great," and for good reason--his originality and lack of boundaries allowed him to be the revolutionary composer he was.
Perotin's Important Works
Analysis of Perotin's Major Work
Sederunt principes
Sederunt principes, et adversum me loquebantur; et iniqui persecuti sunt me.(Intonation of the Respond of the Gradual for St. Stephen's Day)
Since this text does not provide a means of organization, abstract musical devices were used for cohesion. Hence, the focus on the music rather than the text. Initially, he has the top three parts singing in rhythmic mode 3 for unity through measure twelve. Then he begins to introduce other rhythmic modes slowly to allow the parts to come more independent of each other. Voice exchange is the most important musical device in this piece, as the duplum, triplum, and quadruplum pass back and forth melodically and modally similar phrases. All of these devices and this polyphony is occurring while the tenor chant line(vox principalis) takes its time in singing one word--"sederunt." The choir then follows with the remaining text in monophonic texture. All in all this example of copula and discant when sung in its entirety with the Gradual, lasts approximately twenty minutes in performance time due to the held tenor(tenere) notes.
Links Related to Perotin
Bibliography
Cyrus, Cynthia. Music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Vanderbilt University Campus Copy, 1998.
Grout, D.J., Palisca, Claude V. A History of Western Music. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.
http://www.eb.com:180/cgi-bin/g?DocF=micro/460/60.html/&bold=on&sw= Perotin&keywords=Perotin&DBase=Articles&hits=10&pt=1&sort=relevance&firsthit=off
Munrow, David. Music of the Gothic Era, [sound recoring--program notes]. Archiv Produktion, 1976.
Bent, Ian D. "Perotin." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol.19. London: MacMillan Publishers Limited, 1980.
Solonimsky, Nicolas. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (8th ed.). New York: Maxwell MacMillan International, 1992.