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The Rise and Fall of Ars Subtilior Ars Subtilior (or more subtle art) is the term traditionally used to describe the musical style of the late fourteenth century. This musical style is characterized by its notational and rhythmic complexity. It was widespread in the Avignon and Paris areas in Southern France and in some areas of the northern Spain and Cyprus. Ars Subtilior virtually divided the music of the Middle Ages and the epoque of Renaissance. Ars Subtilior is often discussed in connection with Ars Nova, as Ars Subtilior appeared as a continuation and further development of Ars Nova (the preceding period that lasted approximately 60 years (from 1310 to 1370) ) (O'Dunlaingh n. d. ).
However, some researchers support the hypothesis that Ars Subtilior was rather a subcategory of the relatively earlier musical style than logical continuation of Ars Nova period. This complex style of the late Ars Nova is known for its extensive syncopation's, rhapsodic rhythms and fluctuating meters (Plumley and Fitch 1998), and offers the musicians who perform Ars Subtilior compositions an opportunity to display their technical virtuosity. Yolanda Plumley and Fabrice Fitch consider that this music fascinates with its apparent waywardness, whish manifests itself not only in the musical style itself, but also in the often cryptic notation. Sometimes Ars Subtilior is claimed to be a music reflecting a general cultural decadence, being a sort of aural counterpart to the cultural waning of the Middle Ages. (Plumley and Fitch 1998) The scholars, who consider that Ars Subtilior emerged from Ars Nova, claim that there were the three Ars: Ars Antiqua, Ars Nova, and Ars Subtilior, where each style was logically replaced by another one, creating a whimsical never-ending musical composition that lasted for centuries. Ars Antiqua (also known as ars veteran", and "ars febus") is a musical term used in the early fourteenth century by the Parisian circle writers. The term Ars Antiqua was aimed to distinguish the polyphone music styles used in the recent past; from music styles of a new art in musical writings and compositions of Phillippe de Vitry and Jehan des Murs (O'Dunlaingh n.
d. ). Ars Antiqua was known for polyphony musical styles of northern France (1260 - 1320 A. D. ). Ars Antiqua genres included claus ula, organum, motet, cantilena, hockey, and conduct. Ars Antiqua gradually dissolved in a newer musical style, known as Ars Nova (or Ars Novae), the term that was used to define the new style of polyphony music of the fourteenth century. This musical style was significantly different of that of the Ars Antiqua as it was remarkable for the new range of musical expression that became possible due to new musical notational techniques.
The most known French composers were Binchois and Machaut, and the most known Italian composers were Landing and Vitry. The French forms of Ars Antiqua were ballade, formes fixes, virelay, and rondeaux; the Italian forms were balata, madrigal, and cacia, respectively. This is how musical styles developed. Ars Subtilior appeared as a highly refined musical style that emerged from Ars Antiqua and Ars Nova.
The term "Ars Subtilior was first coined by Ursula Gunther in 1963 A. D. (O'Dunlaingh n. d. ), however, Apel, a musicologist, used another term, - "mannerism." The most famous composers, whose names are associated with the Ars Subtilior (namely, Anthonello de Caserta, Matteo da Perugia, and Storage) managed to refine the features of Ars Nova to create a more sophisticated style, very refined and sometimes even difficult to sing. As it was already mentioned, Ars Subtilior significantly differed from the previous styles, and the major musical features of the Ars Subtilior were as follows. First, this musical style implies an extremely complex musical notation that embraced the features of French and Italian musical forms. However, the compositions were created predominantly in one of the French formes fixes, and the textures of this style were usually complicated rhythmically, with the strong use of poly rhythm, and syncopation's.
No wonder that the vast majority of the songs and compositions performed in Ars Subtilior style are large-scale compositions, with numerous musical repetitions imposed by these fixed song forms. Ars Subtilior was popular among a relatively small audience of connoisseurs, as it produced almost exclusively secular songs about war, love, chivalry, and the stories and legends from classical antiquity (Hoppin 1978). Some compositions also included a praise of public figures (e. g. , Antipope Clement VII), and, therefore could not be enjoyed 'en mass', by a wide circle of public. This interesting musical style emerged at the end of 14 th century, during the times known for famine, war, and religious division (Albright 2004). The music of Ars Subtilior emerged in the courts of almighty, wealthy and powerful lords and nobility, and, obviously, was aimed to please the upper-class society, reflecting and contributing to the prestige of nobility.
As we can see, the popularity and rise of the Ars Subtilior was predominantly stipulated by the fact that Ars Subtilior was considered an attribute of the upper-class society. The musicians performed their complex music for the amusement and entertainment of the upper-classes, so-called elite, and the audience that claimed to be highly cultured. No wonder that, as we have already mentioned, many compositions created and performed in this style, were dedicated to specific people, and celebrated the achievements and great deeds of these public figures. This style became extremely popular by the end of the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy and during the Great Schism (13781417). Some scholars consider that such a great popularity was reached because of Gaston Febus III (1331 - 1391), count of For and Been, who was known as one of the principles of Ars Subtilior. Gaston Febus III led his life during the gloomiest period of the history of France, as he was confronted with the war (the Hundred Years War), the Black Plague and the Great Schism (13781417) (Albright 2004).
These three historical events made the life of the people very difficult, and Gaston Febus III undertook a number of measures to deal with these problems. Gaston Febus III managed to counterbalance all the hardships, and has shown himself as a wise and brave king. Because of his reputation as a dangerous and powerful enemy, brave and wise chevalier and a wise politician, his court attracted an endless flow of visitors. No wonder that during this time the arts (and especially, Ars Subtilior) blossomed and flourished like nowhere else. The composers and musicians were highly appreciated and valued for their musical skills, and were treated as some sort of cultural agents for their noble lords. In their turn, as musicians were in high esteem for their talents, they were encouraged to create more and more sophisticated, refined, and incredibly complex music in order to prove their unsurpassable talents, and played this music to give praises to their lords.
The period of rise and fall of Ars Subtilior was marked by the high medievalism in decline, as the late fourteenth century in the Western Europe was known for sectarianism, governmental breakdown, uprising, the division of the papacy, the beginning of the end of feudalism, and many other events that influenced the complexity and sophisticated style of Ars Subtilior, being nailed for pointlessness and decadence. Bibliography Albright, Daniel. Modernism and Music: An Anthology of Sources. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.
Hoppin, Richard H. Medieval Music. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. , 1978.
O'Dunlaingh, Lady Simone Marion. Music History Outline; New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Music History Outline (accessed February 19, 2008). Plumley, Yolanda, and Fabrice Fitch. "A More Subtle Art? Six Ars Subtilior Recordings. " Early Music, 26, no. 3 (August 1998): 499 - 502.
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Research essay sample on The Rise And Fall Of Ars Subtilior
