Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Fifteenth-Century Music
- Series page
- The Cambridge History of Fifteenth-Century Music
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Music examples
- Notes on contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Historiography
- Listening
- 1 Hearing Josquin hearing Busnoys
- 2 Religion and the senses in fifteenth-century Europe
- Terms and concepts
- 3 The work concept
- 4 TheL’homme armétradition – and the limits of musical borrowing
- Composer studies
- 5 Guillaume Du Fay: evidence and interpretation
- 6 Jean d’Ockeghem
- 7 Josquin and epistemology
- Part II Improvisation and composition
- Part III Humanism
- Part IV Music and other arts
- Part V Music in churches, courts, and cities
- Part VI Religious devotion and liturgy
- Part VII Theory and practice
- Part VIII Sources
- Part IX Genres
- Part X Reception
- Index
5 - Guillaume Du Fay: evidence and interpretation
from Part I - Historiography
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2015
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Fifteenth-Century Music
- Series page
- The Cambridge History of Fifteenth-Century Music
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Music examples
- Notes on contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Historiography
- Listening
- 1 Hearing Josquin hearing Busnoys
- 2 Religion and the senses in fifteenth-century Europe
- Terms and concepts
- 3 The work concept
- 4 TheL’homme armétradition – and the limits of musical borrowing
- Composer studies
- 5 Guillaume Du Fay: evidence and interpretation
- 6 Jean d’Ockeghem
- 7 Josquin and epistemology
- Part II Improvisation and composition
- Part III Humanism
- Part IV Music and other arts
- Part V Music in churches, courts, and cities
- Part VI Religious devotion and liturgy
- Part VII Theory and practice
- Part VIII Sources
- Part IX Genres
- Part X Reception
- Index
Summary
The source situation for Guillaume Du Fay's music, particularly in his early years, is quite good. Over a period of twenty-five years, a series of manuscripts transmits Du Fay's music in consistently good versions and with solid attributions. Du Fay's personal and clerical career is considerably better documented than those of most of his contemporaries. Despite the loss of late sources, Du Fay's music survives in higher proportion than that of his contemporaries and immediate successors. Du Fay was unusual in defining himself primarily as what is called today a "composer" rather than as a singer or even a clergyman. Du Fay promoted his music and sought to disseminate it. One of his earliest works is based on a plainsong that was sung at Cambrai as part of the Missa ad tollendum schismam. Du Fay's turn toward paraphrased cantus firmi led him to largely abandon the free cantilena style in liturgical and ceremonial works.
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- Information
- The Cambridge History of Fifteenth-Century Music , pp. 87 - 104Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015