1st Edition

The Language of the Modes Studies in the History of Polyphonic Modality

By Frans Wiering Copyright 2002
336 Pages
by Routledge

336 Pages
by Routledge

336 Pages
by Routledge

The Language of the Modes provides a study of modes in early music through eight essays, each dealing with a different aspects of modality. The volume codifies all known theoretical references to mode, all modally ordered musical sources, and all modally cyclic compositions. For many music students and listeners, the "language of the modes" is a deep mystery, accustomed as we are to centuries of... Read more
Preface Conventions Used in This Book 1. Modality: An Introduction to the Terminology and Concepts 2. The Discourse about Mode: Evidence of Textual and Musical Sources 3. Tinctoris and the Origin of Polyphonic Modality 4. Modus and Tonus: Two Attitudes towards Modes 5. The Rise and Fall of Polyphonic Modality 6. The Modes before Classical Vocal Polyphony: Evidence from Central-European Cycles 7. Zarlino and Polyphonic Modality in Italy 8. Conclusion: The Language of the Modes

Biography

Frans Wiering earned a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Amsterdam in 1995. Wiering is currently on the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Utrecht and is active in projects to digitize music sources, making them available on-line. He lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands.