MUSIC AT THE CATHEDRAL

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CHAPTER 15

• MUSIC AT THE CATHEDRAL
• OF FLORENCE

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The cathedral of Florence serves as a cultural
icon for all of Italy

• The gigantic dome was designed by Filippo
  Brunelleschi
• (1377-1446) and was completed in 1436,
• at which time the cathedral was dedicated.

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MUSIC FOR THE DEDICATION, 25 MARCH 1436

• The dedication of the cathedral of Florence was
  celebrated by Pope Eugenius IV and the papal
  chapel, both then resident in Florence. The
  popes magister cappellae (master, or leader, of
  the chapel) was then Guillaume Dufay (pronounced
  Du-fa-y), a native of the region of Cambrai in
  northern France.

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DUFAYS NUPER ROSARUM FLORES

• To make the dedicatory ceremony more splendid,
  Dufay composed an isorhythmic motet Nuper rosarum
  flores (Recently roses). The isorhythmic
  structure of the work involves a complicated
  scheme, but can be reduced to a simple durational
  ratio of 6423.

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Schematic diagram of the four sections of Dufays
Nuper rosarum flores

• I
• Duet then four voices
• 28 x 6 half-notes

• III
• Duet then four voices
• 28 x 2 half-notes

• IV
• Duet then four voices
• 28 x 3 half-notes

• II
• Duet then four voices
• 28 x 4 half-notes

• The proportions 6423 were those of the
  biblical temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, and thus
  Nuper rosarum flores involves musical number
  symbolism. The musical and textual structures of
  Nuper rosarum flores are also informed by number
  symbolism in ways that allude to the Virgin Mary.

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MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE

• Dufays Nuper rosarum flores is one of the few
  pieces in the history of music to attempt to
  reflect in sound the dimensions of the
  architectural space for which it was created.
  Each of the dimensions of the cathedral of
  Florence, width, length, and height, is 72
  braccia (the braccio, Italian for arm, is about
  22 inches in length). Brunelleschis dome is 72
  braccia wide and 2 x 72 braccia high. 2 x 72
  144 and similarly 6 x 4 x 2 x 3 144.