Anna Zayaruznaya

What Is a talea?

AMS Pittsburgh
November 2013

1. Sil estoit/SAmours, tenor rhythms as notated (ligatures broken up)

|talea 1

|talea 2

|talea 3

|talea 4?

B B II B L B . B B B B II B B II B L B . B B B B II B B II B L B . B B B B II B B II :||:
2. Tenor as sung (in reduced note values)

3. Gombosis analysis of the tenor1

Key:
a = w hhhh
b = h h w

.= h

4. Powells analysis of the tenor2

5. Boogarts anlysis of the tenor3

Machauts Messe Notre-Dame, Musical Quarterly 36 (1950): 20424, at 221.

Fibonacci and the Gold Mean: Rabbits, Rumbas, and Rondeaux, Journal of Music Theory 23 (1979): 22773 at 246.

Encompassing Past and Present: Quotations and their Function in Machauts Motets, Early Music History 20
(2001): 186, at 25.

2
3

6. Machaut, Sil estoit/Samours (Motet 6)

Edition laid out as three-and-a-bit taleae per color (as in Ludwigs and Schrades editions). Readings based on the version of the motet
preserved in MS Ferrell-Vog, fols 265v266.
4

& [C. ]
S'il

es - toit nulz que plein - dre se de - st

& [C. ]

S'A

V [C. ]

Pour

nul

16

sans

&

re - trai - re,

fe

mans

19

Car

quant

pre - miers me

roit

31

do - lour re - trai - re;

&

de

34

Mais

ce

qui

duis

c'on

&

#
re ne

&

On - quez

men - rir

Car

nulz

37

plus me

re - oit

En

com - men

st,

Je

ce - ment

fai - soit

25

en moy har - de-ment de-mou - rer

mans

ne

Ne

sa

roit

Et

qui

dam - me

es - poir me

d'on

nour

don - noit de jo - r

ser

En

bien plein-dre

Son

pris

vost

lais - sier

de ma

Les

43

me de - vroi - e

28

40

fai -soit res - jo - r

# #

re - ce

grans

re-gar-dent, sans

plus di -

vir

Mais

cil

fai

- re,

qui

22

tenor talea 3

46

13

d'a - mour

# #

10

Au

vint en -a - mou - rer,

tenor talea 2

&

que

jo -

chief

tous

tenor talea 1
color 1

&

mes

mours

fragmentary tenor talea 4

49

&

par

tir

vit

Et

trai

&

67

re

qu'il

ne

vou

tenor talea 6
79

&

re

&
V

doit

nulz

re

tenor talea 7

pai

Qui m'a de

94

&

puis en pri - son

97

# #

S'A-mours le fait

trop

droit

ci,

Quant

bon - ne

es

70

me mist,

mour

se, Je scay de voir

#
jo

sans

mo-rir, res-pi-t. Et

tir

ie

58

j'eu ma liv - ri - son

l'a

per

De

oit

73

que

vi - vre ne pe - s - se

li

veut

me

rir.

De

bien

Sanz

mer

ar - dans de - sirs

En

qui si mes

da - me de

pour

91

ne

cour - toi - si - e

tient con -

le se-cours ma

Et

Et

61

76

88

c'est bien drois, car dou - our en pi - t

85

pen

El - le

ce

82

&
nai

moy;

Que, s'un tout seulplus quedroit en

plus

de

color 2

64

en
de
sir \

&

55

de

tenor talea 5

Fist

&
V

52

ont en li

bon

leur re -

se

\
re.

lan - guir.

[U]

fragmentary tenor talea 8

* This and the following examples are not diplomatic transcriptions, but rather editions employing a simplified form of French ars nova notation
in score. Note-values have been left unreduced. Ligatures and multi-measure rests have been silently broken up to allow for alignment in score.
Dots of division, which confirm that a note should receive its maximum value of three, are given only where there would otherwise be ambiguity;
bar lines and spacing mostly do their work.

7. Sil estoit/Samours (M6) arranged according to upper-voice isorhythm

Tenor talea breaks as they are usually defined (and as they are marked in Ludwigs and Schrades editions) are marked with elongated tenor bar lines.
Line-breaks in the text are marked with vertical lines (|).

(3x5L)
4

(3x5L)
5

8. Beatius/Cum humanum, upper voices*

Triplum
Motetus

&

[C. ]

[C. ]

Cum

&
V

6
-

be - re

ni

tas

&

co

ab \

ser - van

&

ci

&
V

115

&
V

&

V

na

en - ti

100

145

ti

hu

mo - re

155

\
lan - guen - do

125

fal

rum

que

110

ma

ut

90

H
150

ta - men

at

135

35

vo - to

e\

75

tas \

plu

de - i

et

hu - ma - ni - tas - que pos - sit

vans li - be - rat

20

50

ti

120

re

o - be - di - en - ci -

ma - nos a - mat

non \

105

G
130

da - nis ce - den - do chris - ti

fal - lit

ser

60

se

con - cu - pis - ce

tri

ra

mun

ri

hu

non

us

re

sub - di - ta

sit \

al - te

con

ti

mun - dum que - rit

\
be
di

sit pe - ca

est

nec

tu - re

quos

\
glo

sti - nen - ci -

45

mo - ris

85

&

li

80

95

30

hu - ma - num \

\
re

a - bu - ti

70

&

vi - ta -

ctos

ap - par - en ci - e \

ce - dat

55

sub

65

se

mun - di

ac - ta

ob

40

co

num

Cum

15

Be

ma - lum

\
hu - ma

25

to - nis pu - gi - les su - per - at

&
li \
V
\

10

* Sources: Paris, Bibliothque Nationale, nouvelles acquisitions latines 2444, fol. 49v; Vienna, Austrian National Library, Fragm 123a, fol. 2v;
Wrzburg, Franziskanerkloster, Ms. I, 10a, fol. 2b [verso]. Texts as edited by Andrew Hicks.
For a reconstructed tenor solus, critical notes, and discussion see Zayaruznaya, A Newly Edited Ars nova Motet, in prep.

&
V

160

Quem

que

pi

ma

&

Jo

fal

&

ce - det

lit

glo

est

ra

ri

- mo - re

les

&

sub

V
\
vir

pre

res

fa

215

i - gi - tur

tu - o - se

co

165

me

ac

quos

mun - di

ta

qui - bus

su \

ce - dens

- a

sanc - tam

con
\
\

ha - bi - tum
\

ro

ta

in mun - do vi -

tri - ni - ta - tem

dis

190

ci

205

ve - ne - re - mur

pli

te

que

lis

vir

tus

sem -

per

mu

quot

da - ta

car

sol - vit pac - ta

di

gat

fa

na

\
ti - tur

lis

ha -

195

quot

su

mus car - di -

na \

210

na

non

\
ni
ta
tem

220

ven - tes an - ga - ri
e\

\
Pro

at - que

- do

\
a

iunc - ta - mur

170

180

que

pro - pri

200

an - ga - ri - e
dum di - mit - ten - do
se
iu - go
sub - den

xi

c.f. Firmissime/Adesto, triplum mm. 16474

&
\
Nunc

mun - da - nis

vel

175

- bent

185

cis

nun - quam

mun -

quam

am

ac

e - ti-am

la

ce

li

re

re - gu

ce - den - tes.\


\
225

ci

gi

na.

la -