Difference Between Dunstable And Du Fay

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Two leader composers from Renaissance: Dunstable and Du Fay.
During the Renaissance courts and churches were highly concerned in arts, and they hired composers and musicians with the purpose to write music and to entertain. Musicians were constantly moving along different courts, trying to find the best salary. This exchange allowed them to learn new styles and genres. Also in this era, the end of the hundred years of war marked a strong presence of England culture in France, this would carry an influence in the composers writing. As a result music had significant changes that left away the medieval traditions.
A leader composer from this time was the English musician John Dunstable (1390-1453). He was a poet, musician and composer that changed …show more content…

For Dunstable all voices had equal importance and they had to move in the same rhythm. In his compositions the music was shape by the text, and it was presented often syllabic and rarely melismatic. Dunstable sometimes used the cantus firmus in the middle voice, then the rest of the voices were placed simultaneous in thirds and sixths in parallel motion. As a result his music had a unique sound that created an effect of chords progressions. Dunstable’s music sound became quickly famous, and it was recognized by the name English …show more content…

Although the quality was similar, this technique of writing had differences. The cantus firms was placed in the tenor voice and the upper voice was add a sixth above it. In order to create the parallel motions for all voices, an inner voice was place a perfect fourth below the upper voice. A famous composer associated with the development of this French style was Guillaume Du Fay.
Du Fay (1400-1474) was a famous French composer that inspired musicians from different generations. During many years Du Fay worked in different countries, and he was exposed into a variety of genres. Besides his isorhythmic motets, Du Fay’s music was mostly a combination of contrasting styles. His major works are both secular and sacred music such as masses, hymns, motets, chansons, rondeaux, ballades and more secular songs.
An example of his compositions with different genres is found at the book NAWM: the motet Resvellies vous. This motet has the French musical characteristics such as the used of ballade form: section A from measures 1-22, section B measures 23-52, and section C measures 54-67. However the smooth vocal melody with melisma in measures 5-6, 34-35, and 57-59 are the evidence of Italian elements in this

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