THE MUSIC OF FRANCESCO LANDINI

The Music of Francesco Landini Students Name Institutional Affiliation

THE MUSIC OF FRANCESCO LANDINI The Music of Francesco Landini

The epoch of Ars nova left a set of musical masterpieces. The data on the musicians of this epoch is not full. Only one composer of this epoch won the glory at life and was sung not by one biographer. This musician, undoubtedly, is the greatest representative of the Florentine music of the 14th century. He was called Francesco Cyeco (Blind man), but his real name is Francesco Landini, who greatly impressed his contemporaries. (Hoppin, 1978). Francesco Landini was born in Fiesole, near Florence, in 1325, in the family of a painter. After smallpox in his childhood he became blind forever. Since his early childhood Francesco started singing and playing musical instruments: string and room organ. His father, Jacob Landini, paid a special attention to his sons inclinations. Having earned by private lessons, he carefully collected the considerable sum of money and sent his son to study music with the best Florentine masters. Thus, Francesco Landinis greatest talent was truly revealed. He started practicing music early (at first to sing, then to play string instruments and organ). With amazing speed he mastered a lute, a lira, a harp, a flute, a violin and a cembalo, delighting his listeners by so skillful play. His musical development went with a wonderful speed and amazed people around. He excellently studied a design of many tools, brought improvements and invented new samples. Over the years Francesco Landini surpassed all his contemporaries - Italian musicians. (Fiori, 2004). Landinis biography is reported by the author of the two-volume chronicle of Liber de origine civitatis Florentiae et eiusdem famosis civibus by Filippo Villani. According to his evidences, Landini received a very good arts education. He knew grammar, philosophy, poetry, astrology, and studied music at the Florentine masters. The glory of Landini was great even during his lifetime. Villani in the chronicle written soon after the death of Landini, characterized him as the genius of his time:

THE MUSIC OF FRANCESCO LANDINI

He is a master of rhetoric and logic, and has composed poems and novellas. He has written a great many good things in Italian - a reproach, it seems to me, to the effeminate youth of Florence, the eager pursuers of feminine finery, dissipated in shameful wantonness, whose proud many spirit has been neglected (Wood, 1939). The hand-written collected works of music of that time included Jacob Bolonskys 23 works, Giovanni Florentiyskys 19 works, and several compositions of other authors. There were 86 Francesco Landinis compositions, which became the indicator of his glory. His play on an organ glorified him; he was crowned with laurels in Venice in 1364 in the presence of Petrarch. Landinis music is known for its progressive tonal layout and clearly defined parts. There is often a logical formal design to Landinis settings, and one characteristic cadence of the period has been named for him. Although it did not remain in fashion for long, Landinis music was used as a model by Italian Ars Subtilior composers, who sometimes added new parts (McComb, 2012). Modern researchers refer his early works to 1365 - 1370. It is known that Landini communicated with poets much in Florence; he composed verses, participated in scientific esthetic disputes of humanists. The San Lorenzo Cathedral in Florence, where he served as an organist, was his constant place of work. There were many enthusiastic pupils around him, whom he dictated his compositions. His creativity embodied humanity, width and electricity of that time, traditions of religious and secular music. Landini died on September 2, 1397 in Florence and was buried in San Lorenzo Cathedral. Only few Landinis compositions had been published for a long time. At present, 154 compositions of Landini are known. The majority of them belong to the genre of ballata, but there are also some madrigales and caccias. (Fiori, 2004).

THE MUSIC OF FRANCESCO LANDINI

Melodics is the characteristic feature of Landinis music. The main melody can predominate over the other voices like in Echo la primavera, and can have something in common with them as in Amor con fede; everything depends on a plan. Thus, the composer very accurately perceived a musical form as a unit, having a beginning, culmination and end. Probably, it is all about the structure of a poetic text, addition to which Landinis compositions served. Undoubtedly, Landinis creativity is distinguished from the other authors of the epoch: thecontent is richer, the form is well-thought, the polyphony is more developed, and the style is more individual. At the same time, his art is changed according to the inquiries of time, his skills are perfected. By the scale of his personality, Landini belongs to the early Renaissance, but by time - to the end of Ars nova epoch. At present, the works of this composer are often performed at festivals of both medieval and new music. Many symphonic orchestras, vocal and instrumental ensembles include Landinis compositions into their programs. However, they are strongly simplified, because all works of the composer are incredibly difficult for performance. The known ensembles performing the music of Landini are: Gothic Voices, Micrologus, Anonymous 4, La Reverdie, Alla Francesca, Hortus Musicus, LArpeggiata, etc. The balata Ecco La Primavera is Francesco Landinis most famous composition, his some kind of a visit card. Landinis clear melodic vision and expressivity serve to assure his musics place in the Ars Nova repertory. However, as one can easily observe by perusing the following discographies, the majority of his works have yet to be recorded (McComb, 2012). In total, excluding fakes and the works of anonymous authors attributed by Francesco Landini, his musical heritage composes: 9 two-part madrigales, 2 three-part madrigales, 1

THE MUSIC OF FRANCESCO LANDINI

initial three-part madrigale, 1 three-part virelai, 1 three-part caccia, 91 two-part ballatas, 49 three-part ballatas (eight of them are also in two-part options), 1 three-part motetas and 3 fragments of motetas.

THE MUSIC OF FRANCESCO LANDINI References Fiori A. (2004). Francesco Landini. Palermo: Lepos. Hoppin R. H. (1978). Medieval Music. New York, W.W. Norton & Co.

McComb T. M. (2012). Francesco Landini (c.1325-1397): Works List & Discography. Retrieved from http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/landini.html Wood L. (1939). The Works of Francesco Landini. Cambridge, Mass.: The Medieval Academy of America, pp. 301-303.