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Philippe de Vitry
Birth Oct 31, 1291 in Vitry,
Champagne, France
Death Jun 9, 1361 in Paris,
France

Philippe de Vitry, poet and musician, philosopher and intellectual, councilor to

three kings, began his stellar career with a master of arts degree from the Sor-
bonne. Pope John XXII conferred upon him the first of many ecclesiastical reven-
ues in 1321. By this point, Vitry may have already been serving as a notary to the
Royal Court; his documented service to French royalty spanned three reigns,
Charles le Bel, Philippe VI, and Jean II. In 1346, Vitry accompanied Jean to war as
a "companion in arms," and he served as an ambassador to the Papal court in
Avignon starting in 1350. In that year, he was named Bishop of Meaux, a post he
retained until his death in 1361. During his life, Vitry was commended by no less
a writer than Francesco Petrarch as "the one true poet of France," and by numer-
ous professional musicians as the "flower and jewel of singers"; he was said to
have discovered the very means of composing music in his time.
Philippe de Vitry has long been erroneously thought to have codified his new
theories of music composition some time around 1320 in a revolutionary treatise
called the Ars Nova, or "New Art" (setting its teaching in contrast to the composi-
tional styles in the previous century). Musicologists now doubt that such a
single work existed. Nevertheless, vestiges of his teachings on music have sur-
vived in a number of smaller treatises and tracts by his pupils. His expansions of
musical practice largely deal with rhythmic features: the codification of different
mensurations (or musical time signatures), specifically duple time; the use of red
notation to indicate new proportional rhythmic values; and the standardization of
a new shorter note value, the minim. In each of these cases, it seems he influ-
enced his peers ...

13?? Almifonis/Rosa/Tenor (possibly spurious), motet Medieval Motet

Aman novi/Heu Fortuna/Heu me, tristis est anima
13?? Medieval Motet
mea, motet
Amer/Durement/Dolor meus (possibly spurious),
13?? Medieval Motet
motet
Apta caro/Flos/Alma redemptorisa mater
13?? Medieval Motet
(possibly spurious), motet
13?? Ay, Amours! Tant me dure (spurious), chanson Chanson
Colla uigo/Bona condit/Libera me Domine (prob-
13?? Medieval Motet
ably authentic), motet
13?? Cum statua/Hugo/Magister invidie, motet Medieval Motet
Douce playsance/Garison/Neuma quinti toni,
13?? Medieval Motet
motet
Firmissime/Adesto/Alleuya, Benedictus (probably
13?? Medieval Motet
authentic), motet
13?? Floret/Florens/Neuma, motet Medieval Motet
Flos ortus/Celsa cedrus/Tenor (probably
13?? Medieval Motet
authentic), motet
13?? Garrit gallus/In nova fert/Neuma, motet Medieval Motet
Imprudentor
13?? Medieval Motet
circumivi/Virtutibus/Contratenor/Tenor, motet
In virtute/Decens carmen/Clamor
13?? Medieval Motet
meus/Contratenor (possibly spurious), motet
Je qui paoir seule ai de conforter (spurious), Medieval/Renaissance
13??
descort Vocal
Mazarea que decora/Zolomina/Tenor (authenticy
13?? Medieval Motet
doubtful), motet
Mon chant/Qui doloreus/Tenor (authenticy doubt-
13?? Medieval Motet
ful), motet
13?? Motets Medieval Motet
13?? O Philippe/O bone (possibly spurious), motet Medieval Motet
O canenda/Rex quem/Contratenor/Rex regum,
133? Medieval Motet
motet
Orbis orbatus/Vos pastores/Fur non venit (pos-
13?? Medieval Motet
sibly authentic), motet
13?? Per grama protho paret (possibly spurious), motet Medieval Motet
13?? Petre clemens/Lugentium/Tenor, motet Medieval Motet
13?? Providence la senée (spurious), virelai Virelai
Quid scire proderit/Dantur officia (possibly au-
13?? Medieval Motet
thentic), motet
Sa paour/Diex/Concupisco (possibly spurious),
13?? Medieval Motet
motet
13?? Scariotis/Jure (possibly spurious), motet Medieval Motet
13?? Se cuers/Rex (possibly spurious), motet Medieval Motet
13?? Se j'onques a mon vivant (spurious), chanson Chanson
Servant regem/O Philippe/Rex regum (possibly
13?? Medieval Motet
spurious), motet
13?? Talant j'ai que d'obeir (spurious), lai Virelai
13?? Tribum/Quoniam secta/Merito hec patimur, motet Medieval Motet
13?? Tuba sacre fidei/In arboris/Virgo sum, motet Medieval Motet
Vos quid
13?? admiramini/Gratissima/Contratenor/Gaude Medieval Motet
gloriosa, motet
13?? Work(s) Miscellaneous Music
Work(s) Overview