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Chapter 3
Francesco Landini
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
The Richness of Polyphonic Texture
Rhythm: The Pulse of Meter
Units of Melody
Form: Turning Poetry into Music
Connect Your Playlist: Melismas
Chapter Objectives
After reading the chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
3.2 Explain the role of song in the courtly love tradition.
3.6 Discuss aspects of Francesco Land
3.7 Discuss the significance of the Squarcialupi manuscript as a source of
medieval music.
Key Concepts
polyphony, metered rhythm, conjunct and disjunct motion, cadences, form based on
large-scale repetition, variation, contrast
Chapter Highlight: Two-Part Polyphony
of the Middle Ages: polyphony. The two voices in this work sing different melodic lines
at the same time, and both are equally important.
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Chapter Summary
Chapter 3 uses an example of fourteenth-century secular song to introduce the concept
of polyphony. People sang in parts for some time before they began to write music
down, and notation had to evolve in order to accommodate rhythm. The problems
associated with notated polyphony included how to write music so that the parts
proceeded together, which means that a different approach is needed than that used for
The text suggests organization and melodic structure. Landini uses cadences to
mark the ends the second and fourth lines of each four-line unit of poetry. There are
three verses (strophes or stanzas), and the first strophe repeats at the end of the song.
Listening Guide
The Listening Guide for Chapter 3 emphasizes form and melody, outlined by the
division of the text into four strophes. The use of cadences and melismas is highlighted,
and the ABAA form is illustrated for clearer understanding. The accompanying
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MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Francesco Landini:
Animated Graphical Score:
Chapter Audio: Chapter 3
Connect Your Playlist: Melismas
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
1. What did composers in twelfth–
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3. ier polyphonic
compositions based upon chant-like melodies?
4. Discuss the social scenario of castles, knights, ladies, and love songs in the Middle
5. What is the musical effect of melismas? As students compare their own songs (from
6. Music manuscripts from the Middle Ages are works of art. What is the Squarcialupi
Codex, and how did it come to exist? Where are examples of illuminated manuscripts
from the Middle Ages located now?
Activities and Exercises
1. Assign students to locate prints of fourteenth-century Italian paintings in which
musical instruments are shown. Identify the instruments and connect them to
2. Assign a group of students to gather information on other illuminated manuscripts
from the fourteenth century. Have them discuss the frequency of composer
attributions and portraits, the commentaries that the images on the sides of the music
Journaling Prompt
People did not sing from beautiful manuscripts like the Squarcialupi Codex. Can you
think of examples of luxury items you or other members of your family might own that
you treat in a similar fashion? Why do you think that is?