Lorenzo da Firenze
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo da Firenze (d. December 1372 or January 1373) was an Italian
composer and music teacher of the Trecento
. He was closely associated with Francesco Landini
in Florence
, and was one of the composers of the period known as the Italian ars nova
.
Little is known about his life, but some details can be inferred from the music. He was active as a teacher in Florence, probably as a teacher of Landini himself. He became a canon at the church of S. Lorenzo in 1348, a post which he retained for the rest of his life.
Lorenzo is represented in the Squarcialupi Codex
, the illuminated manuscript which is the most comprehensive source of Italian music of the 14th century, with 16 pieces of music, including 10 madrigal
s, 6 balletta
and one caccia. In addition to his contribution to that collection, he wrote two mass
movements which have survived (one of which is of doubtful attribution) and a pedagogical piece (the Antefana), the text of which shows that he was a teacher.
His style is progressive, sometimes experimental, but curiously conservative in other ways. While he used imitation
, a relatively new musical technique, and heterophonic
texture, one of the rarest textures in European music, he also still used parallel perfect intervals. Voice crossing
s are common, when he wrote for more than one voice (most of his music is monophonic
). In addition he used chromaticism
to a degree rare in the 14th century, at least prior to the activity of the composers of the ars subtilior
.
French
influence is evident in some of his music, for example isorhythm
ic passages (characteristic of Machaut
, but rare in Italian music). Some of the notational quirks in his work also suggest a connection with France.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer and music teacher of the Trecento
Trecento
The Trecento refers to the 14th century in Italian cultural history.Commonly the Trecento is considered to be the beginning of the Renaissance in art history...
. He was closely associated with Francesco Landini
Francesco Landini
Francesco degli Organi, Francesco il Cieco, or Francesco da Firenze, called by later generations Francesco Landini or Landino was an Italian composer, organist, singer, poet and instrument maker...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, and was one of the composers of the period known as the Italian ars nova
Ars nova
Ars nova refers to a musical style which flourished in France and the Burgundian Low Countries in the Late Middle Ages: more particularly, in the period between the preparation of the Roman de Fauvel and the death of the composer Guillaume de Machaut in 1377...
.
Little is known about his life, but some details can be inferred from the music. He was active as a teacher in Florence, probably as a teacher of Landini himself. He became a canon at the church of S. Lorenzo in 1348, a post which he retained for the rest of his life.
Lorenzo is represented in the Squarcialupi Codex
Squarcialupi Codex
The Squarcialupi Codex is an illuminated manuscript compiled in Florence, Italy in the early 15th century...
, the illuminated manuscript which is the most comprehensive source of Italian music of the 14th century, with 16 pieces of music, including 10 madrigal
Madrigal (Trecento)
The Madrigal is an Italian musical form of the 14th century. The form flourished ca. 1300 – 1370 with a short revival near 1400. It was a composition for two voices, sometimes on a pastoral subject...
s, 6 balletta
Ballata
The ballata is an Italian poetic and musical form, which was in use from the late 13th to the 15th century. It has the musical structure AbbaA, with the first and last stanzas having the same texts. It is thus most similar to the French musical 'forme fixe' virelai...
and one caccia. In addition to his contribution to that collection, he wrote two mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
movements which have survived (one of which is of doubtful attribution) and a pedagogical piece (the Antefana), the text of which shows that he was a teacher.
His style is progressive, sometimes experimental, but curiously conservative in other ways. While he used imitation
Imitation (music)
In music, imitation is when a melody in a polyphonic texture is repeated shortly after its first appearance in a different voice, usually at a different pitch. The melody may vary through transposition, inversion, or otherwise, but retain its original character...
, a relatively new musical technique, and heterophonic
Texture (music)
In music, texture is the way the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition , thus determining the overall quality of sound of a piece...
texture, one of the rarest textures in European music, he also still used parallel perfect intervals. Voice crossing
Voice crossing
In music, voice crossing is the intersection of melodic lines in a composition, leaving a lower voice on a higher pitch than a higher voice...
s are common, when he wrote for more than one voice (most of his music is monophonic
Texture (music)
In music, texture is the way the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition , thus determining the overall quality of sound of a piece...
). In addition he used chromaticism
Chromaticism
Chromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...
to a degree rare in the 14th century, at least prior to the activity of the composers of the ars subtilior
Ars subtilior
Ars subtilior is a musical style characterized by rhythmic and notational complexity, centered around Paris, Avignon in southern France, also in northern Spain at the end of the fourteenth century. The style also is found in the French Cypriot repertory...
.
French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
influence is evident in some of his music, for example isorhythm
Isorhythm
Isorhythm is a musical technique that arranges a fixed pattern of pitches with a repeating rhythmic pattern.-Detail:...
ic passages (characteristic of Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut was a Medieval French poet and composer. He is one of the earliest composers on whom significant biographical information is available....
, but rare in Italian music). Some of the notational quirks in his work also suggest a connection with France.