Dunstable

Career summary

• mathmetician, astronomer
• English composer
• may have known Dufay, Binchois
• refined inherited stylistic heritage
• avoided contrapuntal dissonance, except for passing tones, cadential suspensions; "sweet"
• control of dissonance; full triads characteristic
• music preserved in two mid-15thC manuscripts (with contemporaries):  British Museum, MS Egerton 3307, Cambridge, Magdalene College, MS Pepys 1236

Motet

Isorhythmic

• all voices isorhythmic
• complex, elaborate
• texture derived from structure
• written in praise of particular saint or Virgin Mary
• one statement of chant in tenor=2-3 talea
• color is stated 3x in note values which accelerate proportionally:  3:2:1, with drive to final cadence; yet, graceful results are achieved
• Veni sancte spiritus/Veni creator incorporates a paraphrased chant into top voice; only one of Dunstable's isorhythmic chants to do so

Plainsong

• in top voice

Absence of Chant

• most representative of output; majority

• alternates between treble dominated a3 and equal voiced duets
• in full sections tenor supports melody, while contratenor fills out triads, keeps motion going, acts as a counterbalance mostly to tenor
• block chord texture, precise declamation of text
• effort towards equalization of pace between all three voices; tenor does not dominate as in Powers' motets
• structure of treble-dominated motets depends on textural and metric contrast:  tuttis interrupted by long duets for varied combinations of voices;  several sections of contrasting meters
•  long "spun-out" melodies  (Ave Regina caelorum )
• motet Crux fidelis  does not fall into above categories; its cantus prius factus, a processional antiphon, appears in middle voice except in duet section

Mass

• single and paired Mass movements
• style traits similar to his motets
• isorhythmic, treble-dominated; chant influenced, original
• continuous melody harmonized by full triads
• Mass-pairs united by musical means:  based on same chant, or by using similar structure/scoring;
• Sanctus-Agnus Dei, nos.  13 & 14 use different tenors, though related liturgically
• single movements exhibiting no musical relationships were paired by 15th C scribes
• at least 3 Mass cycles:  

Missa Rex seculorum  (also attributed to Power)
Missa sine nomine  (more ambiguous, attributed also to Power, Benet)
Missa Da gaudiorum premia  -isorhythmic tenor; Agnus Dei missing, but is authentically by Dunstable

Other

• Puisque  m'amour  -rondeau
• O Rosa bella -ballata, but may not have been by Dunstable
• demonstrate 15C performer's freedom in ornamentation, musica ficta