Machaut’s Messe de Notre Dame can be acclaimed as an excellent piece of music that occupies its dignified place among other works of the world’s music classics. Initially, it was used only in the place of its creation in Reims, France, but nowadays, this masterpiece is a beautiful jewel in the collection of thousands of Catholic cathedrals and churches all around the world. Although this amazing mess was composed in the first half of the XIV century, it is still one of the most remarkable works of this genre. Machaut’s Messe de Notre Dame has its main peculiarities in its harmonious form, inimitable style, and balanced composition which are beautifully emphasized by magnificent cooperation of vocal and instrumental performing.
First, speaking about the development of Machaut’s Messe de Notre Dame, it should be stated that it consists of a few main parts including the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Ite (Wold, Martin, Miller & Cykler, 1996). Both the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei are of three parts that suggest the importance of religious implications of the Holy Trinity in them. The Credo is also musically subdivided into three parts, and these three parts, in turn, also consist of three smaller parts. This creates an emphatic effect that brings the listeners into the condition of harmony with the religious themes addressed during the messe.
Next, with regards to the music techniques and the other important characteristics, it should be noted that this piece of music is a traditional representation of the medieval spirit. The music in this piece does not attempt to have asymmetry which is considered to be important today. Instead, the four voices and the supporting instruments have their own parties of different rhythm and tempo that create a feeling that there is no central melody in this work.
Finally, speaking about the aesthetic value of this piece of music, it should be stated that Machaut’s Messe de Notre Dame is justly acclaimed as the best composer’s work of medieval times (Kamien, 2011). The greatest aesthetic strength of this message is in its religious implications that offer listeners a feeling of real peace and harmony with the surrounding world. Besides, the cultural significance of this great work by Machaut is huge because it became a basement for the further development of the world’s music as many famous composers studied it to find their inspiration. The message also had a special influence on me because it helped me to open a new vision on religious music as I realized that it may be among the works of the world’s music classic and may have an incredible style and performance as well (before, I thought this kind of music was too vapid and monotonous).
Concluding on all the information discussed above, it should be stated that Machaut’s Messe de Notre Dame can be acclaimed as an inimitable piece of the art of music with its main peculiarities of form, style, and composition which are beautifully emphasized by a magnificent duet of vocal performance along with the supporting music. It often touches a listener to the very extremities of one’s soul. And this is no wonder as the combination of the four-voiced performance along with the classic organ is more than a miracle of sound. They make this mess alive, touching, moving, and affecting people’s minds, hearts and souls.
References
Kamien, R. (2011). Music: An appreciation (7th Brief Edition.) New York, NY: Sony Music.
Wold, M., Martin, G., Miller, J., & Cykler, E. (1996). Music and art in the western world (10th ed.). Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark.