Abstract
The Italian Trecento represents a pivotal stage in the evolution of secular polyphony, marking the emergence of a distinct national musical style within the broader framework of European Ars Nova.This period witnessed the flourishing of indigenous forms that reflect poetic refinement, cultural specificity, and stylistic experimentation at the intersection of the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. Trecento music is distinguished by its modal diversity, lyrical expressiveness, and innovative use of rhythm – especially in genres such as the madrigal, caccia, and ballata. Objective. The aim of this article is to analyze the stylistic traits and genre development of Trecento music and assess its broader impact on the evolution of musical culture in Europe. The study investigates the internal features of key secular forms, tracing their transformation from monophonic precedents to mature polyphonic structures. It focuses on both prominent and lesser-known composers, with particular emphasis on Francesco Landini, whose works exemplify melodic fluency, structural refinement, and rhythmic nuance. The article sheds light on the emergence of regional musical idioms and their role in shaping early Renaissance aesthetics. Special attention is given to the interplay between music and poetry. The article takes into account the works of composers from different generations of the Trecento era, including both early representatives and those whose output marks the culmination of the style and the transition to a new historical stage. By situating Trecento music within a wider cultural and historical narrative, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of its legacy and relevance for historically informed performance today.
References
- Apel, W. (1953). The notation of polyphonic music, 900–1600. The Mediaeval Academy of America. https://archive.org/details/notationofpolyph1953apel/page/n11/mode/2up
- D’Accone, F. A. (2006). Music in Renaissance Florence: Studies and documents (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003553427
- Ellinwood, L. (1945). The works of Francesco Landini. The Mediaeval Academy of America.
- Evdokimova, Y. (1983). History of polyphony. Vol. 1: Medieval polyphony from the 10th to the 14th century. Muzgiz.
- Decameron Web. (n.d.). Genres of music in the Trecento. https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/arts/music/mmgenres.php
- Hoppin, R. H. (1978). Medieval music. W. W. Norton.
- Husmann, H. (1955). Die mittelalterliche Mehrstimmigkeit. Das Musikwerk.
- Khominsky, Y., & Vilkovska-Khominska, K. (2015). History of music. Part I (continuation). Ukrainska Muzyka, (3), 126-132. http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/Ukrmuzyka_2015_3_15
- Long, M. (1987). Landini’s musical patrimony: A reassessment of some compositional conventions in trecento polyphony. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 40(1), 31-52. https://doi.org/10.2307/831581
- Marrocco, T. W. (1954). The music of Jacopo da Bologna. University of California Press. https://www.examenapium.it/cs/biblio/Marrocco1954.pdf
- Nádas, J. L., & Cuthbert, M. S. (2009). Ars nova: French and Italian music in the fourteenth century. Ashgate.
- Pirrotta, N. (1954). The music of the fourteenth century Italy (Vols. 1-4). Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae, 8. American Institute of Musicology.
- Schrade, L. (Ed.). (1958). Polyphonic music of the fourteenth century (Vol. 4). Éditions de L’oiseau-lyre.
- Szelogowski, D. (2018). Francesco Landini and the Italian Ars Nova: Musical philosophy and innovations. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388359473
- von Fischer, K. (1958). Trecentomusik, Trecentoprobleme. Acta Musicologica, 30(4), 179-199. https://doi.org/10.2307/932002
- von Fischer, K. (1961). On the technique, origin, and evolution of Italian Trecento music. The Musical Quarterly, 47(1), 41-57. https://doi.org/10.1093/mq/XLVII.1.41
- von Fischer, K. (2001). Caccia. In G. D’Agostino (Ed.), Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.04517
Abstract
İtalyan Trecento’su, Avrupa Ars Nova akımı çerçevesinde özgün bir ulusal müzik üslubunun ortaya çıkışını simgeleyen, dünyevi çok sesliliğin evriminde dönüm noktası teşkil eden bir dönemdir. Bu süreçte, şiirsel incelik, kültürel özgünlük ve geç Orta Çağ ile erken Rönesans’ın kesişiminde stilistik deneyler yansıtan yerli biçimler gelişme göstermiştir. Trecento müziği, özellikle madrigal, caccia ve ballata gibi türlerdeki modal çeşitlilik, lirik anlatım ve yenilikçi ritmik yapı kullanımıyla dikkat çeker. Bu makalenin amacı, Trecento müziğinin üslup özellikleri ile türsel gelişimini analiz etmek ve bu müziğin Avrupa müzik kültürünün evrimindeki genel etkisini değerlendirmektir. Çalışmada temel dünyevi biçimlerin içsel özellikleri incelenmekte; bu biçimlerin tek sesli örneklerden olgun çok sesli yapılara dönüşümü takip edilmektedir. Araştırma, hem tanınmış hem de daha az bilinen bestecilere odaklanmakta; özellikle Francesco Landini’nin eserleri melodik akıcılık, yapısal incelik ve ritmik nüans açısından örnek olarak ele alınmaktadır. Makale, bölgesel müzik lehçelerinin ortaya çıkışına ve bunların erken Rönesans estetiğinin biçimlenmesindeki rolüne ışık tutar. Müzik ile şiir arasındaki etkileşim özel olarak ele alınmaktadır. Çalışma, Trecento döneminin hem erken temsilcilerinin hem de üslubun doruk noktasını ve yeni tarihsel evreye geçişi simgeleyen bestecilerin eserlerini göz önünde bulundurmaktadır. Trecento müziğini daha geniş bir kültürel ve tarihsel bağlamda ele alarak, bu geleneğin günümüz tarihsel icra pratiği açısından taşıdığı anlam ve mirasa dair daha derinlemesine bir anlayışa katkı sunmaktadır.
References
- Apel, W. (1953). The notation of polyphonic music, 900–1600. The Mediaeval Academy of America. https://archive.org/details/notationofpolyph1953apel/page/n11/mode/2up
- D’Accone, F. A. (2006). Music in Renaissance Florence: Studies and documents (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003553427
- Ellinwood, L. (1945). The works of Francesco Landini. The Mediaeval Academy of America.
- Evdokimova, Y. (1983). History of polyphony. Vol. 1: Medieval polyphony from the 10th to the 14th century. Muzgiz.
- Decameron Web. (n.d.). Genres of music in the Trecento. https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/arts/music/mmgenres.php
- Hoppin, R. H. (1978). Medieval music. W. W. Norton.
- Husmann, H. (1955). Die mittelalterliche Mehrstimmigkeit. Das Musikwerk.
- Khominsky, Y., & Vilkovska-Khominska, K. (2015). History of music. Part I (continuation). Ukrainska Muzyka, (3), 126-132. http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/Ukrmuzyka_2015_3_15
- Long, M. (1987). Landini’s musical patrimony: A reassessment of some compositional conventions in trecento polyphony. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 40(1), 31-52. https://doi.org/10.2307/831581
- Marrocco, T. W. (1954). The music of Jacopo da Bologna. University of California Press. https://www.examenapium.it/cs/biblio/Marrocco1954.pdf
- Nádas, J. L., & Cuthbert, M. S. (2009). Ars nova: French and Italian music in the fourteenth century. Ashgate.
- Pirrotta, N. (1954). The music of the fourteenth century Italy (Vols. 1-4). Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae, 8. American Institute of Musicology.
- Schrade, L. (Ed.). (1958). Polyphonic music of the fourteenth century (Vol. 4). Éditions de L’oiseau-lyre.
- Szelogowski, D. (2018). Francesco Landini and the Italian Ars Nova: Musical philosophy and innovations. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388359473
- von Fischer, K. (1958). Trecentomusik, Trecentoprobleme. Acta Musicologica, 30(4), 179-199. https://doi.org/10.2307/932002
- von Fischer, K. (1961). On the technique, origin, and evolution of Italian Trecento music. The Musical Quarterly, 47(1), 41-57. https://doi.org/10.1093/mq/XLVII.1.41
- von Fischer, K. (2001). Caccia. In G. D’Agostino (Ed.), Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.04517
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Musicology and Ethnomusicology |
| Journal Section | Research article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | October 29, 2025 |
| Submission Date | June 25, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | October 10, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 10 Issue: 4 |
