Extract

Over the course of two three-year research projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and hosted at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, a team led by Agnese Pavanello has produced a substantial amount of original research on the late 15th- and early 16th-century compositional phenomenon of the motet cycle. The most famous of such cycles originated at the ducal court of Milan, with examples by some of the top composers of the day: Loyset Compère, Franchinus Gaffurius, Gaspar van Weerbeke and Josquin des Prez. Many of them survive in the famous libroni of the Milanese Duomo, four large choirbooks compiled by Gaffurius himself. The earliest of these cycles, the so-called motetti missales, were sung liturgically, with each individual motet taking the place of a chant from the Mass Ordinary or Proper. In the middle of the cycle is often a motet or motet section of chordal homophony meant to coincide with the Elevation.

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