

Music Notation: Languages Gained, Lost, Remembered, Reclaimed
Herbert Brün (1918 - 2000), pioneering composer of electronic and computerized music, returned many times to the unassuming phrase, “A...

Jordan Alexander Key


A Medieval Composer's Thoughts on Pop Culture: "Popular" (?) Music from 14th Century Italy: Part III
The Italian Trecento is an often overlooked period in Western Music history, marked as the transition between the artistic pinnacle of...

Jordan Alexander Key


On the Hunt: "Popular" (?) Music from 14th Century Italy: Part II - Gherardello da Firenze
Having now featured a chace from 14th century France and a caça from 14th century Spain, it is only appropriate that I feature the...

Jordan Alexander Key


The Black Madonna & Vermillion Book: "Popular" (?) Music from 14th Century Spain
Thirty miles west of the bustling Spanish metropolis, Barcelona, nestled in the craggy serrations of the multi-peaked mountain range...

Jordan Alexander Key


My End is My Beginning: "Popular" (?) Music from 14th Century France: Part 3
Today, Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 - 1377) is considered the most prominent composer and poet of the 14th century, bridging the musical...

Jordan Alexander Key


The Pope's Pornography: "Popular" (?) Music from 14th Century France: Part II
The Ivrea Codex and the Papal Court at Avignon The Ivrea Codex (c. 1360) stands with the Roman de Fauvel as one of the most important...

Jordan Alexander Key


The Pope at Play: "Popular" (?) Music from 14th Century France: Part I - Ivrea Chace
"Early music" is a field of listening that many do not follow, even the most avid of classical music lovers. There are many opinions as...

Jordan Alexander Key