Conductus

The conductus (plural: conducti) was a sacred Latin song in the Middle Ages, one whose poetry and music were newly composed.

It was one of the principal types of vocal composition of the ars antiqua period of medieval music history.

For example, according to the record of manuscript in the Institución Colombina, Seville, the conductus Salve festa dies was used for the same role of procession as the ancient hymn.

For instance, the conductus Orienti oriens is derived from the sequence Noster cetus iste letus.

The genre of the conductus most likely originated in the south of France around 1150 and reached its peak development during the activity of the Notre Dame School in the early thirteenth century.

The melismatic flourish (caudae) in the conductus can separate the text out and disrupt the overall structure while Aquitanian melismas keeps the flow going.

Some are attributed to some well-known poets and musicians of the time, such as Philip the Chancellor, Walter of Châtillon, Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter of Blois, and Perotinus.

For instance, the text of the conductus Beata viscera was written by Philip the Chacellor and its music was attributed to Perotinus.

Some conducti from later period consist of songs which criticize abuses by the clergy, including some that are quite outraged.

Philip the Chancellor's composition, Aurelianis civitas is associated with a student riot of 1200 in a French city, Orléans.

Stylistically, it was different from the other principal liturgical polyphonic style of the time, organum, in which the voices usually moved at different speeds.

The German editor, Guido Maria Dreves, who compiled the conductus poem, suggests that each syllable is more likely to be sung in the same value.

In the documented liturgical use, the conductus was most likely a substitute for the versicle of "Benedicamus domino," which was performed at the end of Mass or the Office.

For the non-liturgical use, the conductus was sung during "the public readings in the chapter house and monastic refectory.

By changing the lyrics and rhythmic delivery of the refrains, singers can add improvisatory meaning to the conductus.

[8] Other improvisation includes creating new correspondence between music and text or changing the duration of each syllable.

The conductus repertory with larger numbers of stanzas require singer's improvisatory skill.

English conducti of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries often use the technique of rondellus.

Observing from Perotinus's conducti, he finds that the conductus contained both monophonic and polyphonic pieces with or without caudae.