Isorhythm

Isorhythmie called (from the Greek ἴσος "equal" and ῥυθμός " tempo " about " the same rhythmic order" ), also Isorhythmik, is a design principle of the motet in the 14th and 15th centuries. The terms do not originate from the period, but are modern terms that were coined in the early 20th century by Friedrich Ludwig.

When Isorhythmie a rhythmic structure is partially repeated, the pitch change to the rule. The repetitive rhythmic model is called Talea (from Old French taille "section "); it corresponds to the normal case with the strophic form of the text. This model need not always be strictly maintained in all voices, it occurs mainly in the cantus firmus voices, so the tenor and countertenor. The corresponding melodic section is the Color (from Latin color " color, sound "). Especially in the isorhythmical motet of the 14th and 15th centuries, considered the highlight of the Ars nova, Taleae Colores and are not used congruent, but the melodic and rhythmic phases are shifted against each other and overlap. In multi-part motets often appear in the final parts of diminutions and Mensurwechsel in the upper voice.

First there was some activity in the plant Philippe de Vitrys. Particularly pronounced finds this type of Isorhythmie in Guillaume de Machaut's motets. In addition, isorhythmic structures found in many song - and mass compositions of the time. A precursor of Isorhythmie, in which the Taleae be repeated only in the tenor voice, is the Isoperiodik the motet in the Ars antiqua. The other voices retain the same rhythmic periods as the tenor. In the 20th century Isorhythmie by Anton Webern, Igor Stravinsky and Witold Lutosławski was used again for some compositions. In the realm of jazz, the Swiss pianist Christoph Stiefel relies explicitly on this principle.