Corpus mensurabilis musicae
Encyclopedia
The Corpus mensurabilis musicae (CMM) is a collected print edition of most of the sacred and secular vocal music of the late medieval
and Renaissance
period in western music history, with an emphasis on the central Franco-Flemish
and Italian repertories. CMM is a publication of the American Institute of Musicology, and consists of 109 series (individual volumes or sets of volumes) as of 2007. Renowned composers whose works have appeared in other collected editions, such as Josquin des Prez
, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
, and Orlande de Lassus
, are generally excluded from the set.
Many of the series are devoted to works of a single composer, and in some cases they are organized into sub-volumes because of their size (for example, "Volume 1" contains the works of Guillaume Dufay
; it actually consists of 6 separate bound volumes, separately containing motet
s, mass
es, mass fragments, other liturgical music, and secular songs). Other series contain anthologies and contents of codices
and manuscripts, documents which typically compile the work of many composers: for example, series 46 has the complete Old Hall Manuscript
of music from early 15th-century England, and series 85 has the six anonymous L'homme armé
masses from Naples
.
Most of the editions are prefaced by biographical notes as well as notes on the transcriptions. The work was begun by Armen Carapetyan, who founded the American Institute of Musicology in 1944; work on CMM began in 1947, and continues to the present day, with the volumes continually being updated and reissued. The current general editor is Frank D'Accone.
Other related publications of the American Institute of Musicology include the Corpus of Early Keyboard Music (CEKM), the Corpus scriptorum de musica (CSM), containing editions of writings about music by early music theorists, and the Musica Disciplina (MD), which publishes current scholarly work on early music.
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
and Renaissance
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
period in western music history, with an emphasis on the central Franco-Flemish
Franco-Flemish School
In music, the Franco-Flemish School or more precisely the Netherlandish School refers, somewhat imprecisely, to the style of polyphonic vocal music composition in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, and to the composers who wrote it...
and Italian repertories. CMM is a publication of the American Institute of Musicology, and consists of 109 series (individual volumes or sets of volumes) as of 2007. Renowned composers whose works have appeared in other collected editions, such as Josquin des Prez
Josquin Des Prez
Josquin des Prez [Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez] , often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance...
, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
, and Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance...
, are generally excluded from the set.
Many of the series are devoted to works of a single composer, and in some cases they are organized into sub-volumes because of their size (for example, "Volume 1" contains the works of Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay was a Franco-Flemish composer of the early Renaissance. As the central figure in the Burgundian School, he was the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.-Early life:From the evidence of his will, he was probably born in Beersel, in the vicinity of...
; it actually consists of 6 separate bound volumes, separately containing motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s, mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
es, mass fragments, other liturgical music, and secular songs). Other series contain anthologies and contents of codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
and manuscripts, documents which typically compile the work of many composers: for example, series 46 has the complete Old Hall Manuscript
Old Hall Manuscript
The Old Hall Manuscript is the largest, most complete, and most significant source of English sacred music of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and as such represents the best source for late Medieval English music. The manuscript somehow survived the Reformation, and until 1873 belonged to St...
of music from early 15th-century England, and series 85 has the six anonymous L'homme armé
L'homme armé
L'homme armé was a French secular song from the time of the Renaissance. It was the most popular tune used for musical settings of the Ordinary of the Mass: over 40 separate compositions entitled Missa L'homme armé survive from the period....
masses from Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
Most of the editions are prefaced by biographical notes as well as notes on the transcriptions. The work was begun by Armen Carapetyan, who founded the American Institute of Musicology in 1944; work on CMM began in 1947, and continues to the present day, with the volumes continually being updated and reissued. The current general editor is Frank D'Accone.
Other related publications of the American Institute of Musicology include the Corpus of Early Keyboard Music (CEKM), the Corpus scriptorum de musica (CSM), containing editions of writings about music by early music theorists, and the Musica Disciplina (MD), which publishes current scholarly work on early music.