Johannes de Muris
Johannes de Muris, a prominent French music theorist, mathematician, and astronomer, was born in Normandy around the late 13th or early 14th century. His contributions to music theory primarily stem from his time in Paris, where he studied and taught at the University of Paris. De Muris is best known for his influential treatises on music, particularly "Ars novae musicae" and "Musica speculativa secundum Boetium," which addressed contemporary musical practices and advocated for innovative notational reforms during a time of significant cultural change. His writings reflect the transition from traditional to more complex rhythmic structures in music, a shift marked by the emergence of secular music alongside sacred compositions.
Despite being primarily a theorist rather than a composer, de Muris's theories gained considerable recognition, outshining even his contemporaries like Philippe de Vitry. His works on astronomy and mathematics also contributed to his reputation, highlighted by his invitation to a conference on calendar reform by Pope Clement VI. After his death, de Muris's writings remained integral to music education, rivaling the authority of earlier figures such as Boethius. His legacy continues to influence music theory and education, marking him as a key figure in the evolution of medieval music understanding.
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Johannes de Muris
French music theorist
- Born: c. 1300
- Birthplace: Lisieux diocese, Normandy (now in France)
- Died: c. 1351
- Place of death: Probably in or near Paris, France
Muris was a leading proponent of the notational reform of music in early fourteenth century Europe, a time marked by Church authority even in matters of music and that also witnessed the persistence of secular rather than spiritual music and the start of a “new art” advocating more rhythmic complexity in music.
Early Life
Johannes de Muris (yoh-HAHN-ehs deh MOOR-ihs) has been most widely known by the Latinized version of his name, leaving open to speculation his country of origin and the original spelling of his name. Modern scholarship has established that he was not Swiss or English, as has been speculated, but French and that the French version of his name is Jehan des Murs.
The French music theorist, mathematician, and astronomer was born in Normandy in the diocese of Lisieux. Although nothing is known about his childhood or background, much is known about the activities and accomplishments of his adult life. This is a result in part of the contemporary discovery of a manuscript, located in El Escorial library near Madrid, Spain, that contains a number of biographical annotations. Most of these are believed to be in Muris's own handwriting.
Muris is known to have been a student in Paris, where he pursued an education in astronomy and mathematics. His earliest extant writings are from this period and may be dated as early as 1317. A Vienna manuscript, the earliest dated manuscript attributed to him (although the date may be erroneous), finds Muris working on a calendar in an attempt to determine the date of Easter. Although there are far more than one hundred extant manuscripts attributed to him, the authenticity of many remains in question.
Muris wrote on astronomical, mathematical, and musical topics, but it is his writings on music that are the most significant and for which he is best known. Of the five musical treatises attributed to him, Ars novae musicae (the art of new music, 1321) and Musica speculativa secundum Boetium (1323) are generally regarded as the most important. The mathematical treatise entitled Opus quadripartitum numerorum (1343), which was written two decades later than either of the two musical treatises cited above, remains one of his best-known nonmusical writings.
Muris completed his studies sometime in the early 1320'. He is generally believed to have taught at the University of Paris shortly thereafter. During those early days as a student and teacher in Paris, he became friends with Philippe de Vitry, the other major French theorist of the early fourteenth century; both men advocated fundamental changes in music.
Life's Work
The first of Muris's treatises on music may be his most important. This work, entitled Ars novae musicae, may have been written as early as 1319, when Muris was still a student in Paris. Clearly, musicians, and certainly theorists, were aware that they were breaking new ground; this awareness is reflected in Muris's title, Ars novae musicae, and in Vitry's title, Ars nova (1320; English translation, 1961). Ars novae musicae, itself controversial, was born in an era of controversy, instability, and change.
Although the thirteenth century had been a period of relative stability, with the Church enjoying a position of authority not only in religious matters but in affairs of state as well, that began to change in the fourteenth century. The early years of the century witnessed the challenge of papal authority, ultimately resulting in the relocation of the Papacy to Avignon from 1305 to 1378, a period known as the Avignon Papacy or the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. The ensuing years until 1417 were little better; occasionally, there were as many as three different men claiming the papacy at the same time. Confusion in leadership, emerging and newly redefined limitations of authority for church and state, as well as corrupt and immoral clergy led to a general disillusionment with the Church.
Religious instability was accompanied by economic decline, wars, the Black Death (which decimated more than one-third of the population of Europe), and civil turmoil. Although all these events did not occur at once, a new environment was created that precipitated a dramatic change in the arts; this change was reflected in music. French composers of the fourteenth century created more secular music than sacred music, and much of it reflected a heightened interest in intellectual games that frequently manifested itself in rhythmic intricacies. The trend toward greater rhythmic complexity, which had begun in the late thirteenth century, placed demands on the older Franconian notational system that it could not accommodate.
Ars novae musicae, along with Vitry's Ars nova, is one of the important early fourteenth century treatises advocating notational reform. Muris's work, which may predate Vitry', addressed one of the hotly debated musical issues of the day, advocating acceptance of duple division of the note value on an equal basis with the traditional triple division of note values. Muris's logically argued yet restrained presentation, which could be described as a masterpiece in diplomacy, raised considerable concern among those who supported the “old art.”
Most notable among those who vigorously opposed the new art was Jacques de Liège, who produced a treatise circa 1325 to 1330 entitled Speculum musicae; in it, he defended the old art. In addition, the writings of Muris and Vitry prompted a papal bull issued by Pope John XXII in 1324 in which the innovations of the new school were condemned. Nevertheless, the conservatives could not stem the change, and their objections were largely ignored.
Even the emphasis of Muris's treatise reflects the changing times, as is clear when Muris's work is compared with a treatise by a conservative theorist from the same era. For example, de Liège's Speculum musicae, which, ironically, was mistakenly attributed to Muris at one time, follows a standard format. It may be broken into two basic divisions, material that falls into the realm of the speculative and philosophical and material that is concerned with practical matters and their application. Most of de Liège's treatise is focused on the speculative material, which is typical of a medieval work. Muris's treatise, however, while broken into the same two divisions, treats the speculative material in an obligatory fashion and moves quickly to the second division, musica practica, to deal with substantive issues that affect working musicians. The new focus of Muris's treatise is indicative of the change that was beginning to occur in writing about music in the fourteenth century.
The other musical treatise for which Muris is best known is Musica speculativa secundum Boetium , which was written around 1323, while he was in Paris. In it, Muris explains selected passages taken from the writings of Boethius, who was the most famous and influential writer on music in the early Middle Ages. Muris again combines mathematics and music in an explanation of musical proportions. The treatise also contains a section on the division of the monochord, a device consisting of a single string stretched over a long, wooden resonator with a movable bridge that allowed the vibrating string length to be varied. The monochord was very popular in antiquity and the Middle Ages for the demonstration of acoustic principles as they related to music.
Other music treatises attributed to Muris are Quaestiones super partes musicae (c. 1322), Libellus cantus mensurabilis (c. 1340), and Ars contrapuncti secundem Johannes de Muris (c. 1340).
Scholars have dated Muris's death as no earlier than 1351 because of a letter thought to have been written by him congratulating Vitry on his appointment as bishop of Meaux in that year. Although his death is generally accepted as around 1351, the authenticity and date of the letter itself remain in question. Muris is believed to have died in or near Paris.
Significance
Although Muris is best known for two of his five treatises on music, it should be remembered that these were the works of a young man whose primary interest was in mathematics and astronomy. Muris produced a number of works on astronomy and mathematics during his lifetime, but they have not attracted the same attention in their respective disciplines as have his treatises on music. Nevertheless, he must have enjoyed a certain reputation in the scientific community; he was invited to Avignon by Pope Clement VI in 1344 for a conference on calendar reform. Later, in collaboration with a Firminus de Bellaville, who had also been invited to the conference, Muris presented the pope with a recommendation for reforming the calendar, although it was not implemented.
Muris is not believed to have been a composer because no compositions are mentioned in his writings and none has been attributed to him. Nevertheless, he was held in high esteem as a theorist by his contemporaries and also in subsequent generations. After his death, his reputation eclipsed even that of Vitry. Muris's writings on music became an important part of the university curriculum in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, rivaling the authority of Boethius's works. As Muris's fame grew, so did the legend of his accomplishments. The creation of certain note values was even attributed to him in the sixteenth century.
Bibliography
Butterfield, Ardis. Poetry and Music in Medieval France: From Jean Renart to Guillaume de Machaut. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Explores the world of poets, musicians, and composers in the time of Muris, exploring topics such as song combined with performance and poetry, and the sources of songs. Includes an extensive bibliography and an index.
Carpenter, Nan Cooke. Music in the Medieval and Renaissance Universities. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1958. Looks at the academic study of music during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The work contains biographical information on Muris, discussion of his writings on music, and information about his posthumous impact on university curricula.
Faulkner, Quentin. Wiser than Despair: The Evolution of Ideas in the Relationship of Music and the Christian Church. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1996. A study of the Church’s powerful influence on the making of music, including in medieval Europe. Includes a chapter called “Ecclesiastical Authority in Theory and Practice,” and provides a bibliography and an index.
Gallo, F. Alberto. Music of the Middle Ages II. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985. This volume contains an excellent treatment of the music of fourteenth century France. Included is a brief breakdown of Muris’s Ars novae musicae. Also discusses the old art versus the new art.
Gushee, Lawrence. “Johannes de Muris.” In New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie. 6th ed. Vol. 9. London: Macmillan, 1980. A comprehensive source on the life and works of Muris, his musical and nonmusical writings, and the influence of his writings. Includes an excellent bibliography.
Gushee, Lawrence. “New Sources for the Bibliography of Johannes de Murs.” Journal of the American Musicological Society 22, no. 1 (1969): 3-26. Looks at a Spanish manuscript that contains older but still valuable biographical information about Muris.
Hoppin, Richard. Medieval Music. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978. While only brief references are made to Muris, the book provides an excellent survey of medieval music from chant to music of the early fifteenth century. One chapter, devoted to the new art, discusses the musical innovations of the fourteenth century.
Karpinski, Louis. “The Quadripartitum numerorum of John of Meurs.” Bibliotheca Mathematica 13 (1912-1913): 99-114. A detailed and highly technical discussion of Muris’s famous mathematical treatise.
Lang, Paul Henry. Music in Western Civilization. New York: W. W. Norton, 1941. An authoritative work on the history of music and its role in Western culture. Most appropriate for readers with a basic knowledge of music history.
Reaney, Gilbert. “Ars Nova in France.” In Ars Nova and the Renaissance 1300-1540. Vol. 3 in The New Oxford History of Music, edited by Egon Wellesz. London: Oxford University Press, 1966. An excellent overview of the musical forms and composers of fourteenth century France. Contains some information about Muris and a good discussion of the notational innovations of the fourteenth century.
Thorndike, Lynn. “John de Murs and the Conjunction of 1345.” In A History of Magic and Experimental Science. Vol. 3. New York: Macmillan, 1923-1941. An excellent source concerning the scientific activities, accomplishments, and writings of Muris. Some biographical material is included.