Download Composer Profiles Leonin and Perotin

Composer Profiles
Leonin and Perotin
(c. 12th Century A.D.)
Biographies and Works
Not much is known about the two masters of the
Notre Dame School which pioneered the use of
polyphony (two voice composition), but their
musical works have transcended the centuries
and give us a glimpse into the musical origins of
today’s world. Leonin, who lived at the end of the
12th century, was known to have created the best
organum, or two voiced melismatic composition.
The name is short for Leoninus, and all that is
known of him is written by an author known only
as Anonymous IV, who describes Leonin as the
Page of Perotin’s Sederunt
writer of the Magnus Liber, or “great book of
organum”. Unfortunately, we do not know whether all the music in the Liber was composed by
Leonin, but many later Medieval compositions were inspired by his work and were later expanded
upon by his successor, Perotin.
Perotin, also known as Perotin the Great, was also described by Anonymous IV as a master of
discant composition, which is comprised of two voices moving together. Perotin also expanded
upon Leonin’s works, creating organum of additional voices such as organum triplum and
organum quadruplum. Perotin’s best known works are the four voice Sederunt and Viderunt, and
the three-voiced Alleluia and Nativitus. These two composers inspired generations of Medieval
composers, and brought the advent of polyphony to the church. Contemporary composers such as
Arvo Part and Steve Reich have found their influences in the polyphonic compositions of Leonin
and Perotin.
Suggested Listening:
Leonin: Alleluia Pascha Nostrum
Perotin: Sederunt principes
Perotin: Viderunt omnes
Right: Cathedral of Notre Dame