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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