Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century in Aragon: Reassessing a Panorama of Fragmentary Sources

Aragón’s royal court, particularly during the reigns of Kings John I and Martin I (14th century), played a pivotal role in disseminating ars nova polyphony—a groundbreaking musical style—across late medieval Catalonia. This study reveals that most surviving polyphonic fragments, though not definitively linked to royal commissions, align with court itineraries in key cities like Barcelona, Gerona, and Vilafranca del Penedès, as well as parish archives near the Royal Monastery of Poblet and Cervera. By analyzing archival evidence, researchers recalibrate our understanding of how these fragments connect to original manuscripts and institutions, challenging previous assumptions about their provenance and patronage.

(Ed.). (2020). Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century in Aragon: Reassessing a Panorama of Fragmentary Sources. Disiecta Membra Musicae, 117–164. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110717884-006