Marchetto da Padova facts for kids

Marchetto da Padova (also known as Marchettus of Padua) was an Italian music theorist and composer who lived in the late Middle Ages, around 1305 to 1319. He made important changes to how music was written down, especially for how long notes should be held. His ideas were key to the music style called the Italian ars nova. He also helped define modes (types of scales) and made tuning better. Marchetto was also the first music expert to talk about chromaticism, which is using notes outside the main scale.

Life of Marchetto da Padova

Marchetto was probably born in Padua, a city in Italy. We don't know much about his early life. In 1305 and 1306, he worked as a music teacher for the choirboys at the main church in Padua.

Around 1308, he left Padua to work in other Italian cities like those in the Veneto and Romagna regions. He wrote his two main books about music between 1317 and 1319. This was just before Philippe de Vitry wrote his famous book, Ars nova, which gave its name to the music style of that time. Marchetto said he wrote his books in Cesena and Verona. There are no other clear records about his life, but he was very famous, and his work greatly influenced music in the 1300s.

Marchetto's Music

We only know of three motets (a type of vocal music) that were definitely written by Marchetto. One of these motets has his name hidden in the words of one of its parts. This motet is called Ave regina celorum/Mater innocencie.

Another hidden message in the same motet suggests it was written for the opening of the Scrovegni Chapel (also known as the Arena Chapel) in Padua. This happened on March 25, 1305.

Marchetto's Writings and Influence

Marchetto wrote two very important books about music. The first was the Lucidarium in arte musice plane, likely written in 1317 or 1318. The second was the Pomerium in arte musice mensurate, probably from 1318. He also made a shorter version of the Pomerium called the Brevis compilatio, but we don't know when he wrote that.

The title lucidarium means an explanation or clarification. Pomerium means a garden or orchard.

It's important to know the exact dates of his work. This helps experts understand if Marchetto was influenced by new French music ideas from the 1320s, or if he influenced them instead. Most likely, Marchetto's work came first. He knew about French music, but new ideas in music were often discussed in writing years after they appeared in actual songs. His books were like collections of his teachings.

How Marchetto Changed Music

Marchetto made big changes in three main areas:

• Tuning: He was the first medieval writer to suggest dividing a whole musical tone into more than two parts. This allowed for more detailed semitones (half-steps). He liked to make major musical intervals sound wider and minor ones narrower. This was different from later tuning methods.
• Note Notation: Marchetto improved how music was written down. Before him, notes didn't always have a clear length. He helped develop a system where each musical symbol showed a specific time-value. This made it easier to know how long to hold each note.
• Rhythm: He also talked about rhythmic modes, which were old ways of writing rhythm from the 1200s. He added four "imperfect" modes to the five "perfect" ones. This allowed for more flexible and expressive rhythms in Italian music of his time.

Composer vs. Performer

In his Lucidarium, Marchetto also wrote about the relationship between a composer (the "musician") and a performer (the singer). He said the "musician" or composer is the artist who makes choices based on their knowledge. He compared the singer to an instrument that the musician plays. He saw their relationship like a judge and someone who announces the judge's decisions.

Marchetto's books were very important in the 1300s and early 1400s. Many copies were made and shared. The Rossi Codex, which is the oldest collection of Italian secular music from 1325 to 1355, clearly shows Marchetto's influence. This is especially true in how it uses his improved ways of writing notes.

Without Marchetto's new ideas, the music of the Trecento (Italian music of the 1300s), like the secular music of Francesco Landini, would not have been possible.

See also

In Spanish: Marchetto de Padua para niños

• Music of the Trecento
• 58 equal temperament