Les Colloques de Wégimont, II: 1955. L'Ars nova; recueil d'études sur la musique du XIVe siècleReview by: Samuel E. Brown, Jr.Notes, Second Series, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Sep., 1960), p. 567Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/892382 .

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(Query: SP for violin and piano is understandable; but why not Q for piano solo if R for organ solo?) It would also be helpful to have a summary table at the beginning of the schedules.

George Dickinson's Classification of Musical Compositions was published by Vassar College in 1938, and has stood as unique until 1960. It is not strictly a faceted classification, but bears many

of the characteristics. Mr. Coates ap- parently made no use of the earlier work because he does not mention it in his Introduction. Librarians who are con- sidering the use of the British Catalogue Classification, however, should also give attention to the Dickinson, which also exhibits the results of thorough, precise thinking.

VIRGINIA CUNNINGHAM

Les Colloques de Wegimont, II: 1955. L'Ars nova; recueil d'&tudes sur la musique du XIVe siecle. (Bibliotheque de la Faculte de Philosophie et Lettres de l'Universite de Liege, Fasc. CXLIX.) Paris: Societe d'Edition "Les Belles Lettres," 95 Blvd. Raspail, 1959. [274, 19 p., music, 8vo; paper, B. fr. 15001

In the second of a projected series of conferences on music, a group of eminent scholars led by Suzanne Clercx-Lejeune met at Wegimont, Belgium, in September 1955, for a week of reading and discuss- ing papers concerned with the Ars Nova. The object of the conference was to examine the Ars Nova both as a whole and as part of the history of 14th- century music. This hook contains the day-by-day proceedings of that con- ference.

The area covered by the material presented here is wide indeed. The music of the 14th century is reviewed in all possible completeness. Sources, chronol- ogies, notation and transcription, forms, biographical data, and more are all examined in the papers presented, so that together they constitute a remark- ably comprehensive survey of the subject. Moreover, the lively and stimulating discussions which follow the papers serve to round them out, often shedding light on questions which have arisen in the mind of the reader. Incidentally, one can- not help deriving a certain pleasure from the personal element in the discussions. The Resolutions quite understandably submit that it is not possible to formulate conclusions based on the reports given at the conference; too many problems remain to be solved, too many sources to be investigated. One should add that the record of this colloquy is an excel- lent general formulation of the present status of musicological investigation of 14th-century France and Italy and, con-

sequently, is an invaluable guide to the study of their music.

The program at Wegimont (with non- English titles translated) follows: Session I: The Term "Ars Nova."

1. The Ars Nova, C. van den Borren. 2. French Influence on the Notation of

Trecento Manuscripts, K. von Fischer (not included in this volume)

Session II: Chronology of the Ars Nova. 1. The Chronology of the Ars Nova in

France, L. Schrade. 2. Biographical Notes on Som e French

Musicians of the 14th Century, R. Hoppin & S. Clercx.

3. The Chronology and Denomination of the Italian Ars Nova, N. Piirrotta.

4. Johannes Ciconia and the Chronology of the Italian Manuscripts Mod. 568 and Lucca (Mn), S. Clerex.

5. A Chronology of the Trecento Manu- scripts, K. von Fischer (not included)

Session III: The Rules, the Forms, and the Genres of the Ars Nova.

1. Remarks about the Isorhythmic Motet, W. Apel.

2. Italian Literary and Musical Forms at the Beginning of the 14th Century, A. Ghislanzoni.

Session IV: The Implied "Accidentals" and Their Transcription into Modern Notation.

1. [Session title], S. Clercx. 2. Musica ficta in the Works of Guillau)?e

de Machaut, G. Reaney. Session V: Practical Aspects of the Ars Nova.

1. The Persistence of the Monodic Sense and the Evolution of Italian Polyphony d uring the 14th and 15th Centuries, F. Ghisi.

2. On Textual Distribution and the Number of Voices in Italian Works of the Tre- cento, K. von Fischer (not included)

3. Poetry and Music in Italy at the Be- ginning of the 15th Century, B. Beche- rini.

Closing Session: By Way of Conclusion. 1. The Historian's Point of Viewv, E. Per-

roy. 2. Resolutions.

SAMUEL E. BROWN, JR.

567

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