The Music Of Sacred Geometry
Guillaume Dufay & Nuper Rosarum Flores
"The proportions of the voices are harmonies for the ears; those of the measurements are harmonies for the eyes. Such harmonies usually please very much, without anyone knowing why, excepting the student of the causality of things." --Palladia (1567)
Guillaume Dufay was the one of the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.
Nuper Rosarum Flores (commonly translated as Flowers of Roses or The Rose Blossoms), is a motet with an interesting musical background. It was composed in 1436 by Dufay, for performance at the consecration of the new Florence cathedral on the occasion of the completion of the dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The title of the piece comes from the actual cathedral itself, which was named Santa Maria del Fiore, or St. Mary of the Flower.
Many musicologists believe that the proportional and musical structure of the motet were based on the same geometric proportions of the dome
. These proportions have been called "sacred geometry".
A simple example of the science comparing geometric construction and music is that geometric proportions used in cathedral construction such as the dome in Florence is based on the Golden Mean ratio (1.618) which is compared to the important interval of the fifth in music (1.667). This of course, is only a simple example of the relationships between music and construction in sacred geometry.
For a very interesting and well written discussion of the music and the geometry of the cathedral dome see an article by Marvin Trachtenberg; Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 54, 2001; Architecture and Music Reunited: A New Reading of Dufay's Nuper Rosarum Flares and the Cathedral of Florence.
In Nuper Rosarum Flores, Dufay uses complex musical patterns that are also based in part on the same geometry as follows.....
Leonardo de Pisa (circa 1180-1240 AD), better known as Fibonacci, explained the uniformity of the following geometric proportions. He found that this geometry and harmony in nature is equal to a number sequence of 1–1–2–3–5–8–13–21–34–55–89--144 and so on, found by adding each number to the previous one to get the next number. He also realized that the natural branching, flowering, and spiraling forms in nature follow the same uniform harmonic laws that can be found in musical scales.
The Fibonacci ratios were often used in cathedral architecture. Dufay's motet was also based in part on the above series of proportions, which were used in the creation of the Florence cathedral and the dome.
The concept of cathedral architecture as "frozen music" is seen through the histories of philosophy, music, and architecture. It is rare though to find such a clear example of this intersection as one sees when studying Dufay's Nuper Rosarum Flores.
MP3 arrangements of the
music of Guillaume DufayWe have created a unique collection of MP3 examples of the compositions of Dufay. Included are 6 arrangements from his choral works, and the complete Nuper Rosarum Flores. The entire collection is scored for solo guitar, with a choral background.
MP3 example of one of the arrangements
You can download the entire collection of 7 MP3 files in the form of a "zip" (size - 15 mgs) file, for $5.00. After making your secure Paypal or Credit card payment, you will be immediately directed to the download link.
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the Dufay MP3 collection - $5.00If you have any questions send us an e-mail.
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