The Cycle of Life:
An History of Experimental Ecology

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David C. Hahn, "Numerical Composition:" A Study of Pythagorean-Platonic Ideas in the Making of the Rondeaux of Guillaume de Machaut (Ph.D. Thesis, Stanford University, 1993)

In his doctoral thesis, David Hahn analyzed the methods Machaut used in composing the polyphonic rondeaux (a 14th century French forme fixe). His study included the ways which contemporary cultural notions such as the "Wheel of Fortune" were replicated in Machaut's rondeaux techniques. Machaut's most famous rondeau, Ma fin est mon commencement contains several levels of circularity. Its verse is circular--the refrain is palindromic and begins and ends with the same word. It also reflects Christian cosmology--the death of Christ, the end of his worldly life, is a new spiritual beginning. In 14th century courtly poetry, love is often circularly linked with death--life begins with love and ends with death--this works particularly well in French, which can easily equate the sounds of the words "m'amor" and "ma mort."

One Large Case in 4 Parts

A. Sergei Vinogradskii (1856-1953)
B. Theodor Leshitizky (1930-1915
  Malwine Brée, The Groundwork of the Leschetizky Method (1969)
  Burkhard Muth, Theodor Leschetizky (2003)
  Comtesse Angèle Potocka, Theodore Leschetizky (1903)
  The Thomas de Hartmann Papers
C. Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
  Lorraine Byrne, Schubert's Goethe Setting (2003)
D. Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300-1377)
  David Hahn, "Numerical Composition" (1993)
  Elizabeth Leach, Machaut's Music (2003)
Lloyd Ackert
Whitney Humanities Center
Yale University
53 Wall Street
P.O. Box 208298
New Haven, CT 06520
Office: (203).432.3112

lloydackert@sbcglobal.net

The Music library is located in the Sterling Memorial Library to the right of the circulation desk:

Music Library
Yale University Library
120 High Street
PO Box 208240
New Haven, CT 06520-8240 USA
Phone: (203) 432-0492 FAX: (203) 432-7339