ars antiqua

Ars antiqua, meaning "old art" in Latin, refers to the musical style that flourished in Paris and northern France during the 12th and 13th centuries. This era saw the development of organum, conductus, and the early motet at the Notre Dame school, with composers like Léonin and Pérotin establishing foundations for Western polyphonic music. The term was coined retroactively by theorists of the Ars Nova period to distinguish the older style from their newer techniques. Ars antiqua music relied heavily on rhythmic modes and perfect consonances, creating a sound world quite different from later medieval music. The period represents a crucial bridge between monophonic plainchant and the complex polyphony that would follow.