Guilielmus Monachus on Fauxbourdon and Gymel: A Re-Examination

Abstract

Guilielmus Monachus’s De preceptis artis musicae is a concise handbook designed to easily explain the musical practice of its time. It has long been important in music historical writing, primarily because it is one of our most valuable sources of information on fifteenth-century fauxbourdon and gymel. The discussion of fauxbourdon and gymel appears in chapters IV and VI of the treatise. These chapters provide the most complete surviving discussion of these types of music, and include a treatment of the rules of counterpoint as well. Unfortunately, Guilielmus’s extensive discussion of fauxbourdon and gymel is the most problematic part of the treatise, due to the organization of the material, the obscurity of the Latin, and the misplacement of several musical examples. These difficulties notwithstanding, a careful study of the text and examples provides a clear view of fifteenth-century fauxbourdon practices.