The practice of tenor repetition in Notre Dame organa marks the first time in which the existing chant is manipulated for the purpose of an artistic goal. The practice probably began with the simple addition of a new clausula to an existing one; sometimes these new clausulae may also exist independently. In this practice, the break between the repetitions was simultaneous and obvious. Later, composers began to manipulate the length, mode, and starting point of the tenor, in a way that resembles isorhythm. The duplum was written to be continuous across tenor repetitions.

Works: Organum (numbering from Friedrich Ludwig, Repertorium organorum recentioris et motatorum vetusissimi stili): M12: Alleluia: Adorabo ad templum, (329-31), M 37: Propter veritatem (332-33, 336), M 33: Alleluia: Assumpta est Maria (333, 336), O 16: Styrps Yesse (333), M 40: Timeta dominum (339), M 5: Exiit sermon (343), M 1: Viderunt omnes (343), M 25: Alleluia: Spiritus sanctus procedens (344), M 34: Alleluia: Hodie Maria virgo (345), M 49: Alleluia: Letabitur Justus in domino (347); Clausulae: Adorabo nos. 1-3(329-30), Sanctum tuum nos. 1-3 (340-41), Et confitebor nos. 1-10 (330-31, 344-45), Aurem tuam nos. 1-3 (332-33, 336), Angeli (336), Potentem nos. 1-3 (336-37), Non deficient nos. 1-2 (339-41), Nobis no. 2 (342), Donec veniam (343), Omnes no. 10 (343-44), Hodie perlustravit no.1 (344), Regnat (345-46), Et sperabit nos. 1-2 (347-51).

Index Classifications: Polyphony to 1300

Contributed by: Felix Cox