▼ The ars subtilior is a medieval style period marked with a high amount of experimentation and complexity, lying in between the apex of the ars nova and the newer styles of music practiced by the English and the Burgundians in the early fifteenth century. In scholarly accounts summarizing the period, however, musicologists and scholars differ, often greatly, on the precise details that comprise the style. In this thesis, I will take a closer look at the music of the period, with special relevance to the Codex Chantilly (F-CH-564), the main source of music in the ars subtilior style. In doing so, I will create a more exact definition of the style and its characteristics, using more precise language. In addition, I will provide more accurate transcriptions of musical examples, which build and improve on existing scholarship while representing, as close as possible, the original stylistic feel of the music in modern notation. Advisors/Committee Members: Wetzel, Richard.

▼ The Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) looked to the past for inspiration for many of his works. Although Baroque forms were most often used, there exist seven madrigal compositions: three for unaccompanied choir, České Madrigaly, Five Czech Madrigals, and Madrigaly; and four for various instrumental ensembles, Quatre Madrigaux, Madrigal-Sonata, Five Madrigal Stanzas, and Three Madrigals. The author gives an overview of Martinů's use of Baroque forms and discusses the compositions titled madrigal, calling attention to the composer's use of modes, folk rhythms and free polyphony. The study concludes with a comparison of Martinů's madrigals to those of the Renaissance. Advisors/Committee Members: Wetzel, Richard D.