Biography
Peroten (ca. 1160-1230) was a French musician, one of the earliest composers of the Middle Ages whose name - as well as that of his teacher Leonin - is ascribed to certain works. He gained a great reputation as a composer, musician and co-founder (along with Leonin) of the first school of polyphony, known as the School of Notre Dame. He was the director of the Choir at Notre Dame between 1180 and 1230 and cultivated the first genres of polyphonic music. Pérotin’s four-part works were revolutionary, since religious music of the 12th century was almost entirely in the form of two-part organum. He developed a new technique by inventing the triple and quadruple organs, composed of three and four voices respectively. Possibly 2 pieces by Pérotin -Viderunt omnes and Sederunt principes, for the liturgy of Christmas and St. Stephen (Dec. 26)- represent the earliest music surviving in Europe set for four voices.Unfortunately, very little is known of him, form a thirteenth century document containing the notes of an anonymous English university student. He records that a Magister Leoninus, a great composer, produced an entire Magnus liber organi for use in celebrations of the liturgy. The student (known as Anonymous IV) goes on to note that Magister Perotinus, an even better composer of "discant," revised the work of the earlier Master, adding to it many pieces of his own; presumably, this took place either in the 1180s and 1190s, or early in the following century. From the account of Anonymous IV, and from other contemporary historical records, specific music in surviving manuscripts is attributed to Pérotin who is often referred as the Great and with his Latin version of his name, (Magister Perotinus or Perotinus magnus), which shows the great respect that scholars had for him in the following centuries.