‘The Decline of the Middle Ages: Firminus Caron’

Amiens-born French composer Firminus Caron was in his prime around 1460-75. His unpredictable art was widely acclaimed amongst his contemporaries and colleagues, but was a thorn in the side of the theoreticians who didn’t enjoy his fondness for thinking outside the box. Indeed the headstrong Caron, with his pioneering counterpoint, often got into conflict. Caron’s art is pre-eminently linear music, with almost endless melodies and a compact counterpoint whereby the parts frequently cross paths whilst at the same time sometimes moving in different modal keys.