isorhythm

American  

[ahy-suh-rith-uhm] / ˈaɪ səˌrɪð əm /

noun

Music.

1. a structural feature characteristic of the Ars Nova motet, consisting of a single rhythmic phrase pattern repeated, usually in the tenor, throughout the composition.

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Other Word Forms

• isorhythmic
  adjective
• isorhythmically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of isorhythm

First recorded in 1950–55; iso- + rhythm

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

isorhythm

The musical term for the secret guiding sequences in fourteenth-century composition is isorhythm, and the pieces that employed it are among the most complex musical structures ever attempted.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Much like the Gothic architecture that shaped the buildings for which it was written, isorhythm did not last as a tool in the organisation of music.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Before leaving isorhythm, there is a footnote to be added about the way it is organised as strings of note values.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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