ars nova

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ars nova (Lat.). New art. The new style of mus. comp. in Fr. and It. in 14th cent. Name derived from tract (c.1320) by Philippe de Vitry. Restrictions of ars antiqua were replaced by greater variety of rhythm, duple instead of triple time, and increased independence in part-writing. In Fr. Machaut was finest exponent of ars nova and in Italy G. da Cascia, J. da Bologna, and Landini. The It. madrigal was a later flowering of ars nova.