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Johannes Cotto (John Cotton, Johannes Afflighemensis) (fl. c. 1100) was a music theorist, possibly of English origin, most likely working in southern Germany or Switzerland. He wrote one of the most influential treatises on music of the Middle Ages, one which included unusually precise directions for composing chant and organum.

Life

Next to nothing is known about his life; indeed his identity has been a matter of controversy among scholars. Formerly it was thought he was from Lorraine or Flanders, based on a dedication he made in his treatise, but other more recent evidence suggests that he may have been a John Cotton from England who worked under an abbot named Fulgentius at or near St. Gallen (in modern Switzerland).

Works and influence

His De musica was one of the most widely copied and distributed music treatises of the medieval period, with some copies appearing even after 1400. Most likely it was written around 1100, and its comments, examples, and suggestions correspond closely with the music of the contemporary St. Martial school and Codex Calixtinus, as well as the material in the treatise Ad organum faciendum (also known as the "Milan Treatise") from about the same time.

De musica consists of 27 chapters, and covers a wide range of musical topics. Unlike many medieval treatises, it largely avoids metaphysical speculations, instead functioning as a practical guide for a working musician. After chapters on Greek notation, musical timbre, the ethical and moral effects of the musical modes, and the composition of chant, the treatise includes the section most of interest to contemporary scholars: a detailed description of how to compose organum. Most of his examples are note-against-note, and demonstrate how to end on a fifth or an octave by good voice-leading; he emphasizes the importance of contrary motion, a practice which differed from the parallel organum of the preceding centuries (though it probably reflected a current practice; in the absence of many surviving 11th century manuscripts it is difficult to date when the switch from mostly parallel to mostly contrary motion occurred).

One passage in De musica which has attracted much attention is his description of organum sung with several notes in the organal voice versus one note in the underlying chant, one of the earliest examples of polyphony escaping from the straitjacket of single note against single note.

Johannes may have been a composer, though no music attributed to him has survived. His directions for composing melody, with their careful and practical instructions involving pacing, position of high and low notes, and use of recognizable figurations at different pitch levels seem to imply that he may have had some experience himself.

References and further reading

"Johannes Afflighemensis", in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. ISBN 1561591742
Richard H. Hoppin, Medieval Music. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1978. ISBN 0393090906
Claude Palisca: "Johannes Cotto", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed February 2, 2005), (subscription access)

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 ==Life==
-Next to nothing is known about his life; indeed his identity has been a matter of controversy among scholars.  Formerly it was thought he was from [[Lorraine]] or [[Flanders]], based on a dedication he made in his treatise, but other more recent evidence suggests that he may have been a John Cotton from England who worked under an abbot named Fulgentius at or near [[St. Gallen]].
+Next to nothing is known about his life; indeed his identity has been a matter of controversy among scholars.  Formerly it was thought he was from [[Lorraine]] or [[Flanders]], based on a dedication he made in his treatise, but other more recent evidence suggests that he may have been a John Cotton from England who worked under an abbot named Fulgentius at or near [[St. Gallen]] (in modern Switzerland).
 ==Works and influence==
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 His ''De musica'' was one of the most widely copied and distributed music treatises of the medieval period, with some copies appearing even after [[1400]].  Most likely it was written around [[1100]], and its comments, examples, and suggestions correspond closely with the music of the contemporary [[St. Martial school]] and [[Codex Calixtinus]], as well as the material in the treatise ''Ad organum faciendum'' (also known as the "[[Milan Treatise]]") from about the same time.
-''De musica'' consists of 27 chapters, and covers a wide range of musical topics.  Unlike many medieval treatises, it largely avoids metaphysical speculations, instead functioning as a practical guide for a working musician.  After chapters on Greek notation, musical timbre, the ethical and moral effects of the musical modes, and the composition of chant, the treatise includes the section most of interest to contemporary scholars:  a detailed description of how to compose organum.  Most of his examples are note-against-note, and demonstrate how to end on a fifth or an octave by good voice-leading; he emphasizes the importance of contrary motion, a practice which differed from the parallel organum of the preceding centuries (though it probably reflected a current practice; in the absence of many surviving 11th century manuscripts it is difficult to date when the switch from mostly parallel to mostly contrary motion occurred).
+''De musica'' consists of 27 chapters, and covers a wide range of musical topics.  Unlike many medieval treatises, it largely avoids metaphysical speculations, instead functioning as a practical guide for a working musician.  After chapters on [[Greek musical notation|Greek notation]], musical [[timbre]], the ethical and moral effects of the [[musical mode]]s, and the composition of [[Gregorian chant|chant]], the treatise includes the section most of interest to contemporary scholars:  a detailed description of how to compose [[organum]].  Most of his examples are note-against-note, and demonstrate how to end on a fifth or an octave by good [[voice-leading]]; he emphasizes the importance of contrary motion, a practice which differed from the parallel organum of the preceding centuries (though it probably reflected a current practice; in the absence of many surviving [[11th century]] manuscripts it is difficult to date when the switch from mostly parallel to mostly contrary motion occurred).
+One passage in ''De musica'' which has attracted much attention is his description of organum sung with several notes in the organal voice versus one note in the underlying chant, one of the earliest examples of [[polyphony]] escaping from the straitjacket of single note against single note.
-Johannes may have been a composer, though no music attributed to him has survived.  His directions for composing melody, with their careful and practical instructions involving pacing, position of high and low notes, and use of recognizable figurations at different pitch levels seem to imply that he may have had some experience himself.
+Johannes may have been a composer, though no music attributed to him has survived.  His directions for composing [[melody]], with their careful and practical instructions involving pacing, position of high and low notes, and use of recognizable figurations at different pitch levels seem to imply that he may have had some experience himself.
 == References and further reading ==