conductus
/kənˈdʌktəs
/noun (plural conducti /kənˈdʌktʌɪ/)
A musical setting of a metrical Latin text, of the 12th or 13th century.Another class of sacred song in exactly the same style as the Sicilian conductus has a text wherein were introduced the closing words of Matins, Lauds, and Vespers: ‘Benedicamus Domino’, ‘Deo gratias’....
- In this song, Ave, clari generic Dulcis Magdalena, the music is a conductus from Notre-Dame, a wonderful piece of three-part polyphony which receives a superb performance [listen - track 3, 1: 37-2.39].
- Where the first piece was strophic and simple, the second had a short text and featured long and complicated melismatic passages, which sounded more like a medieval motet than a typical conductus.
Origin
From medieval Latin, from Latin conducere 'bring together' (see conduct).