Denis Le Grant (died March 1352), also known as Dionysius Magni, was a French

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

in the ''

ars nova ''Ars nova'' ()Fallows, David. (2001). "Ars nova". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan. refers to a musical style which flourished in the Kingdom of ...

'' style of late

medieval music Medieval music encompasses the sacred music, sacred and secular music of Western Europe during the Middle Ages, from approximately the 6th to 15th centuries. It is the Dates of classical music eras, first and longest major era of Western class ...

. Only known for the chace ''Se ie chans'', he was well associated with the French musicians of his time, including

Johannes de Muris Johannes de Muris ( – 1344), or John of Murs, was a French mathematician, astronomer, and music theorist best known for treatises on the ''ars nova'' musical style, titled '' Ars nove musice''. Life and career For a medieval person primarily kno ...

Philippe de Vitry Philippe de Vitry (31 October 12919 June 1361) was a French composer-poet, bishop and Music theory, music theorist in the style of late medieval music. An accomplished, innovative, and influential composer, he was widely acknowledged as a le ...

and probably

Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...

Life and career

Extremely little is known of Denis Le Grant. In 1349 he is known do have been master of the French royal chapel. Some point before 1350 he was the treasurer of Saint-Frambourg in Senlis. He left this post in 23 December 1350, and from then on he was Bishop of

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hauts-de-France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

; Denis died in March 1352. The musicologists Richard Hoppin and Suzanne Clercx have identified him with 'Dionisius Normannus', mentioned in the ''Musicalis/Scientia'' motet, though this is uncertain. He is mentioned in the motet ''Apollinis/Zodiacum'', along with other musicians including

and Henricus Helene. Denis is known to have been acquainted with Vitry, and borrowed music and astronomy books from Muris. His musical quotation of

suggests he was associated with him as well.

Music

Denis is only known for a single composition, a chace entitled ''Se ie chans'', which is mentioned by the French poet in his hunting treatise ''Roman des Deduis''. The motet's opening quotes the text of ''Coument/Se ie chante/Qui prendroit'', an ''

Ars Antiqua ''Ars antiqua'', also called ''ars veterum'' or ''ars vetus'', is a term used by modern scholars to refer to the Medieval music of Europe during the High Middle Ages, between approximately 1170 and 1310. This covers the period of the Notre-Dam ...

'' motet, which also appears in Machaut's ''Pour ce que tous mes chans fais''.

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Life and career

Music

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