ABSTRACT
The monastery of Cluny, founded in 910, was the most influential abbey in Western Europe during its first two centuries of existence and beyond. It founded, incorporated, reformed, or associated itself with many hundreds of monastic houses spread throughout Western Europe; it provided, directly or indirectly, bishops, Popes and spiritual guidance to the Church in many different countries. It was famous not only for the strictness of its rule of silence, but also for its prolix liturgy and for the perfection of its singing. Musical or notational originality was also not sought in Cluny. To write the music down the monks did not invent a new system: they had recourse, basically, to the standard French notation. The extent to which a Cluniac house, be it dependent, incorporated, affiliated or associated with the mother abbey followed the books used in Cluny was of course variable and needs to be investigated case by case.
