He composed in the genres of ballates, virelai, madrigals and caccia. The majority of his compositions were ballates for two voices (approximately two thirds of the compositions) and one third of the ballates were composed for three voices. Stylisticlly, Landini composed in three different yet progressive styles. The general character of his earliest works followed the older trecento fashion (fourteenth century Italian music) in which the melodies flowed freely and spontaneously as if improvised and organized in relatively simplistic manners. The second "phase" of his compositions generally included a noted French influence particularly in the use of three voice ballates. The French influence was also felt in the method by which Landini dispersed the textual material throughout the voices. In most of the three part ballates the text was found in the superious voice while in others, the text was also distributed in the tenor voice. In a few of the pieces the textual material was distributed to all voices. Landini's later works synthesized the Italian and French methods. Landini employed the use of tonality in many of the later ballates by using the same tone at the beginning and end of his ripresas. In other developments Landini would arrange the piede to end on the same note as the ripresa. He did not cross the tenor an countertenor voices as was the practice of the French. With a distinct gift for melody and a predilection for a cadential under thirds (the `Landini cadence') Francesco Landini contributed to the historical development of music. ~ Keith Johnson