the middle ages

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The Medieval Period

Ancient Music & the Middle Ages

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Ancient Period Beg of time unknown

to 1300 Up until birth of

Christ-Ancient Music, 0-1300-Medieval Period

Instruments-violin, flute, versions of trumpet, oboe

Rna-chum-Tibet, made of human skulls

No known composers, mostly passed down

orally between generations

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Greek & Roman Civilizations

1st written music found in Greece, 600 B.C.

Golden Age of Pericles-value of music in Greek society

Plato-considered music essential part of education, influenced moral character

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Greek & Roman Civilizations

Greeks developed instruments Zither or Lyre Harp-like Instrument

Romans emphasized military music

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Middle Ages: 476 CE - ~1400 CE

Beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire Ending with the beginning of the

Renaissance Period Music: reflects sacred and secular functions

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Middle Ages(450-1450) Development of monasteries responsible for

preserving writings & culture of ancient world Gothic Period-1100 to 1450

Poems of troubadours, legends of King Arthur Dante The Divine Comedy Most secular music lost but did exist outside the

Church

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Middle Ages: Overview Time Period: 476 CE - ~1400 CE

476--Fall of Western Roman Empire 800--Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne 936--Otto I establishes Holy Roman

Empire 1066--Normans conquer England 1095--Beginning of first crusade 1215--King John of England signs Magna

Carta 1348-1350--Black Death ravages Europe

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Christianity Had no standard musical practice for 1st 3

centuries Borrowed from Judaism, reciting psalms, call

& response method Adopted other practices upon expansion

through Asia Minor & Europe Symbolism very important to medieval life-

age of miracles, mysticism, etc.

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Middle Ages: Music for Sacred Spaces

Churches/Cathedrals = most important sacred structures of the Middle Ages Reflected testimonies toward God and power of

Church itself Created spaces in which music could be

performed Large with incredible acoustic qualities Built to instruct the faithful (e.g., stained glass

windows depicting Biblical scenes)

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Pope Gregory I

6th Century-codified music of worship services, establishment of liturgy, body of rites prescribed for worship

Function = to project the text clearly so that it could be understood by the people.

Possessed clarity and melodic beauty; thus it was inspirational.

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Music of the Catholic Church

The “Ordinary” of the Mass: the part that doesn’t change each day: 5 parts Kyrie Eleison: Lord, Have Mercy (in Greek) Gloria: Glory to God in the Highest (in Latin) Credo: I Believe (in Latin) Sanctus and Benedictus: Holy, Holy, Holy

(in Latin) Agneus Dei: Lamb of God (in Latin)

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Music of the Catholic Church

The “Proper” of the Mass: changes every day: the main chanted parts (in Latin): Introit: introductory prayer Gradual: often prayer of thanks or intercession

(request) Offertory: prayer of offering Communion: prayer of thanks after communion Post-Communion: prayer just before end of Mass

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The Liturgical Year

Advent Palm Sunday

Nativity/Christmas Maundy Thursday

Epiphany Good Friday

Candlemass Easter

Ash Wednesday Pentecost

Lent All Saints/All Souls (Halloween)

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Parts of Mass Were Sung in Chant

Liturgical (for worship) Chants: also called plainchant or plainsong: were based on “modes.”

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The Church Modes Unfamiliar scales, not like major & minor Consist of seven different tones, an eighth

tone duplicating the first(octave) Different pattern of half-steps & whole-steps Were the basic scales of Western music

during the Middle Ages-Renaissance Used in secular & sacred music Many still used in Western folk music

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The Church Modes

Setting words to music Syllabic--one note per syllable Melismatic--many notes per syllable Melismas often used to emphasize words

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Gregorian Chant Sung only by monks &

priests Text-Latin Features

Non-metrical rhythm Monophonic texture Smooth, stepwise

contour Modal scales Reverent mood

Composers of chant primarily unknown

Music passed down almost strictly by oral tradition

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Middle Ages: Notation

Earliest chant manuscripts merely showed whether the chant went up or down, not specific pitches.

Most manuscripts created by monks in monasteries, by hand. Parchment and ink were expensive.

Printing emerged--middle of 15th century.

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Chapter 1: Hildegard von Bingen--Play of Virtues

A morality play--dramatized allegory of Good vs. Evil struggling over the fate of a single soul

Written for dedication of convent church at Rupertsberg Plot centers around disputes between Satan and 16

virtues (e.g., Charity, Obedience, Humility, Chastity, Knowledge of God, Discipline, Compassion, Mercy, Victory, Discretion, Patience, Faith, Hope, Innocence, World Rejection, Heavenly Love).

Each virtue = 1 female singer Chorus of all virtues sings same melody monophonically

(called unison singing). Music was based on a florid style of liturgical plainchant. Devil was a spoken part (by a male).

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Hildegard von Bingen(1098-1179)The Composer

Hildegard von Bingen--most prolific composer before 1500 First woman composer from whom a large number of works

survived Powerful abbess, theologian, naturalist, healer, poet,

musician Born in what is now western Germany to a noble family.

Became a Benedictine nun at age of 16. Used prominent position in Church to improve that of

women Experienced visions and revelations that were recorded in

books-writer of theology, medicine, botany, and lives of the Saints

Musical works consisted of chants for religious services which took place throughout the day in the convent.

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A Medieval Castle in Wales--13th Century

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Middle Ages: Music for Entertainment

Castles = most important secular structures of the Middle Ages Reflected importance of secular and worldly

power for royalty/aristocracy Created opportunities for musical performances

Demonstrated power to subjects and each other. Rulers competed for services of best composers,

artists, and musicians. Songs for Medieval entertainment sung in

language of people. Music for dancing served an important social

function.

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Middle Ages: Secular Music

Not much is known about this non-religious music because little of it was written down.

What was written was monophonic, but it is believed it was accompanied by instruments (homophonic).

We know it existed because of paintings and illustrated manuscripts from the period.

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Estampie

13th century dance in triple meter Anonymous composer Clear, fast tempo No instrumentation specified This recording

Rebec Pipe

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Middle Ages: Secular Musicians of the Period

Minstrels: professional poet-musicians who traveled the countryside Their music was the “news” of the day:

gossip, recent events, legends. They were the original “vaudeville”

performers. They performed a variety of acts: juggling,

magic, acrobatics. They were itinerant and didn’t write their

songs down. They were outcasts in society.

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Middle Ages: Secular Musicians of the Period

Troubadours: about the 12th century, these knights of the Provence of Southern France performed songs about love, the beauty of women, honor, and the Crusades.

Trouvères: about the 12th and 13th centuries, noblemen from the courts of Northern France composed songs related to love and chivalry in their own French dialect.

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Middle Ages: Secular Musicians of the Period

Minnesingers: German knights who composed and sang their own songs about the approach of dawn (“watchers’” songs), and the beauty of nature and of women

Meistersingers: c. 14th-16th centuries, middle class performers who built on tradition of Minnesingers Formed guilds (the first musical unions) Developed rules for songwriting Tested composers for knowledge of rules before

admitting them to the guild

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The Development of Polyphony

The first harmony was organum: singers sang same melody, but at different intervals

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The Development of Polyphony: Organum

Polyphony Combination of two melodic lines Appeared sometime between 700 & 900 11th century notation indicates other pitches

added to melody Take line of chant, add additional parallel line a

fourth or fifth below

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The Development of Polyphony

Second line eventually became more independent around 1100, when chant and added melody were no longer restricted to note against note style

Development of music related to development of musical notation system

Neumes-signs written above words to indicate direction of pitch movements

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The School of Notre Dame Leonin(1169-1201)

Composer at Notre Dame Began to give chant longer note values, composed more

active line above

Perotin(1198-1236) Followed same practice, added

3rd & 4th line First known composer to write

music with more than 2 voices

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The School of Notre Dame

Name given to these composers & their followers Made use of measured rhythm, with definite time

values & defined meter First time in history-notation indicated precise

rhythm as well as pitch Sounds hollow because of accepted intervals

8ve, 4th, 5th- consonant, 3rd dissonant but found in secular music

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Alleluia vidimus stellam(We Have Seen His Star)

Based on Gregorian alleluia melody, referred to as a cantus firmus(fixed melody)

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Guido d’Arezzo(995-1050)

First “music theorist” Made fixed pitch

relationships possible Solfege syllables for scale

patterns do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do Patricia Gray Website

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14th Century Music: The Ars Nova (New Art) in France

Ars nova 1322 Treastise by Philippe de Vitry

including acceptance of division of beat Literary works became more about

sensuality than virtue Secular music more important than

sacred

New system of music notation evolved

Composers could specify any rhythm pattern

Beats divided into 2s as well as 3s Syncopation appears Polyphony not based on chant, drinking

songs, etc.

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Guillaume de Machaut(1304-1377)

Single most important figure in French Ars Nova

Priest-studied theology & took holy orders

Served as court musician for royal families; King of Bohemia, royal family of France

Important church official in Reims

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Guillaume de Machaut

Most important works Secular songs Inspired by relationship with

Peronne d’Armentieres which ended in disappointment

Decline of church reflects works-mainly love songs for one or two voices & instrumental accompaniment

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Notre Dame Mass-Agnus Dei (Mid-14th Century)

First polyphonic treatment of mass ordinary by known composer

Written for four voices Some parts probably

performed and/or doubled on instruments

Performance practice of piece unknown

When & why mass was written unknown

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Instruments of the Middle Ages

Harps Lutes (like a guitar) Flutes (end blown, called

recorders) Shawns (like oboes) Early violins Trumpets and drums

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Chapter 3: Francesco Landini--Behold Spring

A secular song of love Courtly love in this age

Knight declares himself servant of his lady love Heroic deeds done in her honor Love for her ennobles him

Poet Giovanni Boccaccio (poem: Decameron) describes how a group of lords and ladies, fleeing the plague, sang this song to divert their minds.

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Francesco LandiniThe Composer

Most prolific and famous Italian composer of the 14th century Blinded by smallpox as a child Served as organist at a church in Florence Was also a famous poet

Music: Balletas--like Behold Spring Virelais--French songs Caccia--hunting songs

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Chapter 4: Alfonso el Sabio-- “He Who Gladly Serves”

From Songs to the Virgin Mary, no. 249 A collection of more than 400 songs

A piece using voice, drums (percussion) and shawms (woodwinds, like the oboe) Shawm = double reed instrument

Player blows through a pair of reeds that vibrate; vibrations are magnified by a long wooden tubular instrument.

Has a raucous, rough sound

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Alfonso el Sabio--“He Who Gladly Serves”

Form: The form of this piece is ABA ABA AA Based on 2 relatively short melodic units A and B move similarly, but B moves to a

higher register. The whole form (ABA) is repeated twice. The A section is then repeated twice

again at the end.

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Alfonso el Sabio--“He Who Gladly Serves”

Texture--three kinds in this piece Monophony--both instruments play same

notes together. Homophony--one instrument plays

melody while the other plays a single long note underneath (called a drone bass).

Heterophony--both instruments play same melody at same time, but one is embellished and more elaborate than the other.

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Alfonso el SabioThe Composer

Ruled the Kingdom of Castile and León (in modern central and northwestern Spain) during the 13th century.

May not be the real composer; probably attributed to him, but really by an anonymous person.

Possibly a monk, priest, or nun Could have been a court musician or a traveling

musician (called a troubadour, trouvère, or minnesinger).