Music of the Middle Ages450AD　 -　 1450AD

Roman Empire (Ancient Greece)

& the Renaissance

• Also called the Dark Ages

• Bridges the gap between:

Music of the Middle AgesPope Gregory I

• Founded the Schola CantorumA school that taught the priests to sing chants

• Gregorian Chant (a type of *Plainsong)

Possessed clarity and melodic beauty

6th Century-codified music of Christian worship servicesproject the text clearly so that it could be understood by the people

Free, unmeasured Monophonic melodyText in LatinA little bird whispered all the chants in Pope Gregory’s ear. Thus, all the music and how it is to be performed came from God.

Listening: Alleluia Vidimus Stellam

Dies iræ! Dies illaSolvet sæclum in favilla:Teste David cum Sibylla!

Quantus tremor est futurus,Quando iudex est venturus,Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Tuba mirum spargens sonumPer sepulchra regionum,Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit, et natura,Cum resurget creatura,Iudicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus proferetur,In quo totum continetur,Unde mundus iudicetur.

Iudex ergo cum sedebit,Quidquid latet, apparebit:Nil inultum remanebit.

Dies IraeThe day of wrath, that dayWill dissolve the world in ashesAs foretold by David and the sibyl!

How much tremor there will be,when the judge will come,investigating everything strictly!

The trumpet, scattering a wondrous sound through the sepulchres of the regions, will summon all before the throne.

Death and nature will marvel,when the creature arises,to respond to the Judge.

The written book will be brought forth, in which all is contained,from which the world shall be judged.

When therefore the judge will sit,whatever hides will appear:nothing will remain unpunished.

Music of the Middle AgesPlainsong and Monophonic style

• Monophonic – single line of melodyMight be enriched by the use of drones

Melodies are often long and flowing

Percussion used in secular musicRhythm was often not notated. We assume that it was tied to text in vocal music and to dance in instrumental music

Slow and Relaxed

Anonymous composer

• Plainsong

Use modal scales (as the ancient Greek did)

Listening: Kyrie Eleison

Music of the Middle AgesCharlemagne

• Charles the Great (Charles le Magne), Charles I

Crowned Holy Roman Emperor 800AD

Priest & Clergy were the:

Alignment with Roman Catholic ChurchEverything in the name of God

only educated people of the timeonly people who could read and write

• Spread of Christianity – Spread of Sacred Music

lived in monasteries, and in silence

Helped spread Christianity throughout EuropeEven if he had to kill everyone to do it

printed Bibles and celebrated Mass:Most Importantly a Reenactment of the Last Supper of Jesus

Music was used to help celebrate Mass

Music of the Middle AgesGuido d’Arezzo (990-1050)

• Worked at Schola Cantorum

Taught Gregorian Chants to priests

Had six stanzas

Frustrated with how long it takes to learn all the music

Each stanza began on a pitch one step higher than the previous

Used first syllable of each stanza to help priests remember what each note sound like

• “Ut queant laxis” (a hymn to John the Baptist)

Was a hymn that everyone knew

Developed a system for teaching Singing & Reading Music

Music of the Middle AgesGuido d’Arezzo (990-1050) cont.

• “Ut queant laxis” (a hymn to John the Baptist) cont.

Invention of early *Solfege SystemSound of Music – Do, a deer a female deer…

Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol (So), La, Ti (Si), Do

• Guido’s System was called Solmization:

Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, SI *(Sancte Io-annes)

Listening: Ut queant laxis

Listening: Flashmob Do, Re, Mi

Music of the Middle AgesGuido d’Arezzo (990-1050) cont.

• Guidonian HandEach Solfege syllable is assigned to a part of the hand

Point-and-Sing

• Music NotationFirst systemized 4-line staff

Marked “F” Line – Bass Cleff

Music of the Middle AgesNew Developments

• Organum

First attempt at harmony and Polyphony

Originally improvised, later written

Consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines

The same melody transposed by a consonant interval, usually a perfect fifth or fourth, creating “Parallel” melodies – Parallel Organum

• Cantus Firmus

“Fixed Song” – the pre-existing melody (a Gregorian Chant) that forms the basis of a polyphonic songTypically put in the bottom voice

May be slowed down while other voices were composed over it

Different from Organum – not note against note, but one vs. few or many

Music of the Middle AgesNew Developments cont.

• Liturgical Dramas

Play not based on a Bible story but a premise ofGood vs. Evil

New Music, words, costumes and sets are used in the pageant

Stories told at the beginning of high Holy church days

All Liturgical Dramas are based on Bible Stories

Christmas, Easter, etc.

• Morality Plays

All the characters are fictitiousNew music is used (Not based on a chant)Listening: Ordo Virtutum – “Play of the Virtues”

A soul gets tempted by both the angels and the devil

Music is used to represent both characters

Music of the Middle AgesNew Developments cont.

• Troubadours – France (1100)

Music starts to adapt the rhythm from poetry and is no longer free flowing

First poet/composers

Notes start to have length

Sing about love, wars & Heroes

Listening: Micrologus

Traveled across Europe in the 12th & 13th centuryUnlike Sacred Music, instruments were used for accompaniment.

• EstampieInstrument dance of the Middle Ages.

Suggested Listening: Mediaeval Baebes

Listening: Sancte SatorListening: Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Music of the Middle AgesArs Antiqua 1170-1310

• Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

First university of the Middle Ages

Completed 200 years later

A mystical nun who, among many other things, composed music for:

Construction begins in 1164

Liturgical Dramas & Morality Plays (e.g. Play of the Virtues)

• University of Paris (1150)

Organized program of study: liberal arts and languagesNot Just the Bible

• Notre Dame Cathedral

Music of the Middle AgesArs Antiqua cont.

• Leonin (1135-1201)

Worked and taught at the Notre Dame School

Listening: Perotin – Alleluia Nativitas

• Perotin (1180-1238)

Taught Music CompositionExperimented with chants and composed Polyphonic Organums

• Adam de la Halle (1237-1288)

Invented Motet

First Musical Theatre piece: Le Jeu de Robin et Marion (Listening)

Most famous troubadour ever

Music of the Middle AgesArs Nova 1300

Ars Nova Notandi (1322) - a treatise on music by Philippe de Vitry of France

Stems were added to the neumes, creating our modern system of notation

• Literary works became more about sensuality than virtue

Composers could specify rhythm pattern

There were so many changes and innovations in musical style that this era was named the time of “New Art”

Polyphony NOT based on chantSyncopation appears

• Secular music more important than sacred• New system of Music Notation evolved

Music of the Middle AgesGuillaume de Machaut (1304-1377)

Single most important figure in French Ars Nova

The last great poet who was also a composer

Created many of the musical forms of today:Rondos, Ballades, etc.

After the completion of Notre Dame Cathedral, Guillaume de Machaut was commissioned to compose a Mass for its opening:

• Worked as Court Musician and cleric for royal families

• A Poet & Musician

• Wrote both Sacred and Secular music

Messe de Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady)

• First complete “Ordinary (Order) or Mass”

Music of the Middle AgesMesse de Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady)

Some parts performed/doubled on instruments

• First Polyphonic Mass Ordinary (Order)

• Written for four voices

• Sacred music became increasing complex as church began to use more polyphonic and instrumental music

i. Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy”)ii. Gloria (“Glory to God in the highest”)iii. Credo (“I believe in one God”)iv. Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy”)v. Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”)

Listening: Excerpts from Messe de Notre Dame

• Arguably the most complex and most significant musical work of the Middle Ages