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The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages. c. 1400 – 1600. The Middle Ages Discovering Culture. Music of Greece, Rome, and other ancient civilizations was the foundation of modern musical culture (instruments, theory, practices). The two centers of power in medieval society were: Church (monasteries, convents)

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The Middle Ages

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  1. The Middle Ages c. 1400 – 1600

  2. The Middle AgesDiscovering Culture • Music of Greece, Rome, and other ancient civilizations was the foundation of modern musical culture (instruments, theory, practices). • The two centers of power in medieval society were: • Church (monasteries, convents) • State (centralized government or court) • National Literary Landmarks • Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (England) • Dante’s Divine Comedy (Italy) • Chanson de Roland (France) • Reflecting on Culture • Modern culture, including music and instruments, had its roots in ancient civilizations. • The principal patrons of music were the church and the state. • Religious institutions were central to the preservation of knowledge from early times. • Modern societal attitudes toward women were shaped by rules of chivalry.

  3. The Middle AgesDiscovering Sacred Music • Gregorian chant is a huge body of music for the Roman Catholic Church. It is • monophonic, nonmetric, conjunct with small range; • notated in neumes on a four-line staff. • The three styles of setting text to chant were • neumatic, melismatic, and syllabic. • The Mass is divided into two sections: • Proper and Ordinary. • The Notre Dame school of Paris saw the development of • polyphonic music in two, three, and four parts; • a modern metric system derived from Greek poetry. • The motet can be either secular or sacred, depending on the texts (it is polytextual). • One of the first chant composers known was a nun, Hildegard von Bingen. • Hildegard wrote the first known morality play.

  4. The Middle AgesDiscovering Sacred Music • Note the following points while listening: • The Gregorian chant Haec dies is monophonic and responsorial. • It is sung only on Easter Sunday, as a part of the Proper of the Mass. • The Notre Dame-style organum is two-part, with the chant melody in the bottom voice and the upper voice moving faster and freely. • The three-voiced motet has the chant melody in its lowest voice, with two free voices above it, both in rhythmic modes. • The motet has multiple texts, all honoring the Virgin Mary. • Reflecting on sacred music of the Middle Ages • A system of musical notation was devised during this era. • Singing was central to the celebration of the Mass and to the Jewish worship service. • The Roman Catholic Church owes much to the influence of Judaic traditions. • Modern concepts of polyphony and meter were developed in the late Middle Ages.

  5. The Middle AgesDiscovering Secular Music • Lower-class minstrels include goliards and jongleurs. • Upper-class minstrels include: • troubadours (southern France); • trouvères (northern France; one composer is Moniot d'Arras); • Subjects of courtly poetry include love, war, history, and dances. • Instruments and musical ideas were brought from the Middle East by the Crusaders. • French Ars nova (new art) saw increased focus on secular music. • Guillaume de Machaut was the most important Ars nova composer. • Early instruments were divided by function: • loud for outdoor occasions; • soft for indoor occasions. • Instruments accompanied voices and the dance.

  6. The Middle AgesDiscovering Secular Music • Note the following points while listening: • This is a polyphonic French-texted chanson for three low (men's) voices. • It is in a fixed form—the rondeau, with a complex repetition scheme of two sections (ABaAabAB) • The subject matter is unrequited, or courtly, love. • Reflecting on secular music of the Middle Ages • Like today, secular music served as entertainment, at courts and in cities. • The Crusades enabled many cross-cultural exchanges, including music theory and instruments. • Early instruments and instrument families are the precursors of our modern instruments.

  7. The Middle AgesListening Guide

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