Music in Society: Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque

Middle Ages

450-1450

Renaissance

1450-1600

Baroque

1600-1750

Middle Ages

Gregorian Chant, organum

Middle Ages

Mostly Vocal

Middle Ages

Mostly Monophonic

Middle Ages

Melodies have smooth, narrow ranges

Middle Ages

Little sense of beat

Middle Ages

Music based on modes rather than major/minor

Middle Ages

A cappella

Renaissance

Mass, Motet, Madrigal

Renaissance

Mostly vocal

Renaissance

Mostly Polyphonic

Renaissance

Imitative polyphony

Renaissance

Regular, gentle pulse

Renaissance

Expressive restraint

Renaissance

Word painting

Renaissance

A cappella

Baroque

Fugue, Opera, Oratorio, Suite

Baroque

Instrumental as important as vocal, Orchestra mostly strings

Baroque

Mixture of Textures

Baroque

Note-filled, ornamental elaborate melodies

Baroque

Duality of surface extravagance and underlying order

Baroque

Terraced dynamics

Baroque

Major & minor tonality

Baroque

Basso Continuo

Baroque

Strongly rhythmic

Baroque

Organ & harpsichord are primary keyboard instruments

Baroque

Each movement usually expresses one basic mood

Organum

Early attempts at harmony

Hildegard of Bingen

Nun who was also a poet, musician, artist, scientist and a visionary mystic

Neumes

Early musical notation signs; Squiggle notes; Flaw- did not include how high/low the notes were

Guido of Arezzo

the 11th century priest responsible for the creation of the musical staff (blob notes); Advantage- music doesn't have to be as simple

Palestrina

Later in the Renaissance, known as the peak of Renaissance sacred music; Music director of Saint Peters in Rome

Madrigal

A secular song for 4-6 unaccompanied voices (renaissance); Mostly polyphonic; Pop of the 1400s; Risky refrences

Weelkes

Madrigal composer; Worked @ a cathedral; Drunk; "As Vesta Was Descending"- word painting

Terraced Dynamics

Music was either loud or soft w/ sudden changes back and forth

Vivaldi

Lived and worked in Venice; Known as the "Red Priest"; Works premiered by an orchestra of orphaned girls; 4 Seasons

Program music

Music that's mean to depict a story, image or idea

Handel

A popular, gregarious, worldly man who travelled a lot and loved to mingle with kings and queens; Though born in Germany, he is most closely associated with England where he spent most of his life; He is famous for his oratorios

Oratorio

A large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra on a religious subject

Messiah

Most famous Oratorio of all time; The only Baroque composition that has been performed continuously (every year) since its premier in 1742

Bach

German-born composer, content to never leave the boundaries of his home country; Mainly was known as a great organist; He was a deeply religious man of the Lutheran faith; He wrote music to the glory of God; Fathered 20 children; Completed the Baroque era; Perfected the art of composing fugues

Fugue

A polyphonic composition based on one main theme, called a subject; Embodies the Baroque duality of surface detail and ornamentation tempered by underlying structure and order

Baroque suite

A set of dance-inspired movements; Bach wrote six solo cello suites

Gregorian chant

Named after Pope Gregory; Melody set to sacred Latin texts; Sung w/o accompaniment

Middle Ages

Collapse of the Roman Empire; Roman Catholic church takes over; Music should be a servant of religion and direct your attention to the divine

Renaissance

"Rebirth"; Black death/plague started new era; Printing press invention

Baroque

1600- 1st opera; 1750- Bach died; Power of monarchy