Music History I: Medieval Period TERMS, PEOPLE, PIECES, & GENRES

Daseian notation

first notation that indicated exact pitch; odd timing (9th century)

Plainchant

the monophonic music used in the early church. 5 Functions: Liturgical Function, relation of words to music, mode, melodic structure, rhythm

Olympic Games

Sports competition that functions as one of the few sources of music in Ancient Greece

Greek drama

an ancient theatrical tradition where poetry, storytelling, instrumental accompaniment, and rhythmic movement (dance) were completely fused into a single unified performance

Greater Perfect System

the two-octave foundational scale system used in ancient Greek music system

interval ratios

the frequency ratio of a musical interval in music theory

perfect consonances

musical intervals that sound stable, complete, and blend together very smoothly (Unison, 5th Octave, 4th)

Quadrivium

arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Created by Alcuin

Trivium

grammar, logic, rhetoric. Created by Alcuin

Medieval

The Middle Ages (Oral vs. Literate, 8th and 9th Century, unison, monophonic, liturgical, Frankish Kingdoms)

oral transmission

passing information, cultural knowledge, or infectious diseases by word of mouth

diastematic neumes

used to measure intervals (11th century) New written music didn’t replace anything

Neumes

signs from early chant notation that indicate pitch in a melody

Liturgy

a prescribed body of rites, ceremonies, or public worship performed by a religious group

Mass

Catholic Service (two types: Mass Proper and Mass Ordinary)

Divine Office

official daily, public prayer of the catholic church. Served by vespers; usually at night.

Liturgical year

the annual cycle of seasons and feast days that Christians use to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (advent, Christmas, ordinary, lent, easter, pentecost…)

Syllabic

note for note; word for word

melismatic

Lots of notes per syllable

Neumatic

Each syllable has a handful of notes (middle ground)

psalm tone/psalmody

singing of the psalms from the Bible. Were sung with more and more complexity (ex. Melismas and antiphons were added)

recitation tone

a single repeated musical pitch used in chanting to declaim long texts of varying lengths

Cadence

the natural rise and fall of the voice or a musical phrase

Modes (DPLM)

Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian

Plagal vs. authentic

IV-I vs. V-I

ambitus vs. finalis

range vs. final/tonic

solmization syllables

First version of solfège. (Ut, re, mi , fa, sol, la)

Guidonian hand

Mnemonic device to help students remember the new solmization system

Mutation

When a note functions as a pivot note and shifts to a note in a different hexachord. Only advanced performers did this. Became easier and easier for singers with experience.

musica ficta

notes outside the typical note collection (equivalent of modern accidental)

Trope

A music or textual addition to existing chant. They do not stand alone. Most important source of new repertoire after 9th century

Prosulae

text added to an existing melisma

Troubadours

traveling French medievals poets and musicians who wrote and sang songs about courtly love and chivalry

Trouvères

a group of medieval poet

Trobairitz

female troubadour

Strophic

same music different text

Refrain

a short, recurring line or group of lines/phrases

Minnesinger

German troubadours

bar form

a musical and poetic structure following an AAB pattern

Stollen

one of the two identical opening sections that make up the first part of a traditional bar form

Aufgesang

combined stollen

Abgesang

AAB Form

vox principalis

original plainchant voice

vox organalis

added voice

Tenor

lowest voice in an organum

Counterpoint

the relationship between two or more independent melodic lines playing at the same time

contrary vs. oblique motion (in organum)

Major 3rd vs. Major 2nd

contrapuntal texture

a musical arrangement where two or more independent melodic lines, or voices, play at the same time while creating harmonious chords together

imperfect consonance

intervals (specifically 3rds and 6ths) that were considered less stable than perfect

rhythmic modes

Used to show the temporal relationships between the voices. (Trochaic, Iambic, Dactylic, Anapestic, Spondaic, Tribrachic)

Triplum

the 3rd voice part in medieval polyphonic music, counted upward from the lowest voice (the tenor)

Ligature

Bindings of multiple (2,3, or 4) pitches. One syllable per _____ connected to the rhythmic modes.

Duplum

Middle voice in the medieval polyphonic music

Quadruplum

created by Perotin. Highest voice.

Motetus

added voice (similar to the duplum)

Cauda

“tail”; concluding melisma

Petronian notation

13th century rhythmic system that consisted of Franconian notation. Refined by Pierre de la Croix then refined the system; more subdivisions.

ars antiqua

anything before ars nova

punctus divisionis (dot of division)

like a modern day barline

Mensural notation

Duration indicated by distinct note shapes (no ligatures) Emerged in mid 13th century. Imperfect and Perfect Meter

Franconian notation

a system of music notation that upgraded and revolutionized the already existing mensural notational structure

Paris Notre Dame Cathedral

Built in 1163, became a hub; Paris doubled in size, urbanization, churches were huge

Pythagorean comma

the tiny musical interval left over when you stack 12 pure perfect fifths and compare them to seven pure octaves

Wolf fifth

a diminished 6th

Carolingian Renaissance

period of creativity and learning; chants moved north

Canon

compositions that students learn in their academic training

Hocket

melody formed between multiple voices

Discant

multiple voices moving at the same speed

Schola

advanced church choir

Longa

equal to two or three breves

Breve

a double whole note

semibreve

equivalent of a whole note

Tempus

system that defines how a primary note value is divided

Petrus de Cruce (Pierre de la Croix)

responsible for refining petronian notation and adding more subdivisions and polyphony

Isorhythm

a musical composition technique that uses a repeating rhythmic pattern called a talea combined with a repeating pitch pattern called a color

mensuration signs

symbols used in mensural notation that acted as predecessors to time signatures

Prolation

the rhythmic relationship between a semibreve and a minim

Color

melodic pattern

Talea

rhythmic pattern

Contratenor

added voice with the same range as tenor

Ars subtilior

musical style at the end of the 14th century that placed an emphasis on rhythmic complexity

Ritornello

meaning “refrain”

Intabulation

arrangement for keyboard or for a plucked stringed instrument of a work originally written for voices

Double leading tone cadence

two voices approach their notes of resolution by a half step (7 —-> 1)

Ouvert

first “open” ending (deceptive resolution)

Clos

second, final ending of a repeated section of a piece, which concludes on a conclusive note or cadence

Great Schism

Political pressure cased the papacy (the pope) to move to Avignon, France resulting in TWO POPES. Mass ordinary settings began to multiply.

Trecento

Italy in the 1300’s

Occursus

An approach to unison that later developed into cadence. Either oblique motion (Major 2nd) or Contrary motion (major 3rd)

Clausula vera

A cadence when two voiced move in contrary motion of every a 6th or a 3rd to a unison or octave

Landini Cadence

Scale degree 7—→6—→1

Viele

predecessor to violin

Lute

predecessor to guitar

Sackbut

predecessor to trombone

Shawm

predecessor to oboe

Ordo Virtutum

Composed by Hildegard von Bingen. A morality play and a sacred drama. Monophonic; Plainchant. Devil and 16 others do battle for the soul.

Ut queant laxis

Composed by Guido d’Arezzo. Translates to “So that tongues might loosen.” Plainchant.

Messe de Nostre Dame

Composed by Guillaume de Machaut. Translates to “Mass of Our Lady”; First single authored complete mass ordinary