Music - Chapter 14

What is Plainchant?

Single-line melody, unaccompanied, free rhythm, sacred text

Who was Pope Gregory I?

Credited with organizing/codifying chants like the Gregorian Chant

Syllabic

One of the three chanting styles that uses one note per syllable

Neumatic

One of the three chanting styles that uses a few notes per syllable

Melismatic

One of the three chanting styles that uses many notes per syllable

What is the Gregorian Chant?

A monophonic, sacred chant of the early Christian church

What is Liturgy?

Set order of church services

What are Neumes?

Early notation symbols for chant

What are church modes?

scale patterns used in medieval music, before major/minor scales

What were the offices?

Daily services of prayer in monasteries/convents.

What is the Mass?

Central worship service of the Christian Church

What’s the difference between the Ordinary and Proper Mass?

Ordinary = fixed texts; Proper = variable texts (feast days, seasons).

What is the Kyrie

a chant from the Ordinary Mass, a Greek prayer for mercy

What is Islamic Chant?

a chanting of the Quran, with specific traditions for timbre and rhythm

What does A cappella mean?

Vocal music without instrumental accompaniment

What does Antiphonal mean?

Alternating performance between two choirs/groups

What role did Monasteries play in music?

Preserved, composed, and taught music.

Who was Hildegard of Bingen?

German nun, composer, visionary, “Renaissance woman ahead of her time”

What is Alleluia, O virga mediatrix?

A chant composed by Hildegard: monophonic, free rhythm, sacred text to the Virgin Mary

How did Hildegard instill emotional expression in her music?

Through wide ranges, leaps, melismas, and dramatic contrast

How did she vary the setting of the text?

By mixing syllabic, neumatic, and melismatic styles

What performing forces are heard in her music?

Voices only (a cappella)