Part 2: The Middle Ages

Church modes

Scales containing seven tones with an eighth tone duplicating the first an octave higher, but with patterns of whole and half steps different from major and minor scales; used in medieval, Renaissance, and twentieth-century music and in folk music.

Drone

Long, sustained tone or tones accompanying a melody.

Troubadour

During the Middle Ages, poet-musician who lived in southern France and wrote poems in the Provençal language.

Trouvère

During the Middle Ages, poet-musician who lived in northern France and wrote poems in Old French.

Minstrel

During the Middle Ages, wandering entertainers who performed music and acrobatics in castles, taverns, and town squares.

Cantus firmus

Melody—often a Gregorian chant—used as the basis of a polyphonic composition.

New art (ars nova)

A term used by musical theorists to describe the profound stylistic changes of Italian and French music in the fourteenth century.

Mass ordinary

Roman Catholic Church texts that remain the same from day to day throughout most of the year: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Gregorian chant

Melodies set to sacred Latin texts, sung without accompaniment; Gregorian chant was the official music of the Roman Catholic Church.

Mass

Sacred choral composition made up of five sections: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Estampie

A medieval dance that is one of the earliest surviving forms of instrumental music.

Organum

Medieval polyphony that consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines.

Ballata

In medieval music, an Italian poetic and musical form with the structure A BB AA.

Rondeau

One of the main poetic and musical forms in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century France.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

abbess of Rupertsberg in Germany; one of the most creative and many-sided personalities of the Middle Ages; was active in religious and diplomatic affairs; She also wrote poetry and music; treatises on theology, science, and medicine; and a musical drama, Ordo virtutum (Play of the Virtues), which is the earliest known morality play; She was the first woman composer from whom a large number of works-monophonic sacred songs-have survived; composed O successores

Beatriz, Countess of Dia (late twelfth century)

trobairitz from the town of Dia in southern France; wrote love songs including A Chantar, the only song by a female troubadour with its melody preserved in music notation, a song about her love for a man who has betrayed her, even though she is beautiful, intelligent, and of high rank.

Perotin (late twelfth to early thirteenth century)

the first known composer to write music with more than two voices, one of two choirmasters of school of notre dame; composed Alleluia: Nativitas

Francesco Landini ( ?- 1397)

the most celebrated Italian composer of the fourteenth century, famous organist, a poet, a scholar, and the inventor of a new string instrument; composed Ecco La Primavera

Guillaume de Machaut (about 1300-1377)

famous as both a musician and a poet; studied theology and spent much of his life in the service of various royal families; presented beautifully decorated copies of his music and poetry to noble patrons; one of the first important composers whose works have survived; songs consist mainly of courtly love songs for one to four performers.