Topic 3: Medieval Music / Music in the Middle Ages

The Medieval era / Middle ages spanned from ____ —____ AD.

450—1450

Name the 2 categories of music in the Middle Ages.

1. sacred music

2. secular music

Characteristics of Sacred Music

1. G____ C____ / Plainchant
   The o____ music of the R____ C____ C____.
   S____ L____ t____ are s____ w____ i____ a_____.

2. M____ texture
   A s____, u____ m____ l____ is s____ in u____ by m____, n____, or c____

3. F____ r____
   L____ of a s___ m____ or h____ b____; mostly f___-f____, based on the n____ a____ of the L____ t____

4. C____ m____
   The s____ d____ s____ p____ used were d____ from modern major and minor scales

5. S____ n____
   Early musical scores only indicated which t____ to play or sing and their d____ (how long to hold them).

Purpose

• W_____ - create a m____ and u____ a____ during M____
  
  

• S____ - Pope Gregory s____ c____ across Europe to u____ the Roman Catholic Church, ensuring that distant communities s____ a c____ s____ l____ and m____ i____

1. gregorian chant
   official, Roman Catholic Church
   sacred Latin texts, sung without instrumental accompaniment
   
   

2. monophonic
   single, unaccompanied melodic line, sung, unison, monks, nuns, choirs
   
   

3. Free rhythm
   Lack, strict meter, heavy beat; free-flowing, natural accents, Latin text
   
   

4. Church modes
   specific diatonic scale patterns, different
   
   

5. simple notation
   tone, duration
   
   

worship - meditative, unified atmosphere, Mass

standardization - standardized chants, unify, shared, common spiritual language, musical identity

Name a key figure of sacred music during the Middle Ages.

Hildegard of Bingen

Sacred Music: Key Figure

Hildegard of Bingen was a famous f____ c____ who composed many pieces for her choir.

female composer

Characteristics of Secular Music

N___-r____ music performed for e____, d____, and s___ g____ in c____, t____, and v____.

1. Sung in v____ (l___ l____) rather than sacred Latin
   
   

2. Mostly m____, though l____ medieval periods saw the early rise of p____
   
   

3. R____ was m___ d____, often l____ and tied to p____ m____ or d____ s____ (but not always)
   
   

4. I____ were used for a_____ (e.g. lute, harp, flute, percussion)

non-religious, entertainment, dancing, social gatherings, courts, taverns, villages.

1. vernacular (local languages)
   
   

2. monophonic, later, polyphony
   
   

3. rhythm, more defined, lively, poetic meter, dance steps
   
   

4. Instruments, accompaniment

Development of Polyphony

M____ c____ began to add a s___ m____ l____ to the Gregorian chant, usually in the form of a d____ c____ m____ in a d____ p____.

Between ___-___, medieval music became truly polyphonic.

This was known as a o____, where there would be i____ m____ paired with the G____ c____.

Cantus firmus (Fixed melody)

Most polyphonic music was created by placing a n___ m____ l___ against the Gregorian chant.

This is known as c____ f____.

monastery choirs, second melodic line, duplicate chant melody, different pitch

900-1200

organum, independent melody, Gregorian chant

new melodic lines

cantus firmus

Development of Fixed Rhythm

From ____-____, N___ d____ composers developed rhythmic innovations.

For the first time in music history, notation would include p____ r____ and p____, though, during this time, it was only limited to certain rhythmic patterns.

T____ and t____ were added and became a common music technique to e____ sound (influenced by the H____ T____ in Catholicism)

1170-1200, Notre dame

precise rhythm, pitches

triads, thirds, enrichen (Holy Trinity)

The New Art (Ars nova) in Italy and France

In the early ____ century, there were p____ c___ in musical style.

There was a n___ system of music notation: n___ r____ p____, s____ of b____, and s____ etc.

The f____ s____ and power of the C____ c____ began to d____; s___ music became m___ i____ than s____ music.

Composers would compose p____ music that was not based on the G____ c____ (e.g. drinking songs).

14th, profound changes

new, new rhythmic patterns, subdivision, beats, syncopation

feudal system, Catholic church, decline; secular, more important, sacred

polyphonic, Gregorian chant