Music Of The Middle Ages

Setting The Stage: Time Line 600: Fall of the Roman Empire 1095 to 1099: 1 st Crusade 1078: Tower of London Begins Construction 1095 and 1291: Crusades 1337 to 1453: 100 Year War 1348: Black Death 1215: Magna Carta 1300: Parliament added

Politics During the Middle Ages the political system was the Feudalistic Monarchy. In the Feudalistic Monarchy, the King is able to grant land to Barons who would then grant land to knights who would then grant land to serfs. Feudalism started in France but also spread to England, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Slavic countries.

The Church In the Middle Ages, the most powerful ruler in all of Europe was the Pope. During the Middle Ages, the Pope of the Catholic Church had a final say over any monarch and could basically do anything.

Cont. The three most powerful and influential Popes were Pope Gregory XII, Pope Urban II, and Pope Innocent III This era is also referred to as the Age Of Faith because of how much the church dominated life in the Middle ages

Sheet Music in the Middle Ages Musical notation was relatively new at the beginning of this era. Guido d’Arezzo created the 4 line staff. Notes were represented by square symbols referred to as neumes. Then Franco of Cologne( ) created a system of notation where rhythmic values were indicated by different shaped notes.

Middle Ages Music

Neumes on the four-line staff

Solfeggio or Solfege The Hymn to St. John the Baptist was used by the Benedictine monk Guido d'Arezzo (Goo-ee'-do d'ar-ret'-zo) to teach the scale. Guido d'Arezzo is also known as the originator of the four-line staff notation found in Gregorian chant. His work allowed the ancient and traditional liturgical chants to be more easily published, circulated and preserved for posterity.

Where solfeggio came from…

Secular Music Sumer is icumen in The manuscript is the earliest known example in which both secular and sacred words are written to the same piece of music.

Translations: Secular: Summer is coming in, loudly sings the cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.... The seed grows; the meadow blossoms, and the woods alivens anew. The ewe bleats after the lamb; the cow lows after the calf; The bull leaps; the goat capers; merrily sing cuckoo! Well sing you, cuckoo--don't ever stop now. Sing cuckoo, now.... Sacred: Observe, Christian, such honour! The heavenly farmer, owing to a defect in the vine, not sparing the Son, exposed him to the destruction of death. To the captives half-dead from torment, He gives them life and crowns them with himself on the throne of heaven.

Troubadours Troubadours first appeared in the 12 th century in Southern France. Troubadours were anyone who wrote or composed anything. Musicians that just sang and performed but did not regularly compose were referred to as jogulars or minstrels Troubadours’ songs were secular and were about love, politics and courtship.

Troubadours and the Feudal System Troubadours often became famous and rich by taking their songs from court to court. They were sometimes rewarded with horses and feudal privileges. In The 15 th century the minstrel Blind Harry composed “The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace” which would tell of Wallace’s attempts to free Scotland. You might know this story as Braveheart!

Gregorian Chant Gregorian Chant was supported and funded by the Catholic Church and began during the time of Pope Gregory. Gregorian Chant consists of a single line of melody sung in Latin by a small chamber group of male voices. Gregorian chants were typically in a free rhythm and were unaccompanied. They are also referred to as plainsong or plainchant Gregorian chant - Dies Irae

The Church and Music The Catholic Church also had other effects on the music of the Middle Ages. In 1340, Pope John XXII forbid the use of counterpoint in all church music. This put limits on how a composer could write his piece.

Notre Dame Organum Organum refers to the style of music in which the lower voice sustains a single pitch while the higher voice sings the melody Organum

Instruments There were metal trumpets, ivory horns, vielles, harps, hurdy-gurdy, mandolins, lutes and the bagpipe.

Instruments mandolin lute Horn, possibly a shofar Hurdy-gurdy viols harp Herald trumpet bagpipe

Influential Composers Hildegard of Bingen ( )-one of the first female composers. Spiritus Sanctus, Hildegard von Bingen Guillaume de Machaut ( Josqiun Des Prez ( ) Adam Hale- Last great troubadour