MUH 3211 - Music History I “Plainchant and Secular Monophony” 11/21/2018 Chapter 1 “Plainchant and Secular Monophony” DAY 6 (18 Sep 17)

Plainchant Also: just “Chant” or “Gregorian Chant” Defined: - one line melody (one or more singers) - NO accompaniment/2nd or additional lines Five elements - Liturgical Function - Relationship of Words and Music - Mode - Melodic Structure - Rhythm

Liturgical Function Determines much of a chant’s sound, etc. Two broad classes of services Office (from officium = “duty”) - fixed daily series of 8 services (prayers, etc.) - monastery/nunnery – private devotions - Rule of St. Benedict defines these Mass - daily public service (prayers, singing - Eucharist (re-enacts Christ’s sacrifice)

Ordinary vs. Proper Based in Liturgical Calendar - Advent through Easter, then Pentecost Feasts celebrated in order/assigned days - specific prayers, readings, hymns, etc. Certain unique elements used on specific days - cannot be sung/said on any other day - PROPER Unchanging elements not tied to specific days - Framework of mass/office - ORDINARY

Order of the Mass Music Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus/Benedictus Agnus Dei Ite, missa est Introit Gradual Offertory Communion Ordinary Proper

Words and Music How many notes for each syllable? Syllabic (one note to each syllable) - “Victimae Paschali Laudes” - “Credo” Melismatic (multiple notes for a syllable) - “Kyrie” - “Alleluia” Neumatic (short melismas, 2-4 notes)

Mode Patterns of ½ and whole steps, e.g., similar to scales Based on species of fifths and fourths (locate ½ step) “Final” (home note) Arranged in pairs (share the same final) Names from Ancient Greek modes (but not pitches)

Medieval Pitches Hexachord - 6-note “scales” Form the Gamut - all 20 pitches used Solmization syllables - Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La Mi-Fa = ½ step Musica ficta - “false notes” (to move ½ step) “Guidonian Hand”

Performance of Chant Melodic structure based in limited patterns of pitches, w/ preference to stepwise motion Range (ambitus) general limited to one octave Shape of melody often an arch: - rises from starting pitch - holds around “reciting tone” - falls back to home note (“cadere” = to fall) Rhythm (not indicated in notation) - free flowing, but follows text

Christmas Mass (chants) Introit: “Puer Natus Est Nobis” (proper) “Kyrie eleison” (ordinary) “Gloria” (in excelsis Deo) (ordinary) Gradual: “Viderunt omnes” (proper) “Credo” (ordinary) Offertory: “Tui sunt caeli” (proper) “Sanctus” and “Benedictus” (ordinary) “Agnus dei” (ordinary) Communion: “Viderunt omnes” (proper) “Ite, misa est” (ordinary)

Later Developments (10th c & beyond) More chants composed (new saints, etc.) Tropes / practice of “Troping” - additions to chants (music, words, both) - elaboration / commentary (glossing) Possibly done simply to expand the music Liturgical Drama – playlet based on Bible - “Quem quaeritis?” (“Whom do you seek?”)

Liturgical Drama “Quem Quaeritis?” (start 1:25)

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) MUH 3211 - Music History I 11/21/2018 Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) Nun – Rupertsburg Writer, composer, philosopher, polymath (1st permitted by Pope) “Scivias” (“know the way”) – from her visions Ordo Virtutum – drama - evil (devil shouts) vs. good (the virtues sing) - Scene 4: “Quae es, aut unde venis?” DAY 6 (18 Sep 17)

Secular Music Who? What? Jongleurs – itinerant entertainers (minstrel, etc.) Goliards – traveling clergy Latin poetry, satires Carmina Burana

France (courts) Troubadours (south: langue d’oc – Occitan) - 2500 texts (about 10% w/ music) Trouvères (north: medieval French) - 2100 texts (most w/ music) trouver = “to find” (invent) - writers/composers & performers Songs of “Courtly Love” (code of chivalry) Strophic Monophonic (?) or accompanied (??)