Medieval and Renaissance Music

Peasant Male, Peasant Female, Noble-Woman, Life in the Middle Ages Peasant Male, Peasant Female, Noble-Woman, Nobleman, Monk, Nun

Life in the Middle Ages: Homes Most homes were damp, cold, and dark Windows were very small to allow only small amounts of light Prevents theft as well Most homes only had one or two rooms

Life in the Middle Ages: Homes Wealthy homes were generally larger and highly decorated with blankets and throws. Includes many colors

Life in the Middle Ages: Government Small communities were ruled by a King or a Lord.

Life in the Middle Ages Exploration Religion and Education Time of War Art and Literature

Time of War Crusades: The crusades lasted from the 11th to 13th centuries. It was a religious war between the European Christians and the Middle Eastern Moslems. The Europeans eventually failed to win what they termed the “Holy Lands.” Feudalism: A system of hierarchy during the Middle Ages. The king lent land to noblemen. In return, the noblemen supplied knights for battle. The knights, servants, and peasants gave loyalty to the lords.

Traveled to the “New World.” Exploration Marco Polo 1254-1324 Traveled from Europe to China and back. He opened up trade with China for silk, spices, and new ideas. Christopher Columbus 1492 Traveled to the “New World.”

Churches and Universities Early, the church was the center for learning. Priests, monks, and nuns were among the only people who could read. Later, universities were founded. They taught religion, law, medicine, and the arts. Notre Dame Cathedral

Arts and Literature Leonardo da Vinci Michalangelo Raphael

Arts and Literature Chaucer wrote the famous Canterbury Tales. William Shakespeare wrote famous works like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.

Medieval Composers Leonin 1150’s - 1201? He was choirmaster of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the 1100’s. He composed important choral works for the entire church year. Magnus Liber - Alleluya

Medieval Composers Perotin He was a choirmaster at the Cathedral 1200 - ? He was a choirmaster at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the 1100’s. He held the position of choirmaster After Leonin. He is credited with inventing the motet. Viderunt omnes

Medieval Composers Hildegard Von Bingen Ordo Virtutum 1098 - 1179 She was elected a Magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136. She founded monasteries, wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, and poems. Ordo Virtutum She wrote over 100 letters, 70 poems, and 9 books. She composed 72 songs.

Medieval Composers Guillaume de Machaut Messe de Notre Dame 1305-1377 He was a French composer who worked at the age of twenty for a warrior king. He traveled much of his life around Europe, accompanying the king to military battles. At the time of his death, he was considered One of the most important religious leaders Of his time. In fact, he composed one of the oldest surviving masses written in four parts. Messe de Notre Dame He is best-known for his secular music.

Merchants and professionals began to gather wealth. The word Renaissance means “rebirth.” Merchants and professionals began to gather wealth. With their leisure time, they began to broaden their interests beyond church music and art. This resulted in the “rebirth” of interest in the values of Greek and Roman cultures.

Music c. 500 - 1600 Sacred: Music composed for the church. Gregorian Chant / Plainchant Polyphony Motet Canon / Round Secular: Non-church (popular) music Music of the troubadours Music of the jongleurs

Sacred Music Gregorian Chant Also known as Plainchant. Named after Pope Gregory I Very simple songs. A single line melody No accompaniment Sung by men’s choirs or soloists No instruments Sung in Latin Music and rhythm were simple. Almost as if the the singer was speaking the words.

Sacred Music Polyphony: Musicians began singing different parts instead of everyone singing the same notes. Motet: A short religious piece that might have plainchant for one line, a love song in another part and a hymn for a third. The different parts can even be sung in different languages. Canon: Singers perform the same music but come in at different times.

Secular Music Troubadour: Members of nobility, many were knights. They composed musical poems about courtly love knightly adventures, and chivalry but often left the performance of their works to less aristocratic musicians. Jongleur: Working musicians. They wandered from town to town. They sang, played instruments, danced, juggled, and performed magic tricks.

Medieval and Renaissance Instruments Recorder Lute Crumhorn

Medieval and Renaissance Instruments Sackbut Serpent Viol

Renaissance Music Changes in the Renaissance Period… Composers began writing both sacred and secular music. Kings and lords began employing court musicians. Books began to be printed. By 1476, books of music began being printed. Anyone who could read them could now play the music. Because of the improvements to instruments, composers began writing music for instruments only.

Renaissance Music New popular form of music… Madrigals: vocal works about great emotions such as love and despair. Madrigals were usually unaccompanied vocal works with four or five parts. Music of the Renaissance began using chordal harmony. It began sounding more like the music of today.

Renaissance Composers Josquin des Prez 1440-1521 A French composer who began his career as a singer in a cathedral when he was 19 years old. He was considered one of the best composers of the time. Remind the students that this last page of their packet is the same as before, write the person’s name, the dates that they lived and the song title. He composed music that used chords and harmonies that made it sound more like the music of today. Ave Maria

Renaissance Composers Giovanni da Palestrina 1526-1594 An Italian composer who spent his entire career in Rome, working for The Catholic Church. He is considered one of the great masters of the Renaissance style. He composed 104 masses, 373 motets, And many religious madrigals. He also Composed almost 100 secular madrigals. Motet Hodie Christus Natus Est

Renaissance Composers Thomas Morley 1557-1602 He was an English composer. He composed many madrigals about love and nature. Hark Alleluia

Renaissance Composers William Byrd 1539/40-1623 He was an English composer of the late Renaissance. He is considered to be one of the great masters Of the Renaissance. Some consider him The greatest English composer of all time. He worked in the Royal Chapel of Queen Elizabeth. Cantiones Sacrae

History of Music Notation 600’s - Church worried that music would be lost because there was no method of music notation. Accent Marks ( / \ ^ ) They were the first form of notation. They told the singer that the music went up or down. They were meant to help the musician remember the melody but they did not give exact information. The singer needed to know the music first. Neumes They were marks at particular heights over the words of the song. They told the singer which pitch to sing. However, they were not written on a staff so they did not give exact pitch. Students will need the new page to fill out the remainder of the notes.

History of Music Notation Guido d’Arezzo 995-1050 He was an Italian monk and music teacher. He invented the music staff, which showed the specific pitches of notes. He created the symbols for flats and natural notes.

History of Music Notation By 1200’s Everyone began using the 5 line staff. By about 1400 The modern system of note and rest lengths became standard. 1500’s Barlines, time signatures, and tempo marks and sharps were created. By 1750 Notation was fully developed.