Chapter 9 Part 4 Listening to Western Classical Music Music to 1600

Greek Roots of Western Music Greek Music Theory –Theoretical Ideas Only (Greek musical practice was lost.) –500 B.C.-200 A.D. –Plato –Pythagoras –Aristotle –Vocabulary (Many modern musical words have Greek roots.)

The Roman Catholic Church ( A.D.) Liturgy from Jewish Practice Dominant Force in all Cultural Matters for 1400 years. Music Mostly Vocal –Monks –Boy Choirs Great Repertoire of Chant Melodies Terms –Chant/Gregorian Chant –Melisma/Melismatic –Syllabic –Monophony/Polyphony –Liturgical Dramas –Secular/Sacred More on the Renaissance later…

Chant Called “Gregorian Chant” or just “Chant” Pope Gregory I organized the many chants to coincide better with the church calender and services Sung by the Priest or Cantor, or the Men/Boys Choir or congregation in that order of importance and frequency Can be syllabic or melismatic Typically a flat contour (or shape) melodic line Follows church scales or “Modes” As time continues…. add an extra voice add more than one voice add an instrument to double the voice part according to what is allowed at this time in history and who is the Pope… leading us into polyphony (another slide…)

The Development of Musical Notation Aid to Memory This Invention had to Specify: –Notes –Rhythms –Relationships between Parts First Notated (Polyphonic) Composers –Léonin (French, not Italian (Roman)) –Perotin (French too!)

Polyphony Other melodies added to Chant –Some parallel, some faster than the melody Imitative Counterpoint/Contrapuntal (Similar to a “canon” like Row, Row, Row Your Boat.) –Each line independent Unified the Compositions Characteristics of Polyphonic Texture –Comparing the Lines Usually Different Texts Sometimes Different Languages Often Difficult to Understand In 1500’s, Intersection of musical lines creates the Chord Concept –Now an intended part of the music, formerly random events in 1200’ & 1300’s As time goes forward, more experimentation occurs and is allowed

The Renaissance Humanism (Drama, Arts, Philosophy, History, Poetry from Classical Authors) Optimism Reform (Religion esp.) Historic Names –Michelangelo (Art) –Leonardo da Vinci (Art) –Martin Luther (Religion) –Gutenberg (Printing) –Shakespeare (Literature) European “discovery” of Gunpowder (after China and Muslim worlds ironically) Composers –Josquin des Prez –Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina –Giovanni Gabrieli

Choral and Vocal Music part 1 of 3 Mass –Low Mass – Priest only –High Mass – Choir sings service in chant form usually in LATIN Proper = varies according to season or event Ordinary = same all the time –Five typical sections – Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus & Benedictus, and Agnus Dei –First Polyphonic settings of Mass by Machaut by/in/for Notre Dame Cathedral –Josquin (French) and Palestrina (Italian) are other big composers of Masses

Choral and Vocal Music part 2 of 3 Motet (Sacred Polyphonic work) –In Latin –a Cappella (Voices Only) –Sung by Choirs (instead of congregations) –4 – 6 parts –Cantus Firmus used as a basis for the Work, but the CF had no liturgical use/function –Gabrielli – Polychoral (Instruments and voices) and homorhythmic used in his works within St. Marks Cathedral (Venice)

Choral and Vocal Music part 3 of 3 Madrigal –4-5 Parts –Vernacular language –Chamber Music –Secular (away from the church) subjects – love, pastoral scenes, other secular topics) –Lively and Metrical –Italy and England –Since it was free from the Church structures, experimentation was common, and forcast the Baroque practices…

Instrumental Music Beginning to be Notated (Preserved) Modeled the Vocal Styles that were prevalent in the day… Grouped into “Consorts” of similar Instruments (Recorders or Viols typically) –Soprano –Alto –Tenor –Bass Instrumental Music –Ricercar (typically Keyboards) –Canzona (typically others)

Instruments String Instruments –Lyre –Lute –Vielle Wind Instruments –Recorder –Shawm (Straight horn w/reed) –Krummhorn (Bent horn w/reed) –Cornett Keyboard Instruments –Harpsichord –Clavichord –Organ

The Reformation Martin Luther does it in 1517 Creates Protestantism (vs. Catholic) Vernacular Services (instead of Latin) –Psalters were created in these Vernacular languages Church of England did it again in 1534 –Allowed for the development of the Anthem sung in English (Anglican version of the Latin Motet) Counter Reformation of Catholic Church – the response from CC –Palestrina – Good guy for promoting the musical aspects of the Latin / Catholic music and making easier to understand for the average “Joe”

Hildegard of Bingen German Nun Theologian Mystic Poet Scientific Writer One of the earliest known Composers Could she have foretold the Women’s movement…??

Josquin des Prez or just “Josquin” French Court musician and Composer in Italy A Motet man –Variety of texts –Flowing melodies –Rich harmonies (intended) –Less restricted rhythms –Humanistic attitudes/subjects

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina or just “Palestrina” Italian Choirmaster Composer Polyphonic –Overlapping cadences, although the ending cadences show clear harmonic intentions leading towards the Major-Minor tonal concepts of later history –Singable –Diatonic melodies (vs. Chromatic) Primarily sacred works –Pure from secular influences –Used extensively in the RC church –Good example of the Counter Reformation of the CC’s musical styles

Giovanni Gabrielli or just “Gabrielli” Italian Organist Choirmaster Composer – especially for multiple choirs (polychoral) and combinations of voices/instruments Established Antiphonal writing and Chordal Homorhythmic writing which contrasted to the contrapuntal (polyphonic) sections of the music

Review your Boldfaced Vocabulary in the Text Texture Chant Gregorian Chant Monophony Homophony Polyphony Vernacular Melismatic Syllabic Conjunct Disjunct Imitative Counterpoint Cantus Firmus High Mass / Low Mass Ordinary / Proper Sacred / Secular Motet Homorhythmic Madrigal Polychoral All the instruments and their modern counterparts