1. 450 – 1450 A.D.

2. Middle Ages Around 450 the Roman Empire began to disintegrate. This was the beginning of the “Dark Ages”. Life was hard and full of migrations, upheavals, and wars. In the later Middle Ages churches and monasteries were constructed, towns grew, universities were founded.

3. This was a time of three social classes: NOBILITY PEASANTRY CLERGY

4. Peasants Peasants – the majority of people – lived miserably in one-room huts. Many were serfs, bound to the soil and subject to feudal overlords. Homes were damp and cold. The entire family shared one or two rooms. For protection, there were no windows.

5. NOBILITY Nobles were sheltered within castles surrounded by moats. The men were often knights during war time. In peace time, they amused themselves with hunting, feasting, and tournaments.

6. Clergy Monks in monasteries held a monopoly on learning; most people – including the nobility – were illiterate. The church was the center of musical life. Musicians were priests or monks and worked for the church. An important occupation in monasteries was liturgical singing. Women were not allowed to sing in the church.

7. Sacred Music Most medieval music was vocal. The church frowned on instruments. Around 1100, however, instruments were used increasingly in church. The organ was the primary instrument used in church.

8. Sacred Music Chant –Monophonic - a single melodic line (no harmony) sung by many to convey a calm quality. –It has flexible rhythm, without meter, and little sense of beat. –Exact rhythm is uncertain, because precise time values were not notated. –Free-flowing rhythm gives the chant a floating, improvisational feeling. –The melodies moved by step and were sung in Latin, the language of the church. –Used as part of the Mass

9. Sacred Music At first, the melodies were passed on by tradition, but as the numbers grew to the thousands, they were notated to ensure uniformity. Pope Gregory I is often credited with this standardization hence the name “Gregorian Chant.” The accuracy of this is debatable.

10. Sacred Music The composers of Gregorian chant remain almost completely unknown.

11. Both church buildings and sacred music grew more elaborate. Cathedrals were constructed throughout Europe. Cathedrals

13. Polyphonic Music For centuries music had just a single melodic line. But sometime around 700 – 900 monks began to add a second melodic line to Gregorian chant. At the beginning, it was usually improvised. Surprising to listeners at that time

14. Polyphonic Music Polyphony –“many sounding” – aka music with more than one part – required composers to notate precise rhythms

15. Secular Music Troubadours –Composers & performers of lyric poetry –Songs dealt primarily with themes of chivalry & courtly love –Around 450 known troubadours –Not wandering entertainers –Backgrounds vary Ex: Duke of Aquitaine, knights, middle class merchants & tradesmen, clerical training

16. Sample “Gab” Song Lord Interpreter, if I had a good war-horse, my enemies would be in difficulty: for no sooner had they heard the mention of my name they would fear me more than the quail fears the hawk, and they would value their life no more than a farthing, for they would know how fierce, wild and ferocious I am. ~William IX of Aquitaine

17. Sample “Courtly Love” Song *refrain only* I want to stay faithful, guard your honor, Seek peace, obey Fear, serve, and honor you, Until death, Peerless lady. ~Guillaume de Machaut

18. Minstrels –Wandering performers Music, Juggling, Acrobatics, Poetry, Animal tricks, dancing, Comedy Less refined & poetic than troubadours Also sang about courtly love –Entertained at court & in towns –Had no civil rights –Were on the lowest level of society –Without newspapers, the music of the minstrels was an important source of information.

19. Adam de la Halle 1237?-1288? (or 1306?) AKA “Adam the Hunchback” Famous French troubadour “Jeu de Robin et Marion” –Earliest secular French play with music –Tells the story of a Knight & a Shepherdess who refuses his advances –NOT at Robinhood story

20. Fourteenth Century Secular music became more important in the lives of the people in the 1300s. This was due to many factors including the –Hundred Years’ War –Crusades –Black Death (which destroyed 40-50% of the population of Europe) –Weakening of the feudal system –Fighting of the Popes within the Catholic church The changes in musical style were so many that this era was named the time of “new art”.

21. Guido d’Arezzo Lived in the 900s Benedictine monk Music theorist Inventor of modern staff notation Inventor of solmezation –Method to teach singers to learn chants quickly –ut re mi fa so la – taken from the initial syllables of each of the first six half-lines of the first stanza of the hymn Ut queant laxis

23. Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut was a priest, but spent most of his life working with the noble families of France. Machaut travelled to many courts and presented beautifully decorated copies of his music to the nobles. Because of this, his music has survived for us to enjoy today.

24. Saint Hildegard of Bingen 1098-1179 German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary Benedictine abbess Ordo Virtutum (Play of the Virtues) 69 additional musical compositions One of the largest repertoires among Medieval composers Monophonic music Soaring melody lines outside realm of most chant of the time