1. Music of the Middle Ages
450AD　-　1450AD
Also called the Dark Ages
Bridges the gap between:
Roman Empire
(Ancient Greece)
&
the Renaissance

2. Music of the Middle Ages
Pope Gregory I
Founded the Schola Cantorum
A school that taught the priests to sing chants
Gregorian Chant (a type of *Plainsong)
6th Century-codified music of Christian worship services
project the text clearly so that it could be understood by the people
Possessed clarity and melodic beauty
Free, unmeasured Monophonic melody
Text in Latin
A little bird whispered all the chants in Pope Gregory’s ear. Thus, all the music and how it is to be performed came from God.
Listening: Alleluia Vidimus Stellam

3. Dies iræ! Dies illa Solvet sæclum in favilla: Teste David cum Sibylla!
Quantus tremor est futurus, Quando iudex est venturus, Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba mirum spargens sonum Per sepulchra regionum, Coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit, et natura, Cum resurget creatura, Iudicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur, In quo totum continetur, Unde mundus iudicetur.
Iudex ergo cum sedebit, Quidquid latet, apparebit: Nil inultum remanebit.
The day of wrath, that day Will dissolve the world in ashes As foretold by David and the sibyl!
How much tremor there will be, when the judge will come, investigating everything strictly!
The trumpet, scattering a wondrous sound through the sepulchres of the regions, will summon all before the throne.
Death and nature will marvel, when the creature arises, to respond to the Judge.
The written book will be brought forth, in which all is contained, from which the world shall be judged.
When therefore the judge will sit, whatever hides will appear: nothing will remain unpunished.
Dies Irae

4. Music of the Middle Ages
Plainsong and Monophonic style
Monophonic – single line of melody
Might be enriched by the use of drones
Percussion used in secular music
Rhythm was often not notated. We assume that it was tied to text in vocal music and to dance in instrumental music
Listening: Kyrie Eleison
Plainsong
Melodies are often long and flowing
Slow and Relaxed
Use modal scales (as the ancient Greek did)
Anonymous composer

5. Music of the Middle Ages
Charlemagne
Charles the Great (Charles le Magne), Charles I
Crowned Holy Roman Emperor 800AD
Alignment with Roman Catholic Church
Everything in the name of God
Helped spread Christianity throughout Europe
Even if he had to kill everyone to do it
Spread of Christianity – Spread of Sacred Music
Priest & Clergy were the:
only educated people of the time
only people who could read and write
lived in monasteries, and in silence
printed Bibles and celebrated Mass:
Most Importantly a Reenactment of the Last Supper of Jesus
Music was used to help celebrate Mass

6. Music of the Middle Ages
Guido d’Arezzo ( )
Worked at Schola Cantorum
Taught Gregorian Chants to priests
Frustrated with how long it takes to learn all the music
Developed a system for teaching Singing & Reading Music
“Ut queant laxis” (a hymn to John the Baptist)
Was a hymn that everyone knew
Had six stanzas
Each stanza began on a pitch one step higher than the previous
Used first syllable of each stanza to help priests remember what each note sound like

7. Music of the Middle Ages Guido d’Arezzo (990-1050) cont.
“Ut queant laxis” (a hymn to John the Baptist) cont.
Listening: Ut queant laxis
Invention of early *Solfege System
Sound of Music – Do, a deer a female deer…
Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol (So), La, Ti (Si), Do
Listening: Flashmob Do, Re, Mi
Guido’s System was called Solmization:
Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, SI *(Sancte Io-annes)

8. Music of the Middle Ages
Guido d’Arezzo ( ) cont.
Guidonian Hand
Each Solfege syllable is assigned to a part of the hand
Point-and-Sing
Music Notation
First systemized 4-line staff
Marked “F” Line – Bass Cleff

10. Music of the Middle Ages
New Developments
Organum
Consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines
First attempt at harmony and Polyphony
The same melody transposed by a consonant interval, usually a perfect fifth or fourth, creating “Parallel” melodies – Parallel Organum
Originally improvised, later written
Cantus Firmus
“Fixed Song” – the pre-existing melody (a Gregorian Chant) that forms the basis of a polyphonic song
Typically put in the bottom voice
May be slowed down while other voices were composed over it
Different from Organum – not note against note, but one vs. few or many

12. Music of the Middle Ages
New Developments cont.
Liturgical Dramas
Stories told at the beginning of high Holy church days
Christmas, Easter, etc.
New Music, words, costumes and sets are used in the pageant
All Liturgical Dramas are based on Bible Stories
Morality Plays
Play not based on a Bible story but a premise of
Good vs. Evil
All the characters are fictitious
New music is used (Not based on a chant)
Listening: Ordo Virtutum – “Play of the Virtues”
A soul gets tempted by both the angels and the devil
Music is used to represent both characters

13. Music of the Middle Ages
New Developments cont.
Troubadours – France (1100)
First poet/composers
Traveled across Europe in the 12th & 13th century
Unlike Sacred Music, instruments were used for accompaniment.
Sing about love, wars & Heroes
Music starts to adapt the rhythm from poetry and is no longer free flowing
Notes start to have length
Listening: Micrologus
Estampie
Instrument dance of the Middle Ages.
Listening: Robin Hood and Maid Marian
Listening: Sancte Sator
Suggested Listening: Mediaeval Baebes

14. Music of the Middle Ages
Ars Antiqua
Hildegard of Bingen ( )
A mystical nun who, among many other things, composed music for:
Liturgical Dramas & Morality Plays (e.g. Play of the Virtues)
University of Paris (1150)
First university of the Middle Ages
Organized program of study: liberal arts and languages
Not Just the Bible
Notre Dame Cathedral
Construction begins in 1164
Completed 200 years later

15. Music of the Middle Ages
Ars Antiqua cont.
Leonin ( )
Perotin ( )
Worked and taught at the Notre Dame School
Taught Music Composition
Experimented with chants and composed Polyphonic Organums
Listening: Perotin – Alleluia Nativitas
Adam de la Halle ( )
Most famous troubadour ever
First Musical Theatre piece:
Le Jeu de Robin et Marion (Listening)
Invented Motet

16. Music of the Middle Ages
Ars Nova 1300
Ars Nova Notandi (1322) - a treatise on music by Philippe de Vitry of France
Literary works became more about sensuality than virtue
Secular music more important than sacred
New system of Music Notation evolved
Stems were added to the neumes, creating our modern system of notation
Composers could specify rhythm pattern
Syncopation appears
Polyphony NOT based on chant
There were so many changes and innovations in musical style that this era was named the time of “New Art”

18. Music of the Middle Ages
Guillaume de Machaut ( )
Single most important figure in French Ars Nova
Worked as Court Musician and cleric for royal families
A Poet & Musician
The last great poet who was also a composer
Wrote both Sacred and Secular music
Created many of the musical forms of today:
Rondos, Ballades, etc.
First complete “Ordinary (Order) or Mass”
After the completion of Notre Dame Cathedral, Guillaume de Machaut was commissioned to compose a Mass for its opening:
Messe de Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady)

19. Music of the Middle Ages Messe de Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady)
First Polyphonic Mass Ordinary (Order)
Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy”)
Gloria (“Glory to God in the highest”)
Credo (“I believe in one God”)
Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy”)
Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”)
Written for four voices
Some parts performed/doubled on instruments
Arguably the most complex and most significant musical work of the Middle Ages
Sacred music became increasing complex as church began to use more polyphonic and instrumental music
Listening: Excerpts from Messe de Notre Dame