1. Unit 2
The Middle Ages
( )

2. The Middle Ages Middle Ages begin with the fall of the Roman Empire
Early Middle Ages
Time of unrest
Late Middle Ages
Time of cultural development
Romanesque Churches ( )
Gothic Cathedrals ( )
Crusades
Series of wars undertaken by European Christians ( )

3. The Middle Ages Continued
Social Hierarchy
Great division between social classes:
Nobility – sheltered in castles
Peasants – lived in 1 room huts (most of the populations)
Clergy – Roman Catholic Church was very powerful
Monopoly on learning as most of the population was illiterate
14th Century – an age of disintegration
Hundred Years’ War – ( )
Bubonic Plague – around 1350
Killed ¼ of populations
Authority of Catholic church weakened
there were two rival Popes

4. Music in the Middle Ages
Church – center of musical life
Most important musicians worked for the church
Liturgical singing was a priority
Required to sing with proper pronunciation, concentration, and tone quality
Boys received music education in catholic schools
Women were not allowed to sing in church- the could only sing in the convent
Hildegard of Bingen ( ) wrote music for choirs and the abbey
Only sacred music was notated at the time
Most music of the time was vocal
Church frowned on instruments because of their relation to pagan rites
After 1000 organs and bells became more common and acceptable
Secular song and dance flourished

5. Gregorian Chant 1,000 official music on Roman Catholic Church
Melody set to sacred Latin texts with no accompaniment
Monophonic
Calm quality
Flexible rhythm (no meter)
melodies usually move in steps with a narrow pitch range
Since Second Vatican Council of mass is in countries native language – eliminating Gregorian chant

6. Gregorian Chant Continued
Named after Pope Gregory I
Legend credits with development
Singing from psalms came from Jewish synagogues
Most melodies were created from AD
Originally passed by oral tradition
Too many chants and the need for uniformity caused the need for notation
Earliest manuscripts date to the 9th century
Composers complete unknown
Medieval monks and nuns chanted for several hours each day for mass and in the office
The Office – a set of 8 services
First at sunrise – last at sunset
Mass – highlight of liturgical day
Some texts the same each day others different

7. The Church Modes
Church Modes - Scales of Gregorian Chant that are unfamiliar.
Not major and minor
Consist of 7 different tones and the eighth duplicates the first an octave higher
Patterns of whole and half steps are different
Though different from now – these modes were the same ones used in both secular and sacred music during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

8. Alleluia: Vidimus stellam (We Have Seen His Star)
Alleluia from the Mass of Epiphany
Elaborate and jubilant
Notes are sung to singles syllables of text
Monophonic texture
ABA form
A – solo with opening melody
B – Solo with 2nd melody
A – Choir with opening melody

9. O successores (You successors) by Hildegard of Bingen
Nun at the abbess of Rupertsberg in Germany
Visionary and was active in religious and diplomatic affairs
Wrote music, poetry, musical drama, and treatises
Musical drama is the oldest known morality play (Ordo virtutum)
First woman composer with a known large number of works
Monophonic sacred songs

10. O successores (You successors) by Hildegard of Bingen Continued
O Successores was sung by nuns at the convent
Praising the holy confessors and successors of Christ
Notated in manuscript as a single melodic line
Drone – one more long sustained tones accompanying a melody
Melody is sung by a women’s choir
Made of several different phrases
1-4 notes in each syllable
Range – 1 octave and a 1/6
Starts moving in steps then has more wide upward leaps later in melody
The song climax is on the work officio at the end

11. Secular Music in the Middle Ages
Music outside of the church still prominent
Theologian Henri de Malins exposed the pleasures of secular music and dance
1st group of secular pieces surviving time were composed by troubadours and trouveres – French Nobles
from the 12th and 13th centuries survived
1,650 preserved
No notation of rhythm- regular meter with a defined beat
Most deal with love, some about the Crusades, dance or spinning songs
Knights gained great reputations as poets – chivalry
Performed by minstrels
Performed music and acrobatics
No civil rights – lowest social standing

12. Secular Music in the Middle Ages continued
Estampie (Thirteenth Century)
Medieval dance
One of the earliest surviving forms of instrumental music
Recording – only a single melodic line is notated with no specific instrument
Rebec – bowed instrument
Pipe – tubular wind instrument
Triple meter
Strong fast beat

13. The Development of Polyphony: Organum
Prior to 700 most music was monophonic
Between some steps toward polyphony
Monks started adding a 2nd melodic line
Improvised
Duplicated chant melody on a different pitch
Parallel motion – 4th or 5th interval
Organum- Gregorian Chant with one or more additional melodic lines
Polyphonic between 900 and 1200
More independent instead of complete parallel motion
1100 brought rhythmic diversity

14. School of Notre Dame: Measured Rhythm
Paris – intellectual and art capital of Europe
After 1150 also became the capital of polyphonic music
University of Paris began in 1163
Produced Leonin and Perotin – first notable composers
Referred to as the school of Notre Dame
Developed rhythmic innovations
Measured rhythm with defined values and meter
Todays ears would consider music thin – became more full through development during this period.

15. Alleluia: Nativitas (The Birth; 1200?) by Perotin
Perotin – 1st known composer to write with more than two voices
Organum with 3 voices
Based on the alleluia melody for the nativity of the Virgin Mary
Cantus Firmus (fixed melody)- chant used as the basis for polyphony
6/8 time – fixed meter
Rhythmic meter – long-short-long
Narrow pitch range

16. Fourteenth-Century Music: The “New Art” in Italy and France
Secular music became more important
Music was written not based on Gregorian Chant
Drinking songs and pieces imitating outside sounds
New system of music notation
New art or ars nova – music theorist referring to Italian and French music of the time

17. Fancesco Landini Franscesco Landini (?-1397)
Most celebrated Italian composer of 14th century
Born near France
Blind
Organist, poet, scholar, and inventor of a new string instrument
Works – Italian songs for 2 or 3 voices
Subjects – nature, love, morality and politics

18. Ecco la primavera (Spring has come;14th century) by Fancesco Landini
Carefree song – joys of spring
Genre – ballata – Italian poetic and musical form accompanied by dancing
Triple meter
Fast tempo
Syncopation
A BB AA – A is longer – B is shorter

19. Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (about 1300-1377)
Musician and poet
Born in French province of Champagne
Studied theology
Served many royal families
Served as a church official in later life
1st important composer with works that survived
Works – courtly love songs for 1-4 performers
Best known work – the Notre Dame Mass

20. At 60 fell in love with a young noble woman
Puis qu’en oubli sui de vous (Since I am forgotten by you, around 1363) by Guillaume de Machaut
At 60 fell in love with a young noble woman
age range ended relationship
Piece written based on a narrative poem he wrote
His “farewell joy”
8 line poem
Vocal melody and two accompanying parts
Genre – rondeau – poetic musical form
Two phrases
syncopation

21. Notre Dame Mass (Mid-Fourteenth Century) by Guillaume de Machaut
Historical importance – first polyphonic treatment of the mass ordinary by a known composer
Mass ordinary – consists of texts that remain from day to day throughout the church year
5 sung prayers – Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei
4 voice parts
Agnus Dei – prayer for mercy and peace
Triple meter
Complex rhythm patterns
Based on Gregorian Chant