2. The Medieval Era 476 C. E. – 1401 C.E.

3. Medieval Era  Time of nobility, church and the commoners (peasants, serfs and freemen).  The Medieval life was dominated by the feudal system in which there were three classes after the king.  The first class was the clergy  Responsible for education, health care a for church stuff  Most educated class in middle ages  The second class were the nobles  Owned land and castles  Part of the King’s military (knights)  Law enforcement  The third class were the serfs  Property of king, nobles or church  Their land was only rented and belonged to their owners  No rights and no any personal freedom

4. Medieval Era  Medieval literally means: “between the ages”  In history this time period is called the “ Middle Ages”, and considered an era of darkness between two periods of light, classical antiquity and the Renaissance.  The Medieval Era took place in Europe.

5. Medieval Era: The beginning  The Medieval era began with the fall of the Roman Empire.  Rome ruled most of the Mediterranean and large sections of Europe, and South Asia.  The Roman Empire failed for many reasons  Rome became too large to govern  Roman men did not want to serve in the army anymore because:  Small salary  Long periods of time away from their families and farms  Civil War broke out  Trade decreased  Taxes increased

6. Medieval Era: Dangerous time  Infant mortality was high  Life expectancy was to 30 years of age  Several diseases:  Dysentery (severe diarrhea)  Typhus (like the flu, with a rash, and possible sores on the body)  Smallpox (flu like symptoms at first; flat, red spots appear all over the body)  Black plague  http://www.history.com/topics/black-death http://www.history.com/topics/black-death

7. Medieval Era: Rise of Christianity  Christianity acted as a binding force for European nations following the fall of Rome.  Rise of the Catholic Church.  After 1000 CE, the church became increasingly powerful.  The Catholic church became the new governing law in many factions:  The Catholic church went to great lengths to assert the authority superior to that of kings and emperors.  Moral authority to determine what was heresy  Had the right to excommunicate worshippers from the Catholic Church  Had the right to issue calls for holy wars (crusades).  Goal was to join all of Europe into a Single, Christian Community.  The attempt as this is known as Christendom.

8. Medieval Era: Plainchant  Plainchant: monophonic music of the Medieval Christian Church  Monophonic: a single line of music without accompaniment  Chants: made up of words spoken rhythmically  Also known as Gregorian Chant, after the creator, Pope Gregory I.  Example: Vespers for Trinity Sunday: Antiphon Laus Deo Patri and Psalm

9. Medieval Era: Plainchant  The church saw great power in adding music to Mass.  Music would help worshippers learn and remember what was begin taught at Mass.  This was important, since most people did not know how to read.  “To chant well is to pray twice.” Saint Augustine.  It is also noted in The New Testament, that singing in church is proper and encouraged. (Colossians 3:16).  However, church leaders had mixed feeling about adding music to Mass.  Some believed, the music could distract listeners from the message of the text.

10. Medieval Era: The Elements of Plainchant  Pure melody  No harmony, accompaniment, or added voices  No instruments  Everyone sang the same part  Monophonic in texture (a single line)  Sung a cappella  Sung in Latin  Non-metric – no time signature/meter  Composed in modes, or modal – displacement of a major scale  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGKqS0nubh0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGKqS0nubh0

11. Medieval Era: Hildegard von Bingen  Hildegard von Bingen Hildegard von Bingen  1098-1179  German Nun know for her visions and prophecies  Around 1140, Hildegard wrote about her visions as poems, and later set them to music  Mostly written in syllabic hymn and melismatic solos  succession (number) of pitches sun on one syllable

12. Medieval Era: Hildegard von Bingen  Ordo Virtutum (“Order of the Virtues”) Ordo Virtutum  Allegorical morality play  The play is about the struggle for a human soul, between the virtues and the devil.

13. Medieval Era: String instruments

14. Bibliography  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire#/ media/File:Tetrarchy_map3.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire#/ media/File:Tetrarchy_map3.jpg  http://rome.mrdonn.org/fall.html http://rome.mrdonn.org/fall.html  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhus  http://quatr.us/science/medicine/dysentery.htm http://quatr.us/science/medicine/dysentery.htm  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- conditions/smallpox/basics/symptoms/con-20022769 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- conditions/smallpox/basics/symptoms/con-20022769  http://slideplayer.com/slide/5749282/ http://slideplayer.com/slide/5749282/  http://www.medievalages.net/2013/07/medieval-life/ http://www.medievalages.net/2013/07/medieval-life/  http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pope-gregory-i- founder-of-gregorian-chant-with-monochord-news- photo/171085503 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pope-gregory-i- founder-of-gregorian-chant-with-monochord-news- photo/171085503  http://www.slideshare.net/semperjamsd/history-of-music-36858150 http://www.slideshare.net/semperjamsd/history-of-music-36858150  http://www.healingchants.com/musicscoreex2.html