MEDIEVAL

PERIOD
 MEDIEVAL AGES
• Is also known as the “dark ages”
• Romanesque churches, and monasteries and
Gothic cathedrals were constructed
• Towns grew, and universities were founded and
became the center of musical life
• The most important musicians were priests in
thousand of monasteries
• Boys received music education in schools
associated with churches and cathedrals
• Women were not allowed to sing in church
but did make music in convents
• Medieval music were more on vocal, and wide
selection of instruments served as
accompaniment
 GREGORIAN CHANT
• Was the official music of the Roman Catholic
Church which consisted of melody set to
sacred Latin texts and sung without
accompaniment
• The chant is monophonic in texture, flexible
rhythm, free in meter, and has little sense of
beat
 CHURCH MODES
• Consist of seven different tones and eight
tone that duplicates the first an octave higher
• It is the basic scales of western music during
the Middle ages and renaissance and was
used in secular and sacred music
 SECULAR SONGS
• Composed by French nobles called the
“troubadours” and “trouveres”
• Usually performed by court minstrels, and
most of them deal with love, crusades, dance
songs, and spinning songs
 ORGANUM
• It is the medieval music that consist of
Gregorian chant with one or more additional
melodic lines
 NOTRE DAME MASS
• Is one of the finest composition known from
the middle ages.
• It is the first polyphonic ordinary mass by a
known composer named “Guillaume de
Machaut”
 5 PARTS OF THE MASS
1. Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy)
2. Gloria (Glory to God)
3. Credo (Apostle Creed)
4. Sanctus (Holy)
5. Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
FAMOUS COMPOSERS OF
THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
 HILDEGARD OF BINGEN (1098-1179)
• A German composer, philosopher, Christian Mystic,
Benedict abes, visionary and polymath.
• Also known as Saint Hildegard and Sibyl of the Rhine
• “O Successores” ( You Succssors) was a highly
expressive example of Gregorian chant
• Wrote poetry and music, theological; botanical;
medicinal texts, and musical drama
 ADAM DE LA HALLE (1237-1288)
• Also known as Adam le Bossu (Adam the Hunchback)
• A French-born trouvère, poet and musician
• Literary and musical works include chansons and jeux-partis
(poetic debates) in the style of the trouveres, polyphonic
rondel and motets in the style of early liturgical polyphony
• Wrote musical play, “LeJeu de Robin et Marion” (The robin
and Marion)
• Considered the earliest surviving secular French play with
music
 RENEISSANCE
PERIOD (1450-1600
 RENAISSANCE PERIOD
• Means rebirth, revival and rediscovery
• Period of “looking back” to the Golden Age of Greece and Rome
• Copernicus discovered the actual position of the earth in the solar system
• Martin Luther advocate Protestant Reformation
• Catholic church lost its grip on society and a humanist spirit was born
• This spirit manifested itself in the painting and sculpture of Micheal
Angelo, the plays of Shakespeare,
• And in both the sacred and secular dance and vocal music of the greatest
composers of the era and also known as a Golden Age of A capella Choral
Music
 CHARACTERISTICS OF RENAISSANCE
MUSIC:
1. It enhances the meaning and emotions of the text
2. It uses word painting for musical representation of
specific poetic images
3. It is polyphonic in texture
4. Homophonic texture is used especially in light
music, like dances
5. Imitation among the voices is common
6. Melodies are easier to perform because these move
along a scale with a few large leap
SACRED MUSIC IN RENAISSANCE
1. Motet – is a polyphonic choral work set to a
sacred Latin text other than the ordinary of
the mass
2. Mass – is a polyphonic choral composition
made up of five sections: Kyrie, Gloria,
Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei
 SECULAR MUSIC IN THE
1. Madrigal – aRENNAISANCE
piece for several solo voices
set to a short poem, usually about love. A
madrigal like motet, combines homophonic
and polyphonic textures
Famous composers of the
renaissance Period
 JOSQUIN DESPREZ (1450-1521)
• The master of renaissance music, and a
contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci and
Christopher Columbus
• Josquin’s compositions included masses,
motets, and secular vocal pieces
• Strongly influenced other composers and was
praised enthusiastically by music lovers
 GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA (1525-
1594)
• Greatest master of Roman Catholic Church music
• 104 masses and some 450 other sacred works during the
Renaissance period
• “Pope Marcellus Mass” was the most famous work by Palestrina
• Long thought to have convinced the Council of Trent that
polyphonic masses should kept in Catholic worship
• It was written for a cappella choir of six voice parts: soprano,
alto, two tenors, and two basses
• The focus on the first section of the mass was the Kyrie
 THOMAS WEELKES (1576-1623)
• An English madrigalists composer and organist
• Became organist of Winchester College in 1598,
moving to Chichester Cathedral
• His works were chiefly vocal, and include
madrigals, anthems and services
• Only small amount of instrumental music was
written by Weelkes, and it was not much performed