Transcript Middle Ages- Music

Middle Ages- Music
450 A.D.- 1450 A.D.
Music of the Church
• Liturgy- Church Music used in worship
• The Church was an important patron to the
arts, especially music
• Majority of Musicians & Composers were
supported by the church
• Musical sample: Gregorian Chant- The Monks
of St. Benedict
– http://www.themiddleages.net/alleluia_psallite.m
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Musical Notation
• Not created until 800 A.D.
• Time-consuming task, so done ONLY for
church music, transcribed by monks.
• Every Copy was hand written
• Most music preserved is from church music
• Notation is a main feature of Western Music
Monophony vs. Polyphony
• Monophonic- Single line or unison line of
music
• Polyphonic- Multiple lines of music performed
at the same time
• Precursor to modern instrumental
arrangements and SATB choral works
Nobility Culture- Secular Music
• Began in Southern
France & grew all over
Europe
• Aristocrats performed
and composed music
• Troubadour- composer
of secular music with
instruments and lyrics
Composers
• Anonymous
– Composer to which oral
songs were attributed to
when recorded in
musical notation
because the original
recorder was unknown
– Representative of all
different types of people
and people from various
classes
• Hildegard Van Bingen
(1098-1179)
– Female composer
– “insprired by divine
visions”
– Wrote many
monophonic church
pieces for female voices
– Did not have formal
music training