Download Medieval Era Study Guide

Medieval Era Study Guide (476ish-1450ish)
1. SACRED MUSIC (religious)
a. Catholic: Latin
i. (one part of the mass in Greek: Kyrie
Eleison)
ii. Mass
1. Long church service set to music
2. Mass Proper
a. Special Occasions
3. Mass Ordinary
a. Always the same texts
b. Plainchant/Gregorian Chant
i. Always in Latin
ii. Only sung by men ordained by church
iii. Pope Gregory The Great
1. Mythology: dove spoke into his ear
and taught him plainchants
iv. Monophonic: “one sound”
1. No instruments
2. All voices in unison (same line)
3. No time signature, no beat
v. Phrases
1. Melismatic: large number of notes
per syllable of text
2. Neumatic: small number of notes
per syllable of text
3. Syllabic: ONE note per syllable
2. Organum
a. “drone” one long held note
b. Harmony: two or more pitches at the same
time
c. Polyphonic: “many sounds” more than one
vocal line at the same time (Polyphony)
d. Parallel motion: 2 lines move
homorhythmically in the same direction at
the same time
3. Hildegard von Bingen
a. German female composer of plainchant
b. Wrote primarily for women’s voices
c. Abbess of a convent (nun)
d. Hermit – lived alone with one attendant
e. Broke many rules of plainchant composition
f. Well-respected, had “visions”
4. Paris, France at Notre Dame
a. Leonin – composer of polyphonic organum
i. Magnus Liber Organi “Great Book of
Organum”
b. Perotin – added more vocal lines to Leonin’s
compositions, added his own compositions
i. 3-4 Part Harmony
c. Ars Nova – “new art”
i. Ars Antiqua – “old art”
SECULAR MUSIC (non-religious music)
1. France: Troubadours/Trouverres
2. Germany: Minnesingers
3. England: Minstrels
a. Songs/chansons
i. Love, royalty/court life, chivalry
ii. Sung in the language of their
countries
iii. Catchy tunes, popular songs
iv. Sung, accompanied by instruments
v. “Rounds” – vocal parts that echo
each other
vi. French Composer of Chansons:
1. Guillaume de Machau
b. Instruments
i. Bas: soft
1. Flute, recorders, harps,
lute/guitar
ii. Haut: loud
1. Drums, sackbut, horns
4. VOCAL PARTS:
a. Soprano
b. Alto
c. Tenor
d. Bass