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Creative Listening 1306
Study Guide II
Music of the Greeks, Medieval, Renaissance
Unit II–The Historical Periods.
Music of Ancient Greece
Our musical heritage derives from the aesthetic, scientific, and philosophical
concepts of the ancient Greeks. Music was an essential component of their
drama and of certain religious rites, as well as entertainment. The followers of
Apollo and of Dionysus, respectively, appreciated the styles of art we refer to as
"classical" (Apollo) and "romantic" (Dionysus).
Greek music was monophonic in texture. It was generally improvised, and few
written examples have survived. However, our knowledge of Greek scientific
theories of acoustics, the tuning of instruments, and the relationship of sounds to
each other has profoundly affected the development of music in the West.
We continue to seek the perfect relationship, as described by the Greeks, between
words and music. Our music language includes many Greek terms, and Greek
mythology continues to supply composers with provocative subject matter.
Medieval Period (500-1400)
Rome conquered Greece in c.100 B.C. They assimilated many ideas, theories and
practices and spread them throughout the Roman Empire. Rome fell in 476 A.D.
and Europe fell into darkness.. In the 7th century, the Catholic church began to
rise in power peaking in the 13th century. The Medieval period witnessed the
rise of the modern European nations, growth of cities, rise in capitalism,
foundation of the Medieval universities, and a growing secular life resulting in
general recognition of the separation of church and state.
Music’s role during the Medieval period:
•In philosophy it was treated as a science.
•In worship it was the bearer of the church liturgy
•In society it’s value was in entertainment, self-expression and artistic
creativity.
Medieval Genres
Cantus Firmus A given melody, often drawn from chant, which is used as the
basis of a new polyphonic composition.
Organum The earliest form of polyphony; based upon chant. The great master
of organum was Léonin.
Chant Music to which portions of the Catholic service are sung. The texture is
monophonic, the timbre that of unaccompanied voices. Often referred to as
Gregorian chant after Pope Gregory (590-604) who re-organized and unified the
musical liturgy.
Mass A re-creation and commemoration of the Last Supper. The ordinary of the
Mass, whose text always stays the same, is:
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
Motet In the Medieval period, the motet was a polyphonic vocal form usually
consisting of two melodic lines, each with its own text, above a Cantus Firmus.
Chanson The French word for song whether popular or art song, monophonic
or polyphonic. In the early 12th century the chanson was cultivated by the
troubadours (poet/musicians) in Southern France. By the latter part of the
century, the Touvères in Northern France also picked up on this practice.
Ars Antiqua The prevalent style of the 13th century. Representative composers
are Lèonin and Pèrotin.
Ars Nova The music style of the 14th century. Representative composer is
Machaut.
The Renaissance (1400–1600)
The Renaissance was a time of optimism and self-discovery. Artists dissected
cadavers to learn of human anatomy; explorers began to travel the world; clerics
and lay people began to question the church’s authority and individuals like Da
Vinci questioned everything.
Renaissance means “Rebirth.”
•interest in arts of ancient Greece and Rome.
•works of antiquity were re-discovered, admired and copied.
•Painters and sculptors studied the human body by dissecting corpses.
•many nudes in art to glorify the naturalness and beauty of the human form.
•Art was more natural, realistic and enhanced by new materials and techniques
such as high quality paints with longer lasting color.
Painters mastered linear perspective.
•Trends toward secularization; church no longer the only patron.
•Florence was the center of the early movement–they were very receptive to the
new “ideas.”
•Printing made possible dissemination of new concepts causing movement to
spread to rest of Italy and to other European countries.
•Explorers introduced Europeans to foreign luxuries. The Spanish, Portuguese
and the English explorers led the way.
Reformation (1517)
Martin Luther (German scholar and monk) dared to criticize the excesses and
abuses he observed in the Catholic church. He desired “reform” not rebellion
against the church. The movement gained momentum and spread throughout
Europe.
Other Protestant movements
•John Calvin in Switzerland develops the psalter-collections of psalm tunes.
•King Henry VIII of England declared Catholicism illegal in 1534 and
established the Church of England.
•In France the Huquenots increased despite persecution by the Catholics. Many
fled to Holland.
Counter-Reformation
A movement of concerned Catholics known as the Council of Trent spent from
1545-1563 formulating specific recommendations for improvements in Catholic
procedures. Composer Palestrina, created music that shows an awareness of and
sensitivity to some of the criticisms of Catholic music voiced by the Protestants.
Music of the Renaissance
• "Classic" in characteristics
•Began in the Netherlands
•Most music was religious in nature
•Renaissance musicians preferred homogeneous sound.
•Texture was very polyphonic. Renaissance known as the “Golden Age of
Polyphony.”
The Mass was still the main genre of the Renaissance. Many masses
incorporated or were based on popular tunes. The Council of Trent was
concerned about this and that the mass was becoming more artful than
devotional-to complex to understand the words. New masses were:
Requiem mass–mass for the dead
Organ mass–only for the Ordinary; very polyphonic. For organ in alternation
with chant.
Chorale Congregational song or hymn. Strophic (same music-different words).
The texts were newly written or adapted from religious poems while others were
adopted from Catholic music or from folk or popular tunes. Early on the chorales
were unaccompanied and sung in unison. Later on, there was four-part
harmonization being sung.
Psalm Tunes Tuneful settings of the 150 psalms in versions suitable for
congregational singing. John Calvin arranged the words in verses that were
metered and rhymed creating the first psalter. These psalm tunes were
unaccompanied, unison singing in church.
Consort a term for a small instrumental ensemble of several members of the
same instrument family. Recorders, trumpets (the "kings" instrument), and
trombones were popular Renaissance wind instruments. The lute was an
important plucked stringed instrument; the most widely used instrument of the
sixteenth century.
Listening Examples
CD Disc 1 (track 12)–"Kyrie"–Gregorian chant
CD Disc 1 (track 13)– "Sumer is Icumen In"–English canon
CD Disc 1 (track 14)–"Agnus Dei"–Palestrina
CD Disc 1 (track 15)–"As Vesta Was Descending"–Weelkes
CD Disc 1 (track 16)–"Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard”-Dowland
CD Disc 1 (track 23)–"Moro Lasso"–Gesualdo
CD Disc 1 (track 26)–"Sonata Pian' e forte"–Gabrieli