Medieval Music

Organization of the mass

1. Kyrie 2. Gloria 3. Credo 4. Sanctus 5. Agnus Dei

medieval modes

12 different modes. 7 notes in each.

organum

Earliest form of polyphany that we know of 2 or more voices Started off being non metric, went into metric Still in the medieval mode

Through composed

Characteristic of plainchant. No real motivic element, voices are just doing their own thing. Think of it in contrast to other forms (in sonata form, a theme that returns later). That's not through-composed since it comes back.

Machaut

Composer of the ars nova period. Composed both motets and sacred music.

Hildegard von Bingen

Female composer, composed plainchants in her own highly individual style. Respected by kings and many others around her.

de Vitry

French composer of motets.

reciting tone

Gregorian recitation has a central reciting tone and varies from it, but always comes back to it.

motet

Kept the Gregorian chant, but added text (typically love poetry) to the upper parts. In medieval times, a lot of experimenting with rhythm occured with the motet.

chant/plainchant

Monophonic, sung in medieval modes. "Sung like it was said". Non metrical.

Motet vs. Mass

Motet allowed for different texts in the voices For the Mass, you could only use the one text in the mass itself.

Pope Gregory I

Named Gregorian chant after him Collected and codified church chants

Leonin and Perotin

Part of the Notre Dame school. Experimented with more and more voices in polyphony, and with adding meter and rhythm in their organum

Definition of the Medieval period and the role of music

Period from the 400s through the 1200s. Tune and polyphony originated in this time. Almost all of the music that was created or composed in this period was made for the Christian church. Monophony and polyphony were both used.

ars nova

The "new art" - around 1300, characterized by technical developments in rhythm and polyphony. Compared to the "ars antiqua" of the Notre Dame composers. Machaut and de Vitry were the biggest composers here.

melisma

Singing one syllable, but over many notes

Bernart de Ventadorn

Troubador poet. Many other pieces were derived from him.

hocket

a "hiccup" - fast echoes between different two parts.

troubadours, trouveres, and minnesingers

traveling minstrels (normally "noble poet-composers") who performed court songs, typically about unrequited love. Troubadours - southern France Trouveres - northern France Minnesingers - Germany