Medieval Music.
The Medieval period represents almost a thousand years of the music history of
Europe. Much of the music of this time has been lost. This period is also called the
Middle Ages and the Dark Ages. Most of the composers of this time are anonymous.
That means we don´t know who they are
.
Plainchant. The earliest music of the Middle
Ages was sung slowly and without rhythm or
harmony. Everyone sang the same thing, which
is singing in unison. These simple tunes were
called plainchant because they were so plain
and simple. These tunes are also called
Gregorian Chant, which were named after
Pope Gregory I.
Harmony. Later on other musical lines were
added, creating harmony. This is also called
polyphonic music. This is music for more than
one voice and it appeared during the later
Medieval period. This marked the beginning
of harmony.
Sacred and Secular Music.
Secular music. This is non-religious music.
Travelling musicians called troubadours would
go from town to town playing love songs. They
learned their music by ear. Drums, harps,
recorders, and bagpipes were popular
instruments for these wandering musicians.
This music was usually not written down.
Sacred music. This is religious music. Most of
the music of the early Middle Ages was
written for the Catholic Church.
Notation. During the Medieval period most
music was not written down. Composers who
did write their music down usually worked for
the Catholic Church. Music notation appeared
around the year 900, but it only showed the
pitch. It didn´t tell you anything about the
rhythm. A few hundred years would pass
before the notes showed the rhythm.
Bilingual Project. Music Department.
I.E.S. López-Neyra.