Music in the Middle Ages and
the Renaissance
The Middle Ages (450 - 1450 A.D.)
• Also know as the Medieval Period
• Begins around the time that Roman Empire
disintegrated
• Sharp divisions in classes: peasantry, nobility,
clergy
• Very heavy presence of the Catholic Church
• Thus, large amounts of music was centered
around church/faith-related aspects, although
not all music was not religious
Sacred vs. Secular
• Sacred music: is music performed or
composed for religious use or through
religious influence. Mostly vocal, some
instruments such as the organ were later
added.
• Secular music: nonreligious music, using both
voices and instruments at will .
Sacred Music of the Middle Ages
• Gregorian Chant
Qualities
• Monophonic – one melodic line
• Step-wise – no large intervals
• Meter-less – no defined meter
• Modal tonality – not major or minor
• Alleluia: vidimus stellum – Anon.
Neumes
Sacred Music of the Middle Ages
• Organum – Gregorian chant + added lines
Qualities:
• Polyphonic – more that one melodic line
• Step-wise
• Eventually became metered
• Modal tonality
• Alleluia: Nativitas – Perotin
Sacred Music of the Middle Ages
• Ars nova – ‘new art’, a style of polyphony with
rhythmic notation that could divide notes into
duple and triple division and allow for
syncopation
• The mass ordinary: consists of texts regularly
recited in Catholic church services
• Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Angus Dei
• Angus Dei, Notre Dame Mass – Machaut
Secular Music of the Middle Ages
• Bards, minstrels, jongleurs, troubadours, and
trouveres
• Songs deal with love, nature, and great deeds
• Dances accompanied music (estampie)
• Instruments widely used
• Metered
• Estampie – Anon.
• Ecco la Primavera - Landini
The Renaissance (1450 – 1600)
• The ‘rebirth’ of human creativity
• The Catholic Church loses its control on
everyday culture with the rise of Humanism
and the Protestant Revolution
• Resurgence of Classical form (Greek & Roman)
• Spread of learning and literacy
Sacred Music of the Renaissance
• Motet - polyphonic setting of Latin sacred text
Qualities
• Polyphonic
• Step-wise and intervallic
• Metered
• Modal and major/minor sounding
• Ave Maria...virgo serena - Desprez
Sacred Music of the Renaissance
• Mass - consists of texts regularly recited in
Catholic church services
Qualities
• Polyphonic
• Calm, ‘otherworldly’
• Metered
• Tonality strong reflects major/minor system
• Pope Marcellus Mass: Kyrie - Palestrina
Secular Music of the Renaissance
• Madrigal – polyphonic musical setting of poetry
• Began in Italy then imitated in England
Qualities
• Polyphonic
• Metered
• Tonality reflects major/minor system
• As Vesta Was Descending - Weelkes
Secular Music of the Renaissance
• Ballett (fa-la) – song genre in which a repative
melody alternated with sections of fa-la-las
Qualities
• Homophonic
• Fast, dance-like
• Now is the Month of Maying - Morely
Secular Music of the Reniassance
• Instrumental music, although still not as
upheld as vocal music, became more
important in the Renaissance.
• Instrument developments created instruments
such as the recorder, lute, viols, harps,
kettledrums, cornetts, sackbuts, and others
• Terpsichore: Passamezzo – Praetoris