Music
History
Early Music
Before 1400
Renaissance
1400-1600
MAIN CONCEPTS
•aural tradition
•monophony
VOCABULARY
•sacred
•secular
•chant
•monophony
•organum
•motet
•madrigal
Early Music &
Renaissance
Early Music
During the Middle Ages, there were two basic
categories of music: sacred (of the church)
and secular (popular, non-religious music
of the time). Manuscripts were expensive
to create, so most music of the medieval
time was learned by being passed in an
aural tradition, or that which is learned from
listening and imitating. Very little music was
notated (written) during this
time.
Sacred music was based
in chant, the earliest form
of music in the Christian
church. Chant was
originally monophonic, a
single musical line sung in
unison. Towards the end
of the 9th century, singers
began experimenting with
adding a second line to the
chant, usually in a parallel
musical line to the chant.
This technique was called organum, and
represents the beginnings of harmony.
Towards the end of the Middle Ages,
organum gradually developed into the most
important sacred song form, the motet.
Secular music was passed from area
to area by means of traveling musicians,
who were entertainers that earned their
living by touring from town to town, singing
monophonic songs that were probably
accompanied on instruments. Out of
this tradition was born the most common
secular song of the time, the madrigal, a
composition for two or three voices with a
non-sacred theme.
The instruments of this
time were most often
small and portable,
especially since they
were being used by
traveling musicians.
The most common of
these were the cornett
(early clarinet), flute, and recorder; string
instruments included the lute and the psaltery,
and performances also included hand drums.
Many of our modern-day instruments
are their descendants.
Much of the music from the Middle
Ages was anonymous, but there
were several composers which are
acknowledged for their musical
contributions during this time. Leonin
and Perotin were both associated
with the further development of
chant. Other noted composers of the
Medieval period include Philippe de
Vitry and Guillaume de Machaut.
Notable Historical Events
•The Crusades
•Battle of Hastings
•Magna Carta
•The Black Death
•Hundred Years’ War
Notable Period Art & Architecture
•Gothic cathedrals
•Mosaics
•Fresco
•Illuminations
Period Artists & Writers
The Renaissance
Renaissance means rebirth or
reconstruction. During the 1400’s, Western
Europe was enjoing an explosion of the arts,
both visual and musical, as well as emphasis
on science and medicine. This trend is the
direct result of the humanist movement, a
return to intellectual studies and the quest
for realism and human emotion in art.
Both sacred and secular music was still
primarily vocal. The trend of sacred and
secular music continued, but was gaining
complexity in song structure and harmony,
using polyphony, a compositional
technique in which the music consists of
two or more independent melodic voices.
The music of the Renaissance is still divided
between sacred and secular musical forms.
The most common sacred song forms are
the mass and the motet. Chansons (the
french word for song) and madrigals remain
the most common types of secular music.
During the Renaissance, music which was
instrumental began to gain popularity. Music
was written for consorts, or ensembles
of string instruments. Two important
keyboard instruments were invented: the
clavichord and the virginal. The most
common instrumental music forms were the
prelude, the toccata and the canzona. The
most common dance forms which gained
popularity during the Renaissance included
the pavane, galliard, allemande and
courante.
Notable Historical Events
•The Reformation
•King Henry VIII
•First book printed in
English
•Magellan takes first
trip around the world
•Copernicus theory
(Earth revolves around
the Sun)
•Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519): Mona Lisa
•Michelangelo Buanarroti (1475-1564): David
•Jan van Eyck (1390-1441): Arnolfini Marriage
•William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Romeo &
Juliet
Notable Composers
Guillaume DuFay
(1397-1474)
Most influential writer of early
polyphonic music in the 15th
century; wrote both sacred and
secular music. Compositions:
Missa sine nomine, Nuper
rosarum flores.
Josquin des Prez
(c.1450- 1521)
Acknowledged
as the greatest
writer of polyphony.
Compositions: Missa
L’homme arme sexti
toni, Missa Pange lingua.
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina
(c1525- 1594)
Most famous 16th-century Italian
composer; greatly influenced Roman
Catholic sacred music.
Compositions: Missa Papae Marcelli,
Stabat Mater.
William Byrd (1543-1623)
English composer who
wrote mostly sacred music
for both the Roman and
Anglican church. His
keyboard compositions laid
the foundation for Baroque
organ and harpsichord music. Compositions:
I Have Longed for Thy Saving Health, Mass for
Five Voices.
Thomas Morley (1557/8-1602)
Most important composer of
English madrigals; the only
contemporary of Shakespeare
to set his text to music.
Compositions: April is in my
Mistress’ Face, Now is the month of
Maying.
MAIN CONCEPTS
•growth of
instrumental
music
•polyphony
VOCABULARY
•polyphony
•chansons
•consorts
•pavane
•galliard
•allemande
•courante