The Middle Ages
Chants
Singing- a way of uttering words that sets them apart from ordinary speech
Plainchant or Gregorian chant- official music of the catholic church in the middle ages
-great repertory of melodies designated for the many religious texts that were sung at services in
churches and monastaries
-melody used at more significant occasions
(Gregorian because it was named after the famous pope.)
(plain- because it was uaccompanied, monophonic)
Characteristics of plainchant:
-can consist of a simple recitation on a monotone, with only slight deviations from that single pitch
-can be intricate and have hundreds of notes ranging well over an octave
common characteristics: 1) nonmetrical- no clearly established meter, not beat, no rhythm
2)not construed in the major/minor system, but according to one of the medieval modes—around D,E,F,
or G
Reciting tone- the pitch on which the text is sung is held except for small variations at the beginnings
and ends of phrases. These punctuate the text, make it easier to understand, and give the singers time
for breath
Gregorian melody- different genres of plainchant became more melodic
Vere Dignum
In paradisum (melody-antiphon)
Columba aspexit- Hildegard of Bingen (melodic-sequence= more elaborate kind of melody than
antiphon)- consists of a series of short tunes sung twice with some variation A A’ B B’ C C’
Instrumental drone- a single two note cord running continuously- serene quality, help with pitch
Troubadour and Trouvere Songs
Troubadours- noble poet-composers who performed the songs themselves—knights, princes, kings, also
women troubadours
some troubadours only wrote lyrics while jongleurs would compose music
jongleurs play a tune while troubadours, sometimes improvise a tune or play a drone
Bernart de Ventadom- La dousa votz
estampie- they are unassuming one-line pieces in which the same or similar musical phrase are repeated
many times in varied form (instrumental dance)- triple meter, percussion instruments
Early Polyphony- organum- a traditional plainchant melody to which a composer has added another
melody in counterpart sung silmultaneously to the same words
Later polyphony- motet- sacred vocal composition.
Motet- upper lines given their own words, set to sacred text, and love poems
Mauchaut’s (motet)- quant en moi- isorhythm- writing successive lengthy passages in identical rhythms
but with distinct melodies
Polyphony- simultaneous combination of two or more melodies
Hocket- fast echoes between the two singers
Renaissance-rebirth
“paraphrased” – embellished chants with extra notes and set them in graceful rhythms and soothed out
passages that struck them as awkward or antiquated, but still unpredicted harmonies if compared with
baroque
-sensitivity to sonority (sound quality) and melody was sign of renaissance
Music as Expression1) accuate declamation made sure words were sung to rhythms and melodies that approximated normal
speech, declamation- the way words are set to music
2)word painting- match music to the meaning of the words that were being set
The Mass- most important church service
chansons- polyphonic songs, no more isorhythm, simpler, gentler, suppler
-large scale music- 5 section form
Josquin- Mass, Kyrie
Josquin- Mille Regrets- chanson
Madrigal- short composition set to a one-stanza poem-typically a love poem, with rapid turnover of
ideas and images
-more homophony, words were more important
Weelkes, "As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending – word painting- is the musical technique of
writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song. (English Madrigal)
Instrumental Music- violins and harpsichords, lute
instrumentalists would either play alng with singers in vocal music or else play motets, chansons, and
othr genre by themselves without words.
Renaissance Dances1) pavan-duple meter
usually paired with 2) galliard- faster dance in triple meter
less formal- saltarello, irish jig, bransle
Anonymous- Daphne (Galliard)
Early Baroque
definite meter
basso continuo- organ, harpsichord, cellos or bassoons- adds chords continuously to go with bass line—
clarifying harmony and making the texture bind or jell.
ground bass or basso ostinato- music constructed from bottom up
baroque developed modern/major system
Functional Harmony- one chord follows another in a predicitble and purposeful way. Way of organizing
large scale pieces
Gabrieli- O Magnum Mysterium- of a larger motet written for Christmas- early baroque
Control and Extravagance
Fugue- a composition written systematically in imitative polyphony, usually with a single main theme,
the fugue subject
Concerto/concerto grosso- soloist/soloists with orchestra in background
solo/ritornello form
Bach- Air- dance form, walking bass (cello and bass viols), strings and continuo play
Handel- hallelujah chorus- from Oratorio called Messiah, not staged, sacred- on birth of Christ