Medieval/Middle Ages
and Renaissance Music
Your question to me….
 “Keith, why don’t we spend more time on music from
the Medieval/Middle Ages and the Renaissance?”
The most important concept!
 Sacred vs. Secular
Medieval vs. Renaissance
Easy dates to remember….
 Medieval/Middle Ages
 c. 450-1450
 Renaissance
 c. 1450-1650
Just any old church door?
October 31, 1517
 Martin Luther
 95 Theses


Women (castrati)
Vernacular
The Culture of the Medieval/
Middle Ages



Almost all patronage (sponsorship) from the church
Most surviving music is sacred
Later Middle Ages: cities, cathedrals, art, and literature
450
1450
Which are you?
Two Types of Chant
 Syllabic: One note (or sometimes two) note(s) per
syllable.
Dies Irae
Day of wrath! O day of mourning!
See fulfilled the prophets' warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning!
Two Types of Chant
 Melismatic: multiple notes per syllable.
Whitsunday Mass, “Alleluia, emitte spirit”
Quick comparison…
 Dies Irae
 Mozart (1791)
 Verdi (1900)
(3:50)
Essay question: What are the differences between these
three Dies Irae compositions?
(And… we’ll here at least two more!)
Naxos CD#1, track 1
 De Profundis
“…From the depths, I cry to Thee, Lord…”
Psalm 130
Listen for…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Sacred Latin text
Male voices
No harmony*
No rhythmic*interest
No dynamic* variation
Melismatic* writing
Confined vocal range
A capella*
Life in the Medieval/Middle Ages Cloister
 Cloister
Monastery (men)
Convent (women)
The place of women…
 Where are the women in “classical” music?
 How many times will we ask that question?

Any early feminists?
Hildegard of Bingen
The Music of Hildegard of Bingen
(1098–1179)

1150 founded convent in Germany

Known for miracles and prophecies

Three collections of visions & prophecies in manuscript

Composed religious poetry with music (Morality play)
The Play of the Virtues (Ordo virtutum)
Vision: The Life of Hildegard
Naxos CD1, Track #2
Alleluia!
O virga mediatrix,
sancta viscera tua
mortem superaverunt
et venter tuus
omnes creaturas illuminavit
in pulcro flore
de suavissima integritate
clausi pudoris tui orto.
Alleluia!
O branch, mediator,
your holy body
overcame death,
and your womb
illuminated all creatures
with the beautiful flower
born from the sweetest integrity
of your chaste honor.
Listen for…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Sacred Latin text, but…
Male voices
No harmony*
No rhythmic*interest
No dynamic* variation
Melismatic* and Syllabic* writing
Extended vocal range
A capella*
Various sections between solo* and tutti*
Which leads us to…..
 Opera*
 The Coronation of Poppea

Claudio Monteverdi
 Voice assignments (including countertenors/castrati)
Warning! (Just the first of many.)
The Rise of Polyphony*:
The Notre Dame School
Cathedral of Notre
Dame, Paris.
 Notated rhythm* and
pitch.
 Multiple “voices”
Motets*
 Sacred*, usually in Latin
 Any number of voices*
 Accompanied *
 Spem in alium
I have never put my hope in any other but in you,
O God of Israel
who can show both anger
and graciousness,
and who absolves all the sins of suffering man
Lord God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth
be mindful of our humiliation
Madrigals*





Secular*
A cappella*
Vernacular*
Word painting*
Fair Phyllis
Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone
Feeding her flock near to the mountain side.
The shepherds knew not,
they knew not whither she was gone,
But after her lover Amyntas hied (sic),
Up and down he wandered
whilst she was missing;
When he found her,
O then they fell a-kissing.
Early Instrumental Music




Central role in art music reserved for vocal music.
Instrumental music mostly improvised.*
Soft (piano* or bas) or loud (forte* or haut)
instruments.
Categorized by their use (indoor or outdoor) .
Early Instrumental
Music
Vielle
Mandolin
Lute
Early Instrumental Music
Dulcimer
Psaltery
Medieval Organs
 Small instruments (Portative)
 Sound clip
 Large instruments (Positive)
Naxos CD1, Track #3
 Gloria from Missa Papae Marcelli
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
1525-94
Sacred Latin Text
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te. Benedicimus te.
Adoramus te. Glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam
tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater
omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe
deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus.
Tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe.
Cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.
Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father
Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world, have
mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the
Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord;
thou only art most high, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the
Father.
Amen.
Listen for…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Sacred* Latin text
Male voices (treble/castrato*?!)
Intricate harmonies*
Detailed rhythm*
Wide dynamic* variations
Melismatic* and Syllabic* writing
Extended vocal range
A capella*
Various sections between solo* and tutti*
Naxos CD2, Track #4
 Pavane*
 William Byrd (1543-1623)
Viol*
Viol* fast facts
 viola da gamba and lute
 bowed, fretted, stringed musical instruments
 developed in the 13th century
 most popular and important instrument through the
15th century
Listen for…
 Instrumental only
 Secular* purpose (dance)
 Strong, predictable dance rhythm*
 Polyphonic* voices
Quick comparison…
 Gabriel Faure: Pavane (1887)
Essay Question
 What are the differences between the two Pavane
compositions?