I
my high school history courses.
a. Agree
b. Disagree
Music as Aesthetic Object:
Sounds that are great to listen to in the present
Music as Historical/Cultural Artifact:
Document that tells us about past culture
I. Historical Background: Medieval Period
(a. k. a. The Middle Ages)
A. Invention of the Renaissance (15th-16th c.)
B. Dates
1. Beginning = 4th or 5th century A. D.
•(a)312 A. D. Conversion to Christianity of Constantine
•(b)410 A. D. Fall of Rome
•(c)476 A. D. End of Roman Empire
2. Music Notation dates from after 800 A. D.
3. End of Medieval Period: 1400 or 1475?
C. Cultural Importance of “The Church”
I. Historical Background: (cont.)
D. The Musical Repertoire
1. Gregorian Chant, Plainchant, Plainsong,
Chant
E. Pope Gregory I
F. Charlemagne (France)
Political Unification +
Invention of Notation = “Standardizaton”
Change from Oral to Written Tradition=
“Crystallization”
G. The Function of “Gregorian” Chant
Chant = the sounding liturgy (worship)
II. Musical Style of Gregorian Chant
A. Texture
a. Monophonic b. Homophonic
c. Polyphonic
a. Duple
c. nonmetrical
B. Meter
b. triple
C. Rhythm
? Not notated
D. Timbre
Vocal & all male or female voices
E. Melodic Contour
F. Note Structure
II. Musical Style of Gregorian Chant
A. Texture
a. Monophonic b. Homophonic
c. Polyphonic
a. Duple
c. nonmetrical
B. Meter
b. triple
C. Rhythm
? Not notated
D. Timbre
Vocal & all male or female voices
E. Melodic Contour
a. Mainly stepwise/conjunct b. Mainly angular/disjunct
F. Note Structure
The modal system
Based on 8 modes
Each mode uses the
same 7 notes as major scale
Note other than ^1 = final
Each mode has 7 notes
Modes lack leading-tone effect: lacks, striving,
goal-driven quality of later music
III. Style and Function
A. The Liturgical Day
Mass and Offices
Matins
Lauds
Prime
Terce
3-4 AM
Daybreak
6
9
Mass
Morning
Sext
None
Vespers
Compline
Noon
3 PM
Sunset
Before retiring
III. Style and Function (cont.)
B. Two Special Chant Formulas
1. Recitational Chant
2. Psalm Tones (used to sing Psalms-Bible’s poetry)
Tenor
Tenor
Intonation
(lead-in)
Mediant
(comma)
Termination
(period)
III. Style and Function (cont.)
C. Word-Music Relationships
1. Syllabic
2. Melismatic (melisma)
3. Neumatic (neumes)
D. Performance Style
1. Direct
2. Responsorial
3. Antiphonal
IV. Exercising the Historical Imagination