THE MEDIEVAL ERA

SACRED VS SECULAR

•Sacred = music of the church•Secular = music anywhere else, popular music

MEDIEVAL MUSIC

• Earliest music• 400-1450• Very simple• Vocal music• Instruments started to be introduced later into this time period

SACRED MUSIC

•Mostly vocal music (no instruments at first)•Small ranges•Music mostly had one or two parts•There were no marked rhythms•“chant music”

CHANT MUSIC

•Unaccompanied vocal music•One part sung in unison• Sacred latin text• Text was a part of the church service•No meter or rhythm• Alternated between choir and soloists

SECULAR MUSIC• Troubadours• Active in Southern France• Mostly poetry set to music• Love songs• Usually used instruments to accompany• Little music was written down• Performed by all classes of society

MORE SECULAR MUSIC

•Touveres and Minnesingers•Mixed tradition of troubadors and sacred music•Northern France and Germany•Many composers adopted this style

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

•Used to accompany dance music• Instruments were divided into two groups•Hauts – loud instruments (shawn, cornetto, drums)• Bas – soft instruments (flute, recorder, harp, lute)

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EARLY MUSIC NOTATION

•Neumes began in the 10th century•11th century neumes were given height to indicate some pitch level•Eventually a one line staff was used

COMPOSERS

HILDEGARD OF BINGEN•1098-1179•One of the few composers who we identify with composing chant music•Woman•Founded a convent near Bingen, Germany

LEONIN•1169-1201•Part of the Clergy at Notre Dame of Paris•Composed organum•Type of music used in special services

MACHAUT• 1300-1377• Most important composer of 14th century• Composed sacred and secular music• “Mass of our Lady” (Mass of Notre Dame)• Best known composition of medieval

music• Whole mass was in 4 part vocal music

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE MEDIEVAL ERA

•Sacred Music v. Secular Music•Few instruments, mostly vocal music•Machaut composed during the Medieval Era

TO SUM UP…

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-medieval-music-history-church-music-composers.html