Medieval MusicInfluential People

Part One – Early Sacred (Church) Music

Early Medieval ComposersRomanos the Melodist (c.490-c.556) – one of the earliest acknowledged composers. It is said that he wrote over 1000 hymns while working at the Hagia Sophia (great church of Constantinople) during the Byzantine Empire. Roughly 60-80 are still available today.Saint Yared (505-571) – Legendary Ethiopian church musician who ‘invented’ music and notation principles for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.Saint Kassia (810-865) – Byzantine hymnographer (one who composes and organizes hymns). She is one of the first important female musicians. Her hymns can easily be interpreted by today’s scholars and are still included in the music of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Romanos the MelodistSaint Yared

Saint Kassia

Saint KassiaHere is a performance of Saint Kassia’s Apostate Tyranno

Early Medieval ComposersNotker the Stammerer (c.840-912) – Benedictine Monk in Switzerland. He wrote Liber hymnorum , a series of sequences (poems set to music) for use in church services. One of the earliest collections of church music.Odo of Arezzo (late 10th century) – Wrote a book of plainchants that include some of the earliest writing about church modes.Ademar de Chabannes (c.988-1034) – French monk who wrote mass music for Saint-Martial church in Limoges, France. Some of his music has been recently recorded by the New York Ensemble for Early Music.Wipo of Burgundy (c.955-c.1048) – a priest and writer, wrote Victimae paschali laudes – an Easter sequence (poem to music) that is still in use today. Hermann of Reichenau (1013-1054) – born with either cerebral palsy or spina bifida and had difficulty walking & talking. His parents put him in a Benedictine monastery at 7 years old. He grew up there and wrote Alma Redemptoris Mater (a prayer that composers have set to music) and the hymn Salve Regina which is still in use today.

Wipo of BurgundyHere is a performance of Victimae paschali laudes (Christians to the Paschal Victims).

Early Medieval ComposersGuido of Arezzo (991-1033) – Benedictine monk and music theorist. Regarded as the father of modern notation. Constantly devising ways to teach singers traditional Gregorian chant. Developed early solfege system (do-re-mi, etc) based on the first six notes

of the hymn Ut queant laxis. Developed the Guidoian Hand – a visual music learning system that linked

note names to parts of the hand. Invited to Rome by Pope John XIX to demonstrate his various teaching

techniques to the priests and singers there.

Guido’s house in Arezzo.Honorary plaque with solfege.

Early Medieval ComposersSaint Goderic (c.1065-1170) – English hermit & merchant. He wrote 4 hymns in English that are the earliest English music manuscripts to survive.

Saint GodericManuscript of 4 hymns.

Saint GodericHere is a performance of two of the four English hymns by St Goderic – Criste and Saint Marie

Medieval ComposersAdam of Saint Victor (d.1146) – prolific composer of Latin hymns and sequences. Many of his compositions were discovered and published over the years, the latest in the Bibliothèque Nationale, a listing of all French publications.Peter Abelard (1079-1142) – French philosopher & composer. Wrote a completely original hymn book in 1130 – the earliest known sacred music that is not plainchant. One melody from this collection, O quanta qualia has survived.Albert of Paris (1146-1177) – French composer and cantor (music leader). He is credited with creating the first known piece of European music for three voices. Worked at the Notre Dame Cathedral along with the Medieval master Leonin (more on him next week).

Peter Abelard Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France

Medieval ComposersSaint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) German writer, composer, philosopher. Recognized as one of the earliest European women composers. Most famous work is Ordo Virtutum (Play of the Virtues), believed to be the

earliest surviving ‘morality play.’ Wrote several liturgical songs that were collected into a cycle known as

Symphonia armoniae celestium revelationum (wow.. that’s a big title!) The majority of her music is plainchant – (one melodic line) Songs are left to rhythmic interpretation – only general pitches are notated. Claimed to receive visions from heaven as inspiration for composing. Her music has underwent a recent revival, due to the study of women in the

Medieval period.

Hildegard receiving a visionHildegard in a music room. Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of BingenHere is a performance of Hildegard of Bingen’s setting of Kyrie Elesion (Lord Have Mercy).

Next presentation – Part 2More influential composers, musicians, etc. of the Middle Ages.