Middle Ages Music History Music styles

1. Music in History: The Middle Ages
Music Styles
Music Appreciation
Unit 3

2. Gregorian Chant
• The official music of the Catholic Church during
the Middle Ages.
• It is also known as plainsong or plainchant.
• It is called plainsong because of it's plainness.
• Plainchant is in monophonic in texture and it
contains one melodic line without fixed rhythm.
– No fixed rhythm meant that the rhythm was very
flexible and had no sense of beat.
– Melodies also moved by step within a narrow range of
pitches.

3. Gregorian Chant
• It is called Gregorian because it is named after
Pope Gregory (540-607) who was responsible for
collecting and codifying the chant.
• Gregorian Chant was sung in major church
services especially the during Mass.
• Chant was among the first music to be notated.
– Written on a staff with four lines (not five like in
modern day), written by hand (only several thousand
still exist), and most were between the years 600 and
1300

4. Gregorian Chant
• Other characteristics of chant are:
– a Latin text, modal scale, lack of clear phrase
relationships, peacefulness, through composed,
contemplative, meditative, restful, and prayerful.
– http://www.musicappreciation.com/gregoriancha
nt.mp3

5. Organum
• The earliest type of notated polyphony.
• A new note was added to an existing
Gregorian Chant.
• An organ often accompanied the singing,
hence the name organum.
• The Gregorian Chant in an organum was a
slower moving voice and the second added
part was an embellished faster moving part.

6. Organum
• The composers choice of the new note to be added to
the existing chant was a special decision based on what
was considered to be consonant and non-offensive to
the church.
• The interval of a 3rd or 6th was considered too sensual
and the tritone was considered the "devil in music."
• The interval of a fifth was and in some ways still is the
most important interval in the world.
• In the Middle Ages it was considered magical.
• It is the first new note in the overtone series.
• http://www.musicappreciation.com/organum.mp3

7. Motet
• A sacred (and sometimes secular) vocal composition
based on Gregorian Chant with 2 or more parts in
polyphonic texture and more independent rhythmic
parts.
• A medieval motet contains complicated rhythmic
techniques such as isorhythm and hocket.
• A motet also has highly developed polyphony.
• The constant experimentation practiced by composers
writing motets resulted in compositions that sounded
odd and sometimes quirky.
• http://www.musicappreciation.com/motet.mp3

8. Troubadour
• A Poet, composer, and musician of the middle ages who
composed love songs and laments.
• They came from Southern France but roamed throughout
Europe from manor to manor or tavern to tavern in seek of
performances for profit and well being.
• These type of wandering musicians were called Trovieres if
they came from Northern France, Minnesingers from
Germany and Minstrels from England.
• These traveling musicians would play instruments such as
the harp, fiddle, or lute.
• http://www.musicappreciation.com/troubadoursong.mp3

9. Estampie
• Instrumental dance music of the Middle Ages
consisting of short simple phrases that repeat
over and over.
• The dance is lively and consists of frequent
stamping motion, usually in compound meter.
• http://www.musicappreciation.com/estampie.
mp3