The document provides an overview of medieval music from 500-1450 AD. It discusses the rise of monasteries and cathedrals during this period and the development of universities. Important figures mentioned include Pythagoras who discovered the mathematical relationships between musical notes, Guido d'Arezzo who invented modern musical notation, and Hildegard of Bingen who was a famous composer. The document also describes the various musical instruments of the period as well as genres like plainchant, organum, and early polyphony. Key developments included the Ars Nova style and composers such as Machaut who helped establish secular music.

1. The Middle Ages
500–1450

2. Important historical events
• Fall of Roman Empire (c. 476)
• Dark Ages (500–1000)—all power flowed from the king
with the approval of Roman Catholic Church and its
bishops.
• Rise of monasteries.
• Late Middle Ages (1000–1450)—construction of great
cathedrals and founding of universities throughout
Europe.
• Time of Crusades and knights—Crusades to conquer the
Holy Land from the Muslims.

3. Lincoln Cathedral, England,
1092.

4. Notre Dame, Paris, started 1163.

5. Oxford University, England.
Year of establishments is unknown, teaching existed since 1096.

6. University of Paris,’
The Sorbonne’, France.
Established in the 12th
century.

7. University of Cambridge,
England
Established c. 1209

8. Pythagoras (born between 580 and 572 BC, died
between 500 and 490 BC ).
Pythagoras was very interested in music, and so were his
followers. Pythagoras wanted to improve the music of his day,
which he believed was not harmonious enough and was too
hectic.
According to legend, the way Pythagoras discovered that
musical notes could be translated into mathematical equations
was when one day he passed blacksmiths at work, and
thought that the sounds emanating from their anvils being hit
were beautiful and harmonious and decided that whatever
scientific law caused this to happen must be mathematical and
could be applied to music. He went to the blacksmiths to learn
how this had happened by looking at their tools, he discovered
that it was because the anvils were "simple ratios of each
other, one was half the size of the first, another was 2/3 the
size, and so on."

9. Pythagoras
Please watch segments 3, 4, and 5 from the movie “Equal
Temperament”. You could either click on the link below or
access this movie from the TCC Library Website at Online
Videos, Films on Demand. You will need you Blackboard
credentials to login.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=10879&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Equal%20Temper
ament&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#

10. Medieval woodcut showing
Pythagoras with bells and other
instruments in Pythagorean tuning

11. Neumes – symbols in plainchantindicatedraisingand fallingpitch
and the divisionof syllables.

12. From Neumes to Notes
Watch segments 3 – 6 from the movie “Notation: The Thin Red
Line”. You could either click on the link below or access this
movie from the TCC Library Website at Online Videos, Films on
Demand. You will need you Blackboard credentials to login.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=10877&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Notation:%20The
%20Thin%20Red%20Line&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#

13. By the 13th century, the
neumes of Gregorianchant
were usuallywrittenin square
notation on a staff with four
lines and a clef marker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=dsn9LWh230k

14. Guido of Arezzo – invented
modern musical notation.

15. Modes
Major / minor tonality system was not established until the Baroque
era. The following modes were used in Medieval and Renaissance
music.
You can play these on the virtual piano:
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/pi
ano/index.htm
• Dorian: D E F G A B C D
• Hypodorian: A B C D E F G A
• Phrygian: E F G A B C D E
• Hypophrygian: B C D E F G A B
• Lydian: F G A B C D E F
• Hypolydian: C D E F G A B C
• Mixolydian: G A B C D E F G
• Hypomixolydian: D E F G A B C D
Play examples of the modes on the following page:
http://www.teoria.com/reference/g/gregorian.php

16. Vielle / Fiddle
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=jPKhBkLgFL
k

17. Rebec
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=XWA6oTr0vnU

18. Hurdy Gurdy
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/hurdy1
b.mp3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHmML7bu-iM

19. Harp
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/har
p2.mp3

20. Citole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
kOIGp0ORlJU

21. Psaltery
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/psaltery
.wav
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NafOksjV
Gk

22. Percussion Instruments
• Tambourine
• Bells
• Tabor
• Nackers
http://www.music.ias
tate.edu/antiqua/per
cuss.htm

23. Rauschpfeiff
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/Musica_
Antiqua_nachtanz.mp3

24. Bagpipe
http://www.music.iastate.e
du/antiqua/bagpipe.wav

25. Portative Organ
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/organett.mp3

26. Plucked, Keyboard and
Percussion Instruments
Please watch the following. You will need your credentials to
access the TCC Library website.
Plucked Instruments – segments 1 – 4.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=923&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Plucked%20Instrum
ents&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=
Keyboard and Percussion – segments 1 – 4.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=925&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Keyboard%20and%
20Percussion&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=

27. Brass and Bowed Instruments
Please watch the following. You will need your credentials to
access the TCC Library website.
Brass Instruments – segments 1 – 4.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=926&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Brass%20Instrumen
ts&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=
Bowed Instruments – segments 1 – 4.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=924&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Bowed%20Instrum
ents&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=

28. Sacred Music
• Mass – a service of
the Roman Catholic
Church.
• Plainchant – was used
during the Medieval
Mass. Was called
Gregorian Chant
because of the Pope
St. Gregory The Great
who ordered to
systematize the
chants.
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=kK5AohCM
X0U
A dove representing the Holy Spirit
sitting on Pope Gregory’s shoulder
symbolizes Divine Inspiration

29. Video Assignments
Watch segments 2 and 3.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/Portal
ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=716&psid=0&sid=0&State=&titl
e=The%20First%20Secular%20Music&IsSearch=N&pa
rentSeriesID=#
Watch segment 2, Plain Chant.
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/Portal
ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=10877&psid=0&sid=0&State=&
title=Notation:%20The%20Thin%20Red%20Line&IsSe
arch=N&parentSeriesID=#

30. The Structure of the Mass
• Ordinary chants – texts are the same every mass.
• Kyrie:
Machaut, Messe de Nostre Dame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y1O-BcZQwY
• Gloria:
Machaut, Messe de Nostre Dame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rf5uAnoQYc&list=PL0006DCE1DC5
6A64A
• Credo
• Sanctus
• Benedictus
• Agnus Dei
• Proper chants – texts change every mass.
• Hildegard of Bingen, Alleluia, o virga mediatrix (Alleluia, O
mediating branch), a chant from the Proper of the Mass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ol_QffDhE

31. Early Polyphony
• Polyphonic music – two simultaneous melodic lines.
• Organum - singers in monasteries began experimenting with
adding another part to the chant, generally a voice in parallel
motion. This is how polyphonic music started evolving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR9xkGmUjIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj_jXG7TqVs

32. Hildegard of Bingen
(1098 - 1179)
• A German composer, philosopher, writer, abbess.
• Was given to the church to serve by her parents as a tithe.
• Experienced religious visions.
• Wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters,
liturgical songs, and poems.
• “Illuminations” - art work.
• Ordo Virtutum – an allegorical morality play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2aKyH2NhW0
• Three books of visions.
• A text on herbal medicine.

33. Ars Nova
• A late Middle Ages musical style in France.
• Greater independence of rhythm, use of
syncopation.
• Polyphony was used in secular music.
• New forms – motet, chanson, ballade.
Watch segment 8:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.asp
x?xtid=716&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20First%20Secular%2
0Music&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#

34. Guillaume de Machaut
(1300 – 1377)
• The first composer to create a polyphonic setting of the Ordinary of
the Catholic Mass.
• Wrote in a wide range of styles and forms.
• Helped develop motet and secular song forms.
Watch segment 9:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?
xtid=716&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20First%20Secular%20M
usic&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#
Chanson “Puis pu’en oubli” (Since I am forgotten)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHjWbgRZSrQ
Motet “Quant en moy”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZxAqWV7a0A

35. Secular Music
• Troubadours, trouveres, minnesingers – poet-musicians, some of
them were noble, who wrote mostly about chivalry and courtly love.
Watch segment 7:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?
xtid=716&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20First%20Secular%20Mu
sic&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#
• Summer is Coming – a 13th century English round. Please open both
links and listen looking at the music. An early example of polyphonic
music.
http://www.bl.uk/learning/images/medieval/artmusicliterature/large9
6674.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWWEHAswpFI

36. French troubadour Perdigon (ca. 12 – 13 centuries) playing his fiddle

37. Required readings:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_music
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_(music)
• http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/MUS101-
Unit-4.1.1-CHANT_FINAL.pdf
• http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/MUS-101-
ASSIGNMENT-4-1-3-SECULAR-MUSIC-IN-THE-MIDDLE-
AGES_FINAL.pdf
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_Of_Bingen
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_d%27arezzo
Optional video assignment:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?
xtid=716&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20First%20Secular%20Mu
sic&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#