Music of the Middle AgesA. Gabriele

Middle Ages● Started with the decline of the Roman Empire and the rise of

Christianity in Europe

● Lasted from approximately 400-1450 A.D.

● Latin started to divide up into the Romance languages, like Spanish, French, and Italian, but Latin remained the academic and music language

● The early middle ages was a period of deurbanisation, depopulation, and invasion for Europe

● The late middle ages was a period of famine, plague, and war. A third of all Europeans died from the Black Death.

The Roman Empire at it’s greatest extent

Europe in 450 A.D.

Europe in 814 A.D.

Europe in 900 A.D.

Europe in 1370 A.D.

● named for Pope Gregory II who reigned from 715 to 731 A.D.

● sacred monophonic vocal music

● set to the Latin text of the Catholic Mass, known as the liturgy

● the melodic line is based on the modes that are similar, but not the same, as the ancient Greek modes

Gregorian Chant

Organum● added a part over the existing

sacred Gregorian chant

● parallel organum is the most basic form adding hollow sounding harmonies

● Leonin (1163-1190) Perotin (1180-1207) and Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) were important composers in this period.

● this period is known as the Ars Antiqua or “old art”

Hildegard von Bingen-In Principio Omnes

Secular Music● Music outside the church was the first

to be written down on paper and preserved.

● Troubadours were French musicians who traveled across Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries and sang love songs accompanied by instruments.

● Adam de la Halle was the most famous troubadour, and he invented the motet.

Adam de la Halle - “Je muir, je muir d’amourette”

Some instruments of the Middle Ages...

Lute

Harp

Krumhorn

Sacbut

Viol

Hurdy Gurdy

Motet● A type of polyphonic vocal

music that grew out of the organum of the Ars Antiqua

● Popular during the Ars Nova which was the “new art” of 14th and 15th century France

● Started as sacred music, but became secularized

Ars Nova● 14th and 15th century France

● the invention of modern notation with stems like we see them today

● Important composers were Guillame Machaut and Francesco Landini

Guillaume de Machaut● a poet and a musician

● invented many important musical forms including rondos and ballades

● master of counterpoint (polyphonic composition)

● Oldest composer we have biographical information about