Music History Exam #1

Beginnings of Recorded Music

Church. When the Romans took over, Christains created a life of order, heiarchy and stability. The most important musicians were priests, who would sing, lead and write music. AD 200-1300.

Word Root of Monestary

Monasticism- monk- "mono"- alone

Reasons for Monastic Life

Alternative lifestyle to difficult villiage life, or simply "calling" of the holy spirit. They were also a choice for younger sons who did not inheret lands.

Hierarchy of Monestary

Heiarchy of monk, priest, bishop, etc. Women could only truly be nun at most, which was low in rank.

Life of Monk

-Early mornings of prayer and ritual

-Field work, gardening, wine and cheese makers, etc.

-Community Service

Monk Prayer Times

3 am: Matins

5 am: Louds

6 am: Prime

9 am: Tierce

Noon: Sext

3pm: none

6 pm: Vespers

7 pm: Compline

What did the church live for?

The afterlife, as life itself was harsh and dangerous; death was an everyday experience

What did the Church reject?

Festivals, dramatic performers, secular music, instrumental music (except for organ, introduced in 900)

Pope Gregory

(590-604) Legend comes from 800, felt church needed legend to have more power, did not compose all music

What were commonalities of the earliest music?

Unison, continuous, long phrases, only male vocalists, conjunct motion

Chant Characteristics

Vocal, monophonic, non metrical, rhythm according to text, conjunct/stepwise motion, limited range, no dynamic contrast, continuous sound

Chant Text

Bible or non biblical

Syllabic

one note per syllable

Neumatic

Melodic style with two to four notes set to each syllable

Melismatic

many notes per syllable, many vowels

Antiphonal

Alternating choirs

Responsonal

Solosit and choir

Direct

All together

Church Modes

Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian

Dorian

D-D, Final D

Phrygian

E-E, Final E

Lydian

F-F, Final F

Mixolydian

G-G, Final G

Plagal Modes

Hypodorian, Hypophrygian, Hypolydian, Hypomixolydian

Hypodorian

A-A, Final D

Hypophrygian

B-B, Final E

Hypolydian

C-C, Final F

Hypomixolydian

D-D, Final G

Charlemange

King of the Franks from 768 to 814 and emporer of rome from 800 to 814. Ruled over 40 years. Most important leader of the Franks because he unified nearly all Christian lands of Europe into a single empire.

Origin of Chant

From Jewish and Syrian roots, uplifiting spirit, all about spirituality inside church, monophonic, non rhythmic, non metrical, text provided basic rhythm, conjunct, range limitations

Numes

-2 box stacked, read bottom to top

-read 2 notes left to right

-dots are elongations

-iij and ij- repeats

-double bars- break between phrases

-most neumatic, a little melismatic as well

2 Parts of the Mass

Proper and Ordinary

Proper

Text and/or music change according to the saints day or season

Ordinary

Text/music stays the same every mass

5 Sections of the Ordinary

Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei

Kyrie

Lord have mercy

Gloria

Glory to the god the highest

Credo

Believe 1 God almighty

Sanctus

Holy God of hosts

Agnus Dei

Lamb of God

Feudalism

Heiarchy of ranks and privledges

Secular Side Hierarchy

Monarchy>Nobles>Knights/Vassals>Merchants>Peasants

Church Side Hierarchy

Pope>Cardinals>Archbishops>Bishops>Priests>Monks>Nuns>Peasants

Hildegard von Bingen

(1098-1179) writer, visionary, abess of a convent, excelled at creating sequences and liturgical dramas.

Jutta of Sponheim

At age 12, got terrible illness and survived, dedicating the rest of her life to God. She became a spiritual leader and taught Hildegard Von Bingen

Tropes

New addition to pre-existing chant 9-12 centuries, text added most educational and explanatory

Sequences

Elaborate additions, became separate and stood on their own. (ex: Dies irae). However, catholic church got rid of all but 4.

Organum

Earlist form of polyphony, based on chant. Two or more melodic lines simultaneously, each with its own independant interest, could be voice parts about 4 or 5 apart. Slightly different rhythms, introduced meter and notation

Simple/Parallel Organum

Vox principalis, vox organalis

Free Organum

(10th-12th centures) note against note counterpoint

Melismatic Organum

(11-12th centuries) lower chant voice held out in long note values, organal voice in free motion above that

The Ars Antigua

(12th-13th centuries) The old art, Paris cultural center of Christian world, Louvre started as fortification of city, University of Paris great was great intellectual center for Christianity, Notre Dame and Notre Dame school

Clausula

Section during organum where chant voice speeds up

Conductus

newly composed, not based on chant

Motet

Like clausula but with text

Tempus Perfectum

Way of organizing rhythms, subdivision of 3

Leonin

Mid 12th Century, 1150ish. Mentor of Perotin. Wrote 2 voice polyphony. AA

Perotin

(12th-eary 13th centuries) took Leonin's style and added voice layers with original composition. 2 voice parts —>3 or 4 parts AA

Medieval Instruments

Rebec (Lute), Vielle (Violin), Guitarra Morisca (Guitar), Lute, Pipe or Recorder, Shawm (Oboe), Nakers (Percussion)

Estampie

Earliest surviving form of instrumental music dance

Goliard Songs

Latin texts with university poetry and music

Entertainers of MA

Jongeleurs and Vongleuresses, were on the fringe of society like circus performers outside the court

Troubadours and Trobairitz

Southern France (11-13th) welcomed to entertain the court with musical performance

Raimbout de Vaquieras

(1155-1207) composed Kalenda maya (the 1st of May). Became close with Bonaface of Italy → grew from Jongleur to Troubadour. AA

Trouveres

the Northern France version of a troubadour

Minnesingers and Meistersingers

German poet-musicians

Church in the 14th Century

Centered in France, French King vs. Roman Pope (wanted to tax clergy, pope moved to France (1305-1314)

Philip IV of France

enemy of the Pope; wants more state power; moved the Papacy to France (Later Medieval Europe), unified France but was an absolute monarchist

Corruption of 14th Century Church and State

Pope- nepotism, lavish spending, positions for monetary worth

Gov't- war debt, lavish lifestyle, King Philip monarchist

Little Ice Age

Severe weather NE-SW across Europe causing Great Famine, killing IM+ people. 1300-1400

100 Years War

1337-1453 War

-between Edward III of England and Philip VI of France

Black Death

1346-1353 Plague which killed 75-200 million people.

Motet

a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied.

Canon

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

Tempus Imperfectum

The division of beats into two equal parts instead of three

Felipe De Vitry

(1290-1361) French theorist, composer, poet, diplomat, soldier, worked in courts, wrote pieces in fauvel. Coined Ars Nova. AN

Ars Nova

(new art) style of polyphony from 14th century France, distinguished from earlier styles by a new system of rhythmic notation that allowed duple or triple division of note values, syncopation, and great rhythmic flexibility

Guillaume de Machaut

the most important composer of the 14th century, worked in Paris, wrote sacred and secular compositions.

Unified 4 part polyphonic settings of the ordinary mass (4 voice, melodic interest and independence, same 5 movements of mass). AN

Renaissance

"rebirth"; following the Middle Ages, a movement that centered on the revival of interest in the classical learning of Greece and Rome

Martin Luther

a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Chruch. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices.

Wrote "Ein Feste Burg" (1529)

Musical Repercussions of Martin Luther

Kept mass and motet but changed singing to chorale; easily sung, etric, slow and even, syllabic, german, eaily harmonized

King Henry VIII (England)

King of England from 1509 to 1547 and founder of the Church of England; he broke with the Catholic Church because the pope would not grant him a divorce.

The Counter Reformation

the reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformation reaffirming the veneration of saints and the authority of the Pope (to which Protestants objected)

Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina

1525-1594, felt duty to compose in Counter Reformation, Pope's singer in choir- dedicated to religous music

Palestrina's Gloria

polyphonic, homorhythmic ideas, syllabic entrances, text almost lines up, declamation, women singing

Secular Performers

professionals played for court, town festivals, amateurs played at home

Renaissance Secular Music

lively rhythms, secular text, language of the vernacular, improv and non specified instrumentation

Ars Antiqua Secular Music

Seizing life, love, beauty, and fate.

Notre Dame School

Pioneering French school for Organum. Origin of Gaude Maria Virgo. AA

Gervais de Bus

Clerk who wrote an allegorized poem about the state of the French Monarchy (Roman de Fauvel). It discussed corruption of the church and state, referred to sins including insincere praise, greed, wickedness, unpredictability, envy and lack of moral courage

Story: Beast moves into master's house and becomes ruler of the house. Church and state bow to him, turns out to be antichrist ruining modern world

The Great Schism

One Pope in France, One Pope in Rome

Repeatition

Starting in the early Ars Nova, the popularity of replicating both melodic and rhythmic ideas in a singular work began.

Forms Fixes Rhyme Schemes

Ballade: aabc

Rondeau: ABaAabAB

Virelai: AbbaA

Italian Trecento Rhyme Schemes

Similar to Forms Fixes with Madrigal, Caccia, Ballata).

Francesco Landini

Famous Italian composer who wrote Ecco La Primavera. Lived from 1325-1397. AN/R

Humanism

Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.

Cantus Firmus Mass

Tenor part unites the sections as the Cantus Firmus

Guillame DuFay

Early composer of Renaissance Music. Belief that church music still needs to be tranquil and include chant and polyphony. Composed L’homme Arme mass (very controversial). R

16th Century Motet

Basis of modern motets. Sacred composition w/Latin Text and sections of imitative polyphony alternating with (often homorhythmic) homophony. Brief sections of polyphony imitated. No set place in liturgy, but could be during offertory, communion, or at end. R

Josquin Desprez

Singer who wanted Expressiveness and Beauty to be a focus of his compositions. Composed Ave Maria… virgo serena. (c. 1440-1521). R.