MIDDLE AGES
Miniatures from the Cantigas de Santa Maria manuscript (13th c.)
INTRODUCTION
The Middle Ages is the period that runs from the 5th century to the 15th century (from the fall of the Roman Empire to the discovery of America in 1492). This period can be divided into these phases:
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Early Middle Ages (5th – 11th century) associated with Romanesque art and monophonic music.
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High and Late Middle Ages (11th – 15th century) associated with Gothic art and polyphonic music.
The Christian Church dominated almost everything about life, including music.
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Characteristics
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Rhythm: Gregorian chant had no beat, but troubadour music and later polyphonic music had beat.
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Melody: it was modal, it was based on a musical system derived from the Greek modes.
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Harmony: polyphonic music was supported by the consonances of octave, 5th and 4th.
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Texture: monophony predominated which later evolved into polyphony.
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Timbre: music was mainly vocal. The instruments were arranged in small groups of soloists, which sounded high and penetrating.
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Dynamics: there were no changes in intensity.
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Musical notation: neumatic notation which later evolved into square notation.
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Composers
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France: Leonin, Perotin, Philippe de Vitry, Guillaume de Machaut.
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Italy: Francesco Landini, Johannes de Garlandia.
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Germany: Hildegard von Bingen, Franco of Cologne.
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Spain: Alfonso X the Wise, Martín Codax de Vigo.
Hildegard von Bingen
Hildegard von Bingen - O Virtus Sapientiae
RELIGIOUS VOCAL MUSIC
Religious music started as Gregorian chant and then developed into polyphonic music. The Christian Church prohibited singing by women and the use of instruments, because this would distract the faithful in their worship.
Monophony
Gregorian chant is a repertoire of music destined for the liturgy of the Christian Church which is featured by a single melodic line (monophonic) without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella) and a free rhythm, determined by the accentuation of the text in Latin. Pope Gregory I the Great encouraged the organization and unification of the chants (hence the name "Gregorian"). Chants were originally passed through oral tradition, but they became so numerous that by the 8th century monks began to draw symbols (neumes) above or below the texts to help remember the melody. Neumatic notation evolved into square notation, achieving a more precise indication of pitch with reference lines (a four-line staff) and clefs.
Neumatic notation and square notation
Types of chants according to the manner of performance:
- Responsorial: alternation between a soloist and the choir.
- Antiphonal: alternation between two halves of the choir.
- Direct: no alternation.
Types of chants depending on the relation between text and music:
1. Syllabic: each syllable has one note.
2. Neumatic: each syllable has a neume (from 2 to 6 notes).
3. Melismatic: each syllable has a melisma (from 6 to over 60 notes).
Syllabic
Neumatic
Melismatic
Polyphony
Primitive polyphony (9th – 12th centuries)
Polyphony (different melodies at the same time) emerged in Western music in the late 9th century, evolving through improvisation upon the foundation of Gregorian chant.
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Parallel organum: primitive polyphonic form comprising two melodies in parallel motion, meaning that both melodies move together maintaining a consistent interval between them.
- Vox principalis or cantus firmus is the original Gregorian melody (red notes).
- Vox organalis is the second melody added at a distance of an octave, 5th or 4th.
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​Melismatic organum: primitive polyphonic form comprising two melodies, with the Gregorian melody set in long notes and a second melody set in melismas over it.
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Discantus: primitive polyphonic form comprising two melodies in contrary motion, that is, when one melody goes higher the other goes lower and vice versa. It evolved into counterpoint.​
Ars antiqua (12th – 13th centuries)
Music began to measure rhythm using Greek metrical feet to synchronize the different voices of the polyphony. The centre was the Notre Dame School in Paris and its main composers were Leonin and Perotin.
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Conductus: polyphonic form built upon newly created melodies (not Gregorian) with a processional rhythm.
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Motet: polyphonic form written for 2 to 4 voices with different rhythms and texts.
Ars nova (14th century)
Polyphonic music became more complex in its rhythms and melodies. New more elaborate forms arose, reflecting the search of pleasure and purely sonorous effect of music. Mensural notation emerged, establishing precise values for each note. Main composers were Philippe de Vitry, Guillaume de Machaut and Francesco Landini.
Perotin - Viderunt Omnes
(Ars Antiqua - Organum 2v.)
Adam de la Halle - De ma dame vient
(Ars Antiqua - Motet)
Machaut - Messe de Nostre Dame
(Ars Nova - Mass)
PROFANE VOCAL MUSIC
Profane vocal music developed under the protection of feudal lords and, as religious music, it evolved from monophony to polyphony.
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Minstrels, jongleurs or joglars: professional musicians, just performers, who travelled from place to place entertaining people in castles and villages with staging shows, acrobatics and music. They were social outcasts.
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Troubadours (southern France), trouvères (northern France), Minnesingers (Germany): cultured poets and composers who wrote songs about courtly love and chivalry in their vernacular languages. The movement emerged in the 11th century in southern France and spread throughout Europe. Musical forms: ballad, virelai, rondeau, pastorela. Martín Codax de Vigo (Cantigas de amigo), Alfonso X the Wise (Cantigas de Santa María) stand out in Spain.
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Goliards: wandering clerical students who wrote and performed monophonic songs in Latin about their hedonistic lifestyle, focused in food, drink and carnal pleasures, as well as satirical critiques of society and the church. Some of these songs are compiled in a song book called Carmina Burana.
Profane polyphonic forms appeared in the Ars Nova (14th century). E.g. canon, ballad, chanson.
Alfonso X - Cantiga 100 Santa Maria Strela do dia (troubadours)
Adam de la Halle - Je muir, je muir d'amourette (trouvères)
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
(goliards)
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Instrumental music was forbidden in sacred music, but used to accompany profane songs and dances.
Dance
Dance was forbidden in church because it was associated with pagan rites. The sources to learn about medieval European dance are limited and fragmentary, consisting of a few musical examples, artistic representations, and sporadic literary references. Since the 12th century we find examples of dances, some of them sung and others purely instrumental.
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Estampie: generic name used for dances in manuscripts. It is monophonic and structured in several repeated phrases (puncta).
Instruments
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String: harp (1), lute (2), vielle (3), rebec (4), psaltery (5), tympanon (6), hurdy-gurdy (7).
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Wind: recorder (8), trumpet (9), dulzaina (10), cornett (11), bagpipes (12), portative organ (13).
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Percussion: tambourine (14), cymbals (15), castanets (16).
LISTENING EXAMPLES
RELIGIOUS VOCAL MUSIC
"Puer natus es nobis"
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Rhythm: free rhythm.
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Texture: monophony.
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Timbre: male voices.
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Form: Gregorian chant hymn.
PROFANE VOCAL MUSIC
Alfonso X – Cantiga 100 "Santa Maria Strela do dia"
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Rhythm: duple time signature (2/4).
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Texture: monophony with instrumental accompaniment in heterophony.
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Timbre: male voices, female voices and instruments.
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Form: cantiga.