Middle Ages

“The end of all good music is to affect the soul.” –Claudio Monteverdi

Mrs. Harner 8th Grade General Music

Music History A. Timeline of Music History *Antiquity --- Pre-400 AD* Middle Ages --- 400 AD - 1400 AD • Gregorian chant (named for Pope Gregory)

Renaissance --- 1400 AD - 1600 AD

• Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Galileo, Medici Family, Martin Luther (Reformation)

Baroque --- 1600 AD - 1750 AD • Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Ornamentation

Classical --- 1750 AD - 1825 AD • Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn

Romantic --- 1825 AD - 1900 AD • Schubert, Saint-Saens, Chopin, Brahms

20th Century --- 1900 AD - 1991 AD • Gershwin, Copland, Stravinsky

Music History

The Middle Ages 400-1400 A.D.* (or the Medieval Period)

*A.D. means Anno Domini “in the year of Our Lord”

Music History The Middle Ages/Medieval Period: • The Medieval period represents almost a thousand years of the music history of Europe. • This period is also called the Middle Ages and the Dark Ages. * Many people died of disease during this period. (“Black Death”) * It was a dark time in history because of sickness, and death. • Much of the music of this time has been lost. • Most of the composers of this time are anonymous. * This means we don't know who they are. They didn't want to be thought of as bragging, so they didn't sign their work. • The Catholic Church had the strongest influence over all music

Music History The Middle Ages/Medieval Period: • 2 kinds of music:

SACRED: religious music or music of the Church SECULAR: entertainment music; everyday life • Notation: During the Medieval period most music was not written down. • Composers who did write their music down usually worked for the Catholic Church. • The Church could afford to buy the materials the composers would need to write music.

• People outside the Church were too poor to buy what was needed to compose music.

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD 1. Most important type of music: a. Gregorian Chant -named after Pope Gregory the Great -also known as plainchant, plainsong, and chant -definition: one melody sung in unison; only sung by males during this time period, no accompanying instruments (just voices), sacred (religious) •“Neumes” were used to notate music before the modern-day Five-line staff

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD 2. Three divisions of people during the Middle Ages

a. nobility -rich and elite -kings, queens, princes, etc. made up this class b. clergy -religious scholars -worked for the Catholic Church c. peasants -extremely poor, lower class citizens -worked for the nobility -lived to be about 30 years old

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD 2. Three divisions of people during the Middle Ages d. The clergy and nobility made up only 5% of the population, while the peasants made up about 95%. -The peasants could not get an education, therefore they did not know very much about music. This is why there was not very much music created during the Middle Ages.

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD

3. Sacred Music a. Gregorian Chant (monophonic or only one melody)

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD

3. Sacred Music b. Leonin and Perotin -two Catholic priests who were also composers -they put two different Gregorian chants together and singing them at the same time

-this was the beginning of polyphonic music (two or more different melodies)

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD 4. Secular Music a. Simple songs about love, nature, mythology, heroic battles, etc. b. sung by traveling musicians who were called troubadours. -troubadours sang and played guitar-like instruments called lutes.

Music History C. Middle Ages ----- 400 - 1400 AD 5. The end of the Middle Ages: a. The fall of a large city called Constantinople signaled the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. -The Renaissance began at this time because all of the musicians, artists, scholars, and scientists in the city moved to other countries when the city was conquered.