Music Appreciation 202 Name ____________________________________Study AidMusic of the Middle Ages/Medieval Music (450-1450)

Medieval Period (450-1450)Middle Ages Highlights

Three classes of people in Feudal System- nobles, peasants, and clergy Most music in the churches "Birth" of Polyphony

700-900 - simple organum - monks add a 2nd melody above chant 900-1300 - chant stretched out and more lines of organum added above chant - "School" of Notre Dame

(Leonin, Perotin)1300-1450 - new system of notating rhythm used for complex rhythms and syncopation

SACRED (religious) MUSIC GENRES

GREGORIAN CHANT (prayer music for voices performed in churches)

ANONYMOUS Alleluia: Vidimus Stellam (We have seen the star)CD#1/48-50

Latin text

HILDEGARD OF BINGEN O Successores (You successors)CD#1/51

Latin text Listen for accompanimental drone More fancy melody Bigger vocal range

MASS (special prayer music for voices performed in churches)

GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT Agnus Dei from Notre Dame MassCD#1/53-55

3 lines of Latin text A B A form

SECULAR (non-religious) MUSIC GENRES

DANCE MUSIC (music played in castles and towns for parties)

ANONYMOUS Estampie (13th century)CD#1/52

instruments: rebec, pipe, psaltery ( played and composed by jongleurs) monophonic (rebed and pipe) with an accompanimental drone played by psaltery

Important Terms

Gregorian Chantmelisma

droneorganum

syncopationmassmotet

jongleurs

Medieval Music Style Characteristics

MusicalStyle

Elements

Early and Mid - Middle Ages(Chant)

Late Middle Ages(Machaut)

Rhythm no regular beat, free-flowing,creates "floating," "otherworldly"sound

has regular beat, more complex, hassyncopations

Melody uses melismas, very smooth (legato) uses melismas, more "jumpy" andless smooth

Form sounds non-repetitive sounds non-repetitive

Dynamics no changes, all one level no changes, all one level

Texture monophonic polyphonic (non-imitative);produces heavy, dense, thick sound

Harmony none mixture of consonance anddissonance; produces serious sound