M usic History P eriod of Music: Medieval S heet: 1 Terms: • Chant: A general term applied to liturgical music; Plainsong refers to chant done in the middle ages, which was monophonic (one line without harmony) and rhythmically free. In the early times, several forms of chant existed such as Ambrosian, Gallican, and Mozarabic, but with a decree by Charlemagne, Gregorian Chant became the official liturgy for the Western church. Chants were used to accompany actions, as well as to read biblical or other texts. The following types of chants were used: • Recitational: Used for most readings. Most of the text is intoned on a single pitch, with cadences marking the endings of phrases. Psalmody, a form of recitational chant is marked by the parallel treatment of the Psalm text. The two parallel lines are given different cadences, the first and less conclusive is the mediation, while the second is the termination. A Canticle is a scriptural poem, but not a Psalm. It usually receives slightly more elaborate cadences than the Psalm. • Responsorial: The text in these chants is broken down, and alternated between a soloist who sings the verse and the full choir who sings the responsory (refrain). The Gradual, Tract, and Alleluia are all responsorial chants. • Antiphon: More musically complex, these melodic settings of texts would precede and follow a Psalm or Canticle. • Ordinary/Proper: Chants of the ordinary were settings of texts that were used at every mass. There are 5 primary ordinary chants: Kyrie (lord have mercy), Gloria (glory to God in the highest), Credo (I believe in one God), Sanctus (holy, holy, holy) and Agnus Dei (lamb of God). The proper chants were settings of texts done only once a year, for specific occasions or feasts. • Syllabic: One note for each syllable of text. • Nuematic: A few notes for each syllable of text. • Melissmatic: Many notes for each syllable of text. Names and Dates: • Constantine—312: Adopts Christianity, which becomes the official religion of the empire. • The Fall of Rome—476 • Charlemagne crowned emperor—800: Makes Gregorian Chant the official liturgy as a means of uniting his empire. Listening: • Mass for Septuagesima Sunday—Kyrie, Collect, Credo, Sanctus (NAWM) • Antiphon—Tecum Principium (NAWM) • Sequence—Victimae Paschale Laudes (NAWM) • Antiphon—Hodie (Benjamin Britten, Ceremony of Carols) Main Concepts: Early music was done for the church service, daily office and mass. With the fall of Rome the church was the primary form of organization for the European empire. Music was initially monophonic, and free rhythmically and did not seek to portray the emotions of the particular text. Up until the ninth century it was primarily an oral tradition. It had a limited range, and was usually conjunct in nature. Long text readings would be recited on a single recitation tone while shorter texts might receive a more “musical” setting of simple melodic curves. The main service, the Mass, had the following components: Recitation Proper Ordinary Introit: Action Chant during entrance Kyrie (Lord have mercy) Gloria (Glory to God in the highest) Collect: Prayer for the day Epistle: First Reading Gradual (Alleluia at Easter) Alleluia (Tract at Lent) Gospel: Second Reading Credo (I believe in one God) Offertory: Action Chant-elements brought in Secret: Prayer over offering Preface: Fixed text intro to Sanctus Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) Canon: Prayer of Consecration Lord’s Prayer Agnus Dei (lamb of God) Breaking of bread Communion: Action chant during distribution Post Communion: Final prayer Ite Missa Est (Dismissal) Benediction Questions: • What effect would the fact that music was an oral tradition up until around 800 have on the music. What problems might arise. If you were going to create a way of visually showing music from scratch, what might be the first thing you would try to show? • What effect does the Catholic church have on the development of music. Why would early music primarily develop in the church? Sources of Information: • Baker’s Biographical Dictionary • New Groves Dictionary of • Grout A History of Western Music Music and Musicians • Norton Anthology of Western Music • Harvard Dictionary of Music (scores and Recordings) M usic History P eriod of Music: Medieval S heet: 2 Terms: • Modes: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Aolian (Locrian and Ionian later) scales named from understanding of Greek music which theorist tried to find in the existing chant. • Solmization/Guidonian Hand- Guido de Arezzo an early theorist discovered that the chant Ut me queant laxis began each phrase on a 1 pitch higher. He used the syllables from the text and hand symbols as a nuemonic device to learning chants. • Hexachords- used in solmization they were groups of 6 notes. The hard was G-E, the natural was C-A and the soft was F to D with Bb. • Hymns- Compositions used for the offices. Sacred poems, many were based on Ambrosian meter after St. Ambrose, the fourth century bishop. (a solis ortus cradine...) • Tropes: the practice in post gregorian music of adding text to existing melissmas in Kyrie, Offertories and responsories and adding text and music to non melissmatic chants. • Quem Queritas- An Easter chant which was troped and became the basis of liturgical drama and the beginning of Western drama history. • Organum: The addition of a second line initially below the chant. Parallel organum ran in parallel intervals of fourths, fifths and octaves. • Winchester troper: First surviving collection of Polyphony from the 11th century. Names and Dates: • 524 - Death of Boethius. Wrote of modal system. • 900-1100 Post Gregorian period. Expansion of chants with additions of music, text or both. • 850- Musica Enchiriadis gives a description of early parallel organum. One of the first references to polyphony. • 1030- Guido writes Micrologos. Has rules for cadencing. Oblique motion introduces some new intervals. • 11th century- Organal voice put above chant. More melissmatic upper part. • 1100- John of Afflighem says that contrary motion is best. Listening: • Examples of Parallel Organum: Medieval Music (Record) • Alleluia Pascha Nostrum: NAWM • Ut me Queant Laxis: DWM • Adam de la Halle-Jeu de Robin et de Marion. Rondeau. NAWM Main Concepts: Questions: M usic History P eriod of Music: Medieval S heet: 3 Terms: • Troubadour—Lyric poets from Southern France. They wrote in the vernacular (Provencal, and early latin/french) poems of courtly love. Most were from the aristocracy. Poems would have been sung. • Trouveres—Similar poets from Northern France. • Minnesanger—German form of troubadour. • Formes Fixes—common forms for secular songs. These included the rondeau ABaAabAB, virelai AbbaA, and ballade aab. • Parallel Organum— The practice of counterpointing the chant (usually below) in parallel motion, usually 4ths, 5ths, or Octaves. • Free Organum—The practice of allowing contrary motion and more florid counterpoint against the chant. In the 11th century the counterpoint is also moved above the chant. • Melismatice organum—From the school of St Martial in the Twelth century, the organum voice now has 5-6 notes to each note of chant. The chant, which now functions as a bass line is called the cantus firmus. There are two distinct textures-discant style in which the voices move in nearly equal rhythms, and organum style which is more melismatic. • School of Notre Dame—Important learning center for musicians, it is here that we have the first mention of a composer by date. Anonymous IV writes in his notes that Leonin was the best writer of organum, but Perotin was the best writer of discant style. • Magnus Liber—Big book. This was written by Leonin and added to by others such as Perotin. The Magnus Liber was a setting of the entire church cycle of Responsorial chants in organum. • Motet—from the french mot for word this is a piece (secular or sacred initially) that resulted when words were added to the the discant style settings of the Magnus Liber. • Conductus Motet—Did not start with the preexisting framework. The several parts often had the same or similar rhythm. Names and Dates: • Leoninus—second half of 12th century • Perotinus—1160-1220 • Bernard de Ventadour—12th century troubadour • Walter von der Vogelweide—ca. 1170-1230. Minnesanger. Listening: • Ventadorn—Can vei la lauzeta mover (NAWM) • Alleluia Pacha Nostrum (NAWM) • Ave Virgo Viginum (NAWM) Main Concepts: Types of contrapuntal motion: Contrary Oblique Similar Parallel In 12th and early thirteenth century, they began to develop systems of rhythm. One of the earliest was used in the School of Notre Dame, for polyphony that was set in discant style. Organal style is thought to have been very free and relatively non rhythmic. Discant style made use of the rhythmic modes. There were 6 basic modes (patterns in six eight). In the earliest music, the notation was a symbol for which mode to apply rather than an actual representation of the music. Usually one moded was applied throughout a piece. 1. ternaria, binaria, binaria... 2. binaria, binaria, ternaria 3. simplex, ternaria, ternaria 4. ternaria, ternaria, simplex 5. simplex, simplex 6. quaternaria, ternaria, ternaria Questions: • What effects would moving the chant to the lower voice, having more melismatic motion, and allowing more contrary motion do to the perception of the initial chant? • What effect does the notation of music have on developing rhythm in music? Do you believe that all early music was a rhythmic? M usic History P eriod of Music: Medieval S heet: 4 Terms: • Nuemes: Name for the square notation used in the early period. • Gothic Period: middle of the 12th century to the end of the 13th, centered in central France • Cantus Firmus: When the chant was transfered to the bottom voice, it became known as the cantus firmus or fixed line. • Tenor: In organum style the chant part often was held in long notes with a florid upper part.