Sacred Music of the

Middle Ages
Notes
Scales, Chords, and Intervals and notation
of western music ( what we know of now)

🠶 Chords- 3 or more notes sounded together

🠶 Scales- a collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending
order
🠶 Intervals- Distance between one note to the next.
🠶 Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do- Scale Syllables
🠶 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 - Scale numbers ( Degrees)
🠶 Triads- 3 notes built on scale degrees.
🠶 Tonic- Do The first note of a scale or chord.
Interval chart
Key points about the middle ages

Lasted from C 476- 1450

Church held the power ( the catholic church in conjunction with Kings were the power
center)
Most of the music was sacred because of the patronage of the church.
In the early middle ages culture was shaped by the rise of monasteries music was
supported among scholars to “enhance” the church service.

• Study of music was serious * Philosophers such as Pythagoras and Aristotle both took
up music. Pythagoras discovered mathematical ratios of musical intervals. Aristotle
recognized the influence of music’s harmonies on the soul.

• Music study was grouped with 3 mathematical arts arithmetic, geometry, and
astronomy. Called the Quadrivium
Church and the middle ages

Cloisters- Places for religious seclusion allowed men and women to withdraw
from society and devote themselves to prayer, scholarship, preaching, charity
or healing the sick. They followed a daily schedule called offices that began
at 2 or 3 AM. Part of this time would be dedicated to attending MASS and
singing psalms.
Mass- Catholic church service.
The order of mass changed depending on the day but there were always
some parts that stayed the same. This was called the ORDAINARY.
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Santus, Agnus Dei

Men and Women were instrumental in preserving knowledge from earlier

times.
Sacred music characteristics

Most cultures used chant ( monophonic melodies) in worship

Gregorian Chant- monophonic, nonmetric. Melodies set in one of the church
modes or scale patterns.
Melodies and Texts fall into three categories:

Syllabic- one note set to each syllable of

text.
Neumatic- A few notes set to one syllable.
Melismatic- many notes set to one syllable.
Music notation in the middle ages

🠶 Chant was written using neumes little ascending and descending signs
above the words to suggest the musical contour ( the flow of text )
🠶 The rise of polyphony brought about the use of meter later on in the
middle ages. Music had to be written in a way that would indicate
precise pitch and rhythm.
🠶 Music became more than just improvisation but something that was
planned and preserved.
Musical Instruments in the middle
ages
🠶 Harp and Lyre- Plucked Instruments
🠶 Aulos- Double reed pipe early wind instrument
🠶 Lute- Early string instrument
🠶 Timbrel- Percussion instruments related to the tambourine

🠶 These were biblical based on Psalm 150.

Heldegard Von Bingen ( 1098-1179)

🠶 Noteable woman of the middle ages

🠶 Poet and Prophet known for beautiful music.
🠶 Given to the church by her wealthy parents and took her vows at age
14.
🠶 Experienced Visions and was thought to be able to foretell the future.
🠶 Was said to perform miracles and although never canonized was
regarded as a saint in the church.
🠶 She wrote sacred poetry with music and was known because she did not
use the typical topics that were normally written about.
Polyphony / Organum Perotin and
Leonin.
🠶 Organum was the earliest type of polyphony. It features 2,3, or 4 voice
parts sung in fixed rhythmic patterns or rhythmic modes repeated or
varied.
🠶 Organum was created by adding a second voice part to the existing
chant either a 4th or 5th above or below the main voice.
🠶 The first to experiment with this in the church were the composers
centered at the Cathedral of Notre Dame namely Perotin and Leonin
( wrote the Great book of Organum)
SECULAR MUSIC OF THE MIDDLE AGES
PART 2 OF MIDDLE AGES STUDY
 KEY IDEAS/ CHARACTERISTICS

Secular music arose in courts, and was performed by aristocratic troubladours

and trouveres ( Traveling musicians)
Each country had its own term for its traveling musicians
Sung monophonically with improvised instrumental accompaniment
Improvised by Soft ( bas) or Loud ( haut ) instrumental ensembles and are
categorized by their use indoor or outdoor.

Important to court life

Used as dinner entertainment, Court Ceremonies, tournaments and civil
processions:
Featured themes such as Simple Ballads, Love Songs, Political and Moral ditties
War songs, dances and laments
 THE CRUSADES
AND MEDIEVAL
EXPLORATIONS
ENABLED THE
EXCHANGE OF
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS AND
THEORETICAL
IDEAS ABOUT
MUSIC WITHIN
MIDDLE EASTERN

HISTORY AND FAR EASTERN

CULTURES.
ARS NOVA

◼ After the demise of the feudal social structure, new concepts of life, art and
beauty came about. These changes were reflected in many art mediums.
This was known as Ars Nova ( new art) – Early 14 th century in France and Italy
and replaced Ars Antiqua ( old art) that was used before it.
◼ Painters discovered the beauty of nature and human form
◼ Writers began writing about humans and more themes of humanism
◼ Music became more refined composers began writing more secular themes
and this movement ushered in the development of rhythm, meter, harmony,
and counterpoint.
◼ Ars Nova transformed music
GUILIAUME
DE MACHAUT

C1300-1377
LIFE AND WORKS OF MACHAUT

◼ Took holy orders at a young age.

◼ Active on the court of Charles, Duke of Normandy.
◼ Admired as one of the greatest musicians of the time.
◼ Wrote both religious and secular music.
◼ Wrote more than 20 motets ( Polytextual vocal compositions which
can be sacred or secular)
◼ Wrote many secular Chansons ( French word for songs) and an
important polyphonic setting of the ordinary of the Mass.
PUIS QU’EN OUBLI

◼ Machaut’s music introduced a new freedom of rhythm characterized by gentle

syncopations and interplay of duple and triple meters.
◼ Chansons were set to courtly love poems written in one of several fixed text forms,
rondeau, ballades, and virelai which established the musical repetition scheme.
◼ About this piece:
◼ Rondeau
◼ 3 Voices
◼ Low melodic range accompanied by instruments.
◼ Translated “ Since I am forgotten by you sweet friend, I bid farewell to a life of love and
joy”
INSTRUMENTAL/ DANCE MUSIC

◼ Mostly improvised used embellishments- Melodic Decorations

◼ Could accompany singers
◼ Mainly used in dance music
◼ Salterello- Italian Jumping Dance
◼ Estampie- Stately French Dance
◼ Many ensembles used insturments to play drones ( single note) while percussion and other
instruments played.
THE RENAISSANCE
C 1450-1600
Changes in society

🠶 Marked the passing from a highly religious society to a more secular one.

🠶 Musicians saw more opportunities for employment

🠶 Artists and writers found inspiration in cultures of ancient Greece and Rome
Musical Changes

🠶 Music became fuller sounding used more 3rds and 6ths .

🠶 Music had more variety to it some music was built on a fixed or pre
existent melody ( Cantus Firmus) and other pieces of music allowed the
text to be reflected through the music ( Word painting)

🠶 This era was said to be the “Golden Age of Acapella Music” which was
music without piano accompaniment.
Musical style

🠶 Continuous imitation- motives are exchanged between vocal lines the

voices are imitating each other. So that the same theme or motive
heard in the soprano and alto line is now heard in the tenor and bass.

🠶 Word painting a common technique used in this time. For example if the
text spoke about ascending to Heaven the melody line would ascend.
Popular Genres – Sacred and Secular

🠶 Renaissance Motet- Unlike the Medieval motet, was scared with a Latin text
for use in mass or religious services. Written for 3-4 or more voices based
on chant or cantus firmus.

🠶 Chanson ( secular French) 3-4 voices set to courtly love verses of the
French poets featured more freer structures without set patterns.

🠶 Madrigals ( Secular Italian and English)- Through composed, Text was high
quality poems usually talking about love, Usually consisted of 4 voices
until 1500 and then increased to 5 or more voices. Music had increased
chromaticism and dissonance. Music was more difficult.
🠶 English Madrigals were noted for having a “Fa la la la la” refrain
Counter Reformation and Council of
Trent.
Around 1545 the Catholic church responded to the Protestant revolt led by
Martin Luther by trying to recapture the loyalty of its people.
The Council of Trent was created to regulate every aspect of religious
discipline.
In the matter of church music the church was concerned that chant was
being corrupted by singers ( who would put their own embellishments into
it) and also fully objected to the use of some instruments within the church
services.
The committee set a number of rules that would keep and respect the
integrity of scared text and wanted to stay with a pure vocal style that
would avoid virtuosity and encourage piety.
Notable composers
De Prez
🠶 Josquin De Prez ( 1450- 1521)
🠶 Varied career
🠶 Served on many courts
🠶 Composed more than 100 motets
🠶 Composed 17 masses
🠶 Many of his works were based on chant while others were orginial.
Notable Composers: Vicente Lusitano
c. 1520 – c. 1561

Composer and music theorist

Spent time as a Catholic Priest and teacher
Known for his vocal music, namely motets.
Influenced by De Prez
His works were recently found and few recordings exist
He was of mixed race but regarded by some scholars as the first published
black composer.
Notable composers
Palestrina
🠶 1525-1594
🠶 Choir master
🠶 Took the rules that the council of Trent set, very seriously.
🠶 Wrote 100 Masses
🠶 Music is of the Acapella style
🠶 Vocal Polyphony Restrained, Celestial and Serene.
Composers of Madrigals

Monteverdi- Composed Italian Madrigals and used much word painting

throughout his text. He loved writing for the upper voices and wrote
embellishments for them. His music is both accompanied and
unaccompanied.

John Farmer- Composer of English Madrigals only published one collection

of 4 part madrigals. Most popular being “Fair Phyllis”

Madrigals paved the way for the most popular genre in music. OPERA!!