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Medieval period

Middle Ages * lots of relocations, barbarian invaders * upheavals, (disturbances,commotions)

* knights…

* 1/3 of Europe- BLACK DEATH

Historical background

Middle AgesTHE MIDDLE AGES: THE CATHOLIC CHURCHAfter the fall of Rome, no single state or government united the people who lived on the European continent. Instead, the Catholic Church became the most powerful institution of the medieval period. Kings, queens and other leaders derived much of their power from their alliances with and protection of the Church.

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Historical background

Middle AgesTHE MIDDLE AGES: ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Another way to show devotion to the Church was to build grand cathedrals and other ecclesiastical structures such as monasteries. Cathedrals were the largest buildings in medieval Europe, and they could be found at the center of towns and cities across the continent.

Historical background

Historical background

The Clergy and The Nobles (Worked closely together)

What was life like in the middle ages?

• The Middle Ages lasted nearly a thousand years, from 500 to 1450. What was life like for people living in England at this time?

• Society was organised according to the feudal system.

MEDIEVAL MUSIC

The King

The nobles (Lords)They had to fight for the King in his battles. They had a duty to protect those under them.

FreemenThey owned their own land but had to work on their Lord’s land several days a week, free of charge

SerfsMost people were serfs, the lowest form of peasant, they were little more than slaves. They had to give some of the crops they grew to the lord.

MEDIEVAL MUSICMEDIEVAL MUSIC

Important Facts

1.TROUBADOURS

TROUBADOURS•French musicians•Travelled all around in Europe to perform

*Their music was secular.(not bound by the traditions of the church. Talks about love, joy and pain.

•Most secular musicians had day jobs. Full time musicians were poor.

*

2. Most prominent instrument

ORGAN

*

ORGAN•At first it could only be played by hitting it with your fist.

It was so loud that it could be heard for miles around.

3. The CHURCH was the center of musical life.

Conclusions

• Most composers wrote for the church and remained anonymous.• *Musicians were priests and worked for • the church SINGING LITURGICAL

SONGS

SACRED MUSIC

Women were not allowed to sing in the church.

4. The music of the church was the

Gregorian chant Unacompanied monophonic song

Monophonic- 1 melody

notes were called NEUMES

sung in Latin, the language of the church.

Gregorian Chant

Mid

dle A

ges / Med

ieval

• Gregorian chant

-named after Pope Gregory I

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The Gregorian STAFF

* It is a single line (no harmony) at first-MONOPHONIC

* It has flexible rhythm, without meter,

* 4 lines and 3 spaces

AGNUS DEI

The Agnus Dei is possibly the finest composition known from the Middle Ages

Medieval instruments• Medieval instruments were fairly basic• Church allowed instruments circa

1100AD• Here are some examples:

The Lute - Early lutes were made of wood, bone, ivory and exotic woods.  They were stringed instruments similar to a guitar.

The Hand Drum - A hand drum was a versatile instrument.  It was used by the Irish and the Scots, and a form of it was used by most cultures at one time or another.

More Medieval instrumentsThe viol - This instrument was played with a bow, usually held on the lap or between the legs.  The French name for it is viola da gamba, which means leg viol.  It was similar to a modern day cello, as it tone was quiet and sort of nasal in quality.

The Gemshorn- The gemshorn was a medieval flute made from the horn of an ox or a chamois.  By that time, bisons no longer existed in Europe .  It sounded much like a recorder, and it was probably used by shepherds to soothe animals.

Harp

Krumhorn

Muted Cornett

Psaltery

Sacbut

Serpent

Shawm

Hurdy-Gurdy

Recorder

What was this music like?•Music at the time followed strict rhythmical patterns, called modes.

•Here are four of the most common rhythmical modes of the time.

Dorian modeThe most prominent scale of the Medieval eraThe notes of the dorian mode are as follows:

Early Polyphony• Polyphonic means more than one pitch played at the same time - what we typically call harmony.

• The first type of polyphony was called parallel organum. Here the cantus firmus and the higher harmony mirrored each other.

• Eventually composers like Leonin and his student Perotin began adding a third and fourth part above the cantus firmus, and moved away from the eerie sounding parallel organum.

Early Polyphony• Polyphonic means more than one pitch played at the same time - what we typically call harmony.

• The first type of polyphony was called parallel organum. Here the cantus firmus and the higher harmony mirrored each other.

• Eventually composers like Leonin and his student Perotin began adding a third and fourth part above the cantus firmus, and moved away from the eerie sounding parallel organum.

REFERENCES

1.www.scribd.comMis-Gloria2.EXPRESSIONS Book 93.www.history,com/topics/middleages