AnnouncementsAnnouncements

• Activity 1 due 1/30Activity 1 due 1/30

AnnouncementAnnouncement

• TA: Gina SchwartzmeierTA: Gina Schwartzmeier• Office hour: Wednesday 11-12 (and by Office hour: Wednesday 11-12 (and by

appointment)appointment)• Office: N 140Office: N 140• Email: HOLMSEN@WEB.DEEmail: HOLMSEN@WEB.DE

Building Blocks of FormBuilding Blocks of Form

• ThemeTheme• A melodic idea used as a building block of

form.• Thematic development: elaborating or

varying a musical idea • Example of thematic development:

Beethoven’s fifth symphony

Medieval Period (c.500-Medieval Period (c.500-1450)1450)

• We know very little about music before We know very little about music before ca. 850 (no musical notation)ca. 850 (no musical notation)

• Medieval genresMedieval genres• Chant (Gregorian chant or plainsong)• Organum• Motet

CHANTCHANT

• Liturgical -music for the church serviceLiturgical -music for the church service• MASS (the most important ritual of MASS (the most important ritual of

Roman Catholic Church) encactment of Roman Catholic Church) encactment of last supper (communion)last supper (communion)

• Two types of musicTwo types of music• Ordinary - texts that do not change• Proper - text for the mass that changes

daily

CHANT HISTORYCHANT HISTORY

• Legend of Pope Gregory the Great Legend of Pope Gregory the Great (rules 590-604)(rules 590-604)

Pope Gregory I (c. 600) Pope Gregory I (c. 600)

The central questionThe central question

• Music of the Roman church c. 680Music of the Roman church c. 680• Transmitted to Frankish kingdom c. 754, Transmitted to Frankish kingdom c. 754,

with no musical notation (Adoption of with no musical notation (Adoption of Roman liturgy by Franks was part of Roman liturgy by Franks was part of desire to unify Frankish kingdomdesire to unify Frankish kingdom

Central question of chantCentral question of chant

• Melodies were transmitted orally until c. 890.

• Therefore, what did the melodies originally sound like?

Chant notationChant notation

• Originally did not indicate pitch, only Originally did not indicate pitch, only melodic direction (singers still had to melodic direction (singers still had to know melodies by heart)know melodies by heart)

Characteristics of chantCharacteristics of chant

• MonophonicMonophonic• No regular meterNo regular meter

Text settingText setting

• syllabic-one note per syllablesyllabic-one note per syllable• neumatic- several notes per syllableneumatic- several notes per syllable• melismatic- many notes per syllablemelismatic- many notes per syllable

Haec DiesHaec Dies

• For EASTERFor EASTER• monophonic texturemonophonic texture• Mainly conjunct motionMainly conjunct motion• responsorial form (soloist alternating responsorial form (soloist alternating

with choir)with choir)• Do any pitches stand out as being Do any pitches stand out as being

important? Which ones?important? Which ones?

ORGANUMORGANUM

• polyphonic texture (a voice added above polyphonic texture (a voice added above the same chant)the same chant)

Notre Dame SchoolNotre Dame School

• Dates: c. 1150-1220Dates: c. 1150-1220• Important composers: Leonin and Important composers: Leonin and

PerotinPerotin• Different stylesDifferent styles

• Sustained-note style (original chant held note under faster moving top line) VS.

• Discant style (notes moving together)

Notre Dame SchoolNotre Dame School

• Organum Haec dies (on the chant we Organum Haec dies (on the chant we just sang)just sang)

• Chant in the lower voice in slow notesChant in the lower voice in slow notes• Rhythm of the upper voice is not Rhythm of the upper voice is not

indicated in the notationindicated in the notation

MOTETMOTET

• New texts added to organum (could be New texts added to organum (could be sacred or secular texts)sacred or secular texts)

• polytextual - multiple texts sung togetherpolytextual - multiple texts sung together• all notes rhythmic, in patternsall notes rhythmic, in patterns

MOTETMOTET

• O mittissima/Virgo/O mittissima/Virgo/Haec Dies (13th Haec Dies (13th c.)c.)

• Two texts simultaneouslyTwo texts simultaneously• Is the meter triple or duple?Is the meter triple or duple?

Sound of Medieval MusicSound of Medieval Music

• In what ways does it sound different In what ways does it sound different from modern music?from modern music?

MonasticismMonasticism

• Daily cycle of prayer services, the first Daily cycle of prayer services, the first starting at 2 am (called the Daily Office starting at 2 am (called the Daily Office or Divine Office.or Divine Office.

• Usually vows of poverty, chastity, and Usually vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.obedience.

• Great centers of learning and cultureGreat centers of learning and culture

Hildegard of BingenHildegard of Bingen

• Lived 1098-1179Lived 1098-1179• One of the few known composers in this One of the few known composers in this

periodperiod• Various roles: Abbess, visionary, wrote Various roles: Abbess, visionary, wrote

poetry and plays.poetry and plays.

Play of the VirtuesPlay of the Virtues

• Sung dramaSung drama• About the struggle of good and evil for About the struggle of good and evil for

the soul the soul • Characters include charity, patience, Characters include charity, patience,

humility, chastity, obedience, etc, and humility, chastity, obedience, etc, and well as the soulwell as the soul

• Devil has a speaking.Devil has a speaking.

Play of the VirtuesPlay of the Virtues

• Style:Style:• Originally monophonic• Is it syllablic, melismatic, or neumatic?• Wide range

Secular MusicSecular Music

• Travelling musicians: GoliardsTravelling musicians: Goliards• Troubadors,Trouveres, TroubaritzTroubadors,Trouveres, Troubaritz

• Courtly Love theme• Unattainable woman• Aspect of civilization (related to the cult of BVM)

Guillaume MachautGuillaume Machaut

• SONGS: SONGS: • Polyphonic settings:Polyphonic settings:• Follow forms of the poetry (patterns of Follow forms of the poetry (patterns of

sections)sections)• Puis qu’en oubliPuis qu’en oubli

• RONDEAUX• A B aA ab A B