medieval music
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Medieval Music. By: Joel Tracy & Lori Snyder. Credits. Let’s Go!!!. Welcome to Medieval Music. You will be learning about Instruments used during Medieval times as well as the History of the music. Let’s begin with Instruments. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Welcome to Medieval Music
Let’s beginwith Instruments
You will be learning about Instruments used during
Medieval times as well as the History of the music.
You will learn about 4 families of instruments used during the medieval times:
Strings, Keys, Winds, and Percussions.
Let’s beginwith Strings
The Gamba(bass viol da gamba)
Originated by applying a bow to a pre-existing plucked string instrument
Developed in Spain during the late fifteenth century (the tenor viol has the shape, size, and tuning of the Spanish vihuela).
In the year 1600, its outward appearance became standardized.
Of the common sizes of the gamba family, the bass was the largest, and the treble viol was the smallest.
The Dulcimer (Hackbrett)
In English-speaking countries, dulcimer, from dulce melos, (Greek for sweet sound) was the name given to the type of psaltery or box zither
Trapizoid soundbox and which was played by striking the strings with hammers.
In areas around Germany, the term was Hackbrett (or hackbrad, hackbrade, hakkebrett, or hakkebord) meaning chopping board or chopping block
The Lute
The lute was an ideal accompaniment for voice and other soft instruments
The most eloquent of all solo instruments.
In paintings and other art works the lute is often associated with Apollo, angels, or Orpheus, and it is often mentioned at climactic points in tragedies
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Harpsichord
In the harpsichord family the string is plucked by a small plectrum, originally of quill.
The variety of sound from these plucked instruments is achieved not primarily by finger pressure, but more subtly by phrasing and articulation.
The harpsichord was used both for solo performance and accompanying in chamber groups and in larger ensembles of the period.
The Hurdy-Gurdy(symphonia)
four string symphonie or organistrum
based on a late fourteenth century Florentine marble fingure in the Vienna Leichtenstein Gallery
Has two unison chanterelles, two drones, and an interior pegbox.
Oblong in shape and has tuneable tangents and a range of two diatonic octaves with drones on g and d1.
The Organetto (portative)
Organetto was from a fifteenth century painting on wood by Hans Memling.
The bellows provide air pressure only on the downswing, so the player has to space the opening of the bellows much as a vocalist carefully places breaths
Notice the wood inlays which appear on both sides as well as the front
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This instrument was used for both solo and accompanying in chamber groups:
Hurdy-Gurdy
Organetto
Harpsichord
This instrument has two unison chanterelles, two drones, and an interior peg box:
Hurdy-Gurdy
Organetto
Harpsichord
Listen
The Bagpipe
The origins of the bagpipe can be traced back to the most ancient civilizations.
Rustic instrument in many cultures because a herdsman had the necessary materials at hand: a goat or sheep skin and a reed pipe.
Instrument is mentioned in the Bible, and historians believe that it originated in Sumaria.
Through Celtic migration it was introduced to Persia and India, and subsequently to Greece and Rome.
The Lizard(tenor cornett)
Tenor of the zink family (also known as lysard or lysarden) has the peculiar curved shape of a flattened letter s.
Shape helps the player cover the finger holes on this longer zink.
The lizard's tone is pleasing, yet rather foggy.
It blends well with voices and plays on one of the inner voices of an ensemble. A Lyserden is listed in the waits' band of Exeter in 1575
The Bladder Pipe
Very distinctive loud instrument which has a reed which is enclosed by an animal bladder.
Performer blows into the bladder through its mouthpiece, a wooden pipe.
The bladder serves as a wind reservoir keeping the lips from touching the reed directly.
This medieval instrument was one of the principal early wind cap instruments and is considered the forerunner to the crumhorn.
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Rummelpost
Looks like a small naker but is not played by striking the head.
Sound is generated by sliding the fingers back and forth on a slender wooden rod which is fastened to the center of the head inside the drum shell.
Rosin is placed on the rod to help provide friction induced sounds which are amplified by the drum head.
The Drum
Drums (tambour, Trommel, tamburo, tambor, drome, dromme, drume), were probably among the earliest instruments.
The first membrane drums consisted of naturally hollow tree trunks covered at one or both ends with the skins of water animals, fish, or reptiles.
Later, skins of hunted game and cattle were used.
Drum bodies could be of wood, metal, earthenware, or bone.
Finger Cymbals
Finger cymbals (crotales, zil) have been known since the middle of the 1st millennium BC.
Played in pairs, sometimes one in each hand as pictured, and often in one hand, one held on the thumb and the other on either the index or middle finger
Used to accompany dances, and sometimes held by the dancers themselves, they are still used chiefly in the Islamic cultures and on the Indian subcontinent.
Take Quiz
Sound is generated by sliding fingers back and forth on a slender wooden rod:
Rummelpost
Finger cymbals
Drum
Listen
Looks like a small naker but is not played by striking the head:
Rummelpost
Finger cymbals
Drum
Listen
HISTORY
Let’s Begin withSecular Music
Medieval music is impossible for us to truly appreciate, as it can never be as it was. Most of the music enjoyed in everyday life is lost. Most all we have is sacred in nature, and even that is in a musical “language” that is difficult to understand, at best. Musical notation has changed considerably over the hundreds of years. Much of what we know of music during the thousand years of the middle ages (church, court, and commonplace) comes down to us in our own understanding and examples of music today.
SECULAR MUSIC
The area of musical history about which we know the least
The kind of music we enjoy today—entertainment
Song and instrumental
Poetry put to music
Performed professionally by wandering musicians
Bards
Goliards
Troubadours
BARDS
Different roles, depending upon the culturein Celtic society, a musician hired by a nobleman to create songs of praise for himin Scandinavian society, skalds (similar to the Celtic bard) composed some of the most well-known and longest-lasting literaturein later English society, a wandering musician who performed for all levels of society
GOLIARDS
Unlike bards and skalds, the goliard created his songs only to amuse with satire and bawdy humorThe goliard was similar in that he wandered from village to village, like the English bardGoliards were often students from medieval universities--not professional musicians
TROUBADOURS
We tend to think of troubadours as existing only in the later years of the middle ages, but in fact, they originated during the eleventh century
The major theme of a troubadour’s songs was chivalry and courtly love
Songs from the point of view of the singer to a married lover are most famous
BALLADS
We tend to think of this now as a kind of songFor Europeans in the middle ages, this was THE story to tellCould include a love storyOften contained heroes and references to famous battlesIncredibly popular by everyone in the common world
SECULAR MUSIC QUIZ
For the following questions, just click on the correct choice. Your score will be tallied, and you will see how you did at the end.
Good luck!
Take QuizReview Secular
What is the difference between a Celtic bard and an English bard?
An English bard made more money
A Celtic bard only composed love songs
There is no difference
An English bard traveled while a Celtic bard did not
What was a bard called in Scandinavian countries?
A skiyard
A skald
There were no Scandinavian bards
A kenning
How was a goliard similar to an English bard?
Both bards and goliards wrote harp music
Both bards and goliards were paid only by kings
A goliard traveled, just as an English bard did
A goliard was as well educated as an English bard
What were the major themes of troubadour songs?
Love of money
Chivalry and courtly love
The honor of war
Loneliness of the road
SACRED MUSIC
The kind of music about which we know the most, purely because it was written down
Based solely on worship, and that normally in the Catholic Church
Sounds (as far as we know) very similar to chant cds made popular a few years ago
Still performed in some monasteries throughout the world
SONG
Some historians will tell you that the human voice was the first instrument, and so far as sacred music goes, it was the beginningThe early Christian Church eschewed all forms of secular music as “inappropriate”The first “acceptable” Christian music were the psalmsOver time, this form of music grew to include all forms of praise that was sung--most notably, the chants
CHANT
Unaccompanied singing during religious services
There are six main versions:Syrian Chant
Coptic Chant
Armenian Chant
Byzantine Chant
Carolingian Chant (better known as Gregorian)
Early Western Chant
GREGORIAN CHANT
This should really be called “Carolingian Chant,” as it was adopted and adapted during the reign of Charlemagne
When the Holy Roman Emperor sought to renew his religious ceremonies, he sent to Rome and adopted their chant
This form of chant is credited to Pope Gregory I, but it was developed almost 200 years after his death
EARLY WESTERN CHANT
These forms of chant existed in the early days of the Church in Western EuropeOf these five, only “Old Roman” is well known, as it was adapted to become what is most often called “Gregorian”
Ambrosian ChantBeneventan Chant“Old Roman” ChantMozarabic ChantGallican Chant
INSTRUMENTAL
We know with some certainty when certain musical instruments either entered Europe or were invented
We have little data about when instruments began to accompany chant and other singing in liturgy
Some believe this did not occur until the Renaissance, when the most popular forms of music were secular
SACRED MUSIC QUIZ
For the following questions, just click on the correct choice. Your score will be tallied, and you will see how you did at the end.
Good luck!
Take QuizReview Sacred
What do some historians believe was the earliest human instrument?
The drum
The flute
The ukelele
The human voice
The best known form of chant, Gregorian, should really be called what?
Carolingian
Roman
Psalmic
Gallic
Why do we know more about sacred Medieval music than secular?
Historians are generally Christian
Religious music sounds better to us
Sacred music was written down
Church fathers guarded the information carefully
Choose the best definition for Medieval “chant”
Repetitive oral noise
Unaccompanied singing during religious services
A prayer said in montone
A cheer put to music
COMPOSERS
As with so much of human invention, the farther back one goes, and the more seminal the work, the less likely one is to find a nameOf the religious orders, farthest in historyIn the secular world, required certain connections, so one’s work could be recorded (normally by a monk)
RELIGIOUS ORDERS
At the birth of the Christian Church, folk music was first used to entertain travelers on pilgrimage to holy sites
This fell out of favor, and only religious songs were sung while traveling
Thus, the earliest versions of what would become Medieval sacred music were sung by members of the foundling Church
PSALMS
As psalms and other religious texts and poetry had been sung in the Jewish faith, the early Christians also sang their prayers
As other prayers were created by Church members, these, too, were sung
The first composers of Medieval sacred music were not trying to entertain, but merely going about part of their worship
ADDITIONS TO LITURGY
The liturgy of the Church developed slowly over time, and included sacred music as part of the formal ceremonyIn the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries, new holy feasts were created, along with the attendant music for mass and officeDuring this time, past liturgical practices were copied down and spread through the previously unknown staff notation
SECULAR COMPOSERS
The area of musical history about which we know the leastThe kind of music we enjoy today—entertainmentSong and instrumentalPoetry put to musicPerformed professionally by wandering musicians
BardsGoliardsTroubadours
ARS NOVA
The fourteenth century saw profound musical changes in both secular and sacred music
Philippe de Vitry used the phrase “ars nova” to characterize this new style
Changes include those associated with notation and the use of isorhythm (involving color and talea)
COMPOSERS QUIZ
For the following questions, just click on the correct choice. Your score will be tallied, and you will see how you did at the end.
Good luck!
Take QuizReview Composers
The first sacred music sanctioned by the Church was?
Folk music
Psalms
The Hail Mary
The Lord’s Prayer
Additions to the liturgy came about during what time period?
First through third centuries
Fifth through seventh centuries
Thirteenth through fifteen centuries
Ninth through eleventh centuries
When do secular composers make their appearance?
The twelfth through fourteenth centuries
Not until the end of the Medieval period
The same time as the sacred composers
Not until the Renaissance
Why is Guillaume de Machaut probably one of the most famous secular composers?
He composed “Happy Birthday to You”
He composed for King Henry VIII
He arranged to have his music played all over Europe
He had his compositions copied into manuscripts
When was the most change in music evident?
Just before the Renaissance
During the reign of Charlemagne
Musical development was slow and smooth
Just as the Medieval period was beginning
COMPOSERS RESULTS
Composer Results
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