EARLY MUSIC

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EARLY MUSIC

• MEDIEVAL 460-1400

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MIDDLE AGES

• The Middle Ages is generally thought of as
  spanning the years from the fall of the Western
  Roman Empire in 476 A. D. to around 1400. The
  meanness of everyday life, particularly during
  the first half of the Middle Ages, was extreme.
  Thousand years of European history --
  introduction of radically new learning,
  technology, and political organization in the
  14th and 15th centuries.

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The Dark Ages

• The education and technology of the Greco-Roman
  civilization was essentially lost in the West,
  leaving the average person to live under
  extremely primitive conditions.
• serfdom
• invasions from the northern steppes, Asia, and
  Arabia.
• Mass migrations
• Communication and trade between Europe and the
  rest of the world came to an almost complete
  halt.

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The Role of the Church

• In Medieval Europe, the church was all that stood
  against Barbarism. It was the primary patron of
  art and culture, and the single greatest
  preserver of culture.
• The role of music in church was to create a mood
  of peace conductive to long hours of
  contemplation.

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PLAINCHANT

• The official church music of the Middle Ages and
  thereafter is a great collection of melodies
  designated for the many religious texts of the
  year--plainchant. Pope Gregory I (540-604)
  famous pope, church father, and compiler of
  chant.
• Characteristics
• Monophonic
• Latin texts
• Non-metrical, no strong cadences
• All built around modes

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sacred music of the church
secular music not of the church
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HILDEGARD OF BINGEN (1098-1179)

• 77 chants
• born of noble parents raised by nuns
• extraordinary intellect--playwright, poet,
  musician, naturalist, pharmocologist, visionary
• During intense religious experiences, she saw
  images such as the breath of Satan in the guise
  of a serpent, the blood of Christ streaming in
  the heavens, and the fiery descent of the Holy
  Spirit.

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Columba aspexit

• Columba aspexit
• Per cancellos fenestrae
• Ubi ante faciem eius
• Subando sudavit balsamm
• De lucido Maximino.
• Calor solis exarsit
• Et in tenebras resplenduit
• Unde gemma surrexit
• In edificatione templi
• Purissimi cordis benevoli.

• The dove peered in
• Through the lattices of the window
• Where, before its face,
• A balm exuded
• From incandescent Maximus.
• The heat of the sun burned
• Dazzling into the gloom
• Whence a jewel sprang forth
• In the building of the temple
• Of the purest loving heart

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MUSIC AT COURT

• In addition to music of the church, the Middle
  Ages witnessed the growth of a rich tradition of
  secular music--written in everyday language not
  Latin like the church music.
• Like todays popular music, the works were about
  love some were political or obscene or about
  vagabonds.
• Poet musicians
• Northern France--Troubadours (Richard the
  Lionhearted)
• Southern France--Trouveres
• Germany--Minnesingers

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Bernard de Ventadorn

• TROUBADOUR SONG, LA DOUSA VOTZ (The Sweetest
  Voice)
• I have heard the sweet voice of the woodland
  nightingale
• And it has sprung up in my heart.
• Since she is so false to me,
• I now quit her service,
• And I dont want her to come near me,
• Nor even wish to speak to her,
• Such talk still delights me,
• And I willingly enjoy it,
• And my heart is made glad.

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organum

• Sacred and secular music remained monophonic and
  unmeasured until the 10th/11th century when 2 or
  more parts began appearing in combination.
• instruments began to be used.

• The beginning of polyphony -- simultaneous
  combination of 2 or more melodies -- Gregorian
  chant with one or more additional lines
• Earliest type of polyphony is called organum
• 2 monuments of the 11th century polyphony and
  exact notation

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Gothic Architecture and Art

• Organum and polyphony occurred along with the
  phase of medieval architecture called GOTHIC
  (1150-1450)
• Pointed, rather than rounded arches flying
  buttresses outside the cathedrals
• Europe emerging from the Dark Ages.

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Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

• The most interesting organum, from a musical
  point, are those by Leonin and Perotin (late 12th
  / early 13th century) -- the Notre Dame school
• Differences between organum and chant
• organum is composed artistic decisions were
  addressed.
• organum called for compositional skill

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Quranic Recitation
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THE RENAISSANCE (1400-1600)

• "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I
  set him free."
• - Michelangelo

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15th and 16th centuries in Europe rebirth or
renaissance of human creativity

• explosion of knowledge, creativity and curiosity
  that accompanied the new secular education, the
  growth of secular society, and reform within the
  church
• Renaissance composers continually tried to make
  their music more expressive, more relevant to
  society, and more reflective of the contemporary
  human experience.

• Many leading Renaissance composers came from from
  Netherlands (Holland, Belgium, Northern
  France)--Italy was the leading center - - also
  Germany, England, and Spain.

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• Dominant intellectual movement was called
  HUMANISM -- focus was on human life and its
  accomplishments rather than the afterlife
  though devout Christians, the humanists were
  captivated by the pagan cultures of ancient
  Greece and Rome

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Martin Luther

• Catholic Church less powerful during the
  Renaissance as a result of the Reformation
  brought about by Martin Luther -- the church
  didnt monopolize learning

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Christopher Columbus

• Period of exploration and adventure --
• Christopher Columbus (1492)
• Ferdinand Magellan (1522)
• Vasco de Gama (1498)

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the Renaissance Man

• age of curiosity and individualism Leonardo da
  Vinci -- painter, sculptor, architect, engineer,
  scientist, and musician

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• Invention of printing press with movable type
  (1450) accelerated spread of learning.
• In keeping with the Renaissance ideal of the
  universal man, every educated person was to be
  trained in music Shakespeares stage
  directions call for music over 300 times and the
  plays are full of tributes to music (The man
  that hath no music in himself, nor is not moved
  with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for
  treasons, stratagems, and spoils

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JOSQUIN DES PREZ (1450-1521)

• Martin Luther God has his Gospel preached also
  through the medium of music this may be seen
  from the compositions of Josquin, all of whose
  works are cheerful, gentle, and mild -- they flow
  and move along and are neither forced nor coerced
  and bound by rigid and stringent rules, but on
  the contrary are like the song of the finch
• contemporary of da Vinci and Columbus
• Flemish -- but international (lived and worked in
  Italy and France)

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THE MASS

• By far the most important genre of the
  Renaissance was the mass, which was to the
  Renaissance composers what the symphony was to
  the Romantic composers. The great composers of
  the Renaissance -- Dufay, Josquin, and
  Palestrina, are also the great masters of the
  Mass.
• Renaissance was the golden age of the a cappela (
  or for the chapel ) style -- voices only
• vague -- rhythm fluid no accents meter is
  often obscured
• polyphony based on continuous imitation -- the
  first voice begins other voices enter one by one
  singing same motive and words at another pitch
  level

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Pange Lingua MassJosquin des Prez

• GREGORIAN HYMN "Pange lingua"
•     Pange lingua gloriosi Sing, O tongue, of the
  glorious
•     Corporis mysterium mystery of the body
•     Sanguinisque pretiosi and of the precious
  blood,
•     Quem in mundi pretium which, to redeem the
  world,
•     Fructus ventris generosi our Kingfruit of a
  noble womb
•     Rex effudit gentium. poured out for us.
• MOVEMENTS OF THE MASS
• KYRIE
• GLORIA
• CREDO
• SANCTUS
• AGNUS DEI