Ruijun Liu

Friday 12:30PM
Paper #1
There are many kinds of music in Middle Age, for example, chant and organum. Many
musical elements, such as medium, rhythm, melody, texture and text setting are different in
different musics in Middle Age from 476 to 1450. Most surviving music is sacred music. There
are two songs represent the middle age. One is Alleluia, O virgo mediatrix by Hildegard
von
Bingen. Another one is Gaude Maria virgo by Notre Dame School. Both of songs were used
in
the early church services. Although the two songs are both sacred works in Middle age and they
have same performance type, text setting, language, medium and type of timing, they also have
some differences, such as genre and musical texture.
One example is Alleluia, O virgo mediatrix by Hildegard von Bingen(1098-1179)
who is
a Germany and is known for prophecies. The genre of this song is Gregorian chant in praise of
Virgin Mary. It has simple, free nonmetric rhythm. It has ternary form ABA which is Alleluia(A);
verse(B); Alleluia(A) and alternating between single voice and chorus which means responsorial.
They are all male voices. There is a single melody with no pitched accompaniment throughout
the chant so that the musical texture is monophony. The text language is Latin and the text
setting is melismatic. For example, Alleluia in the song that has many notes per syllable. It is
remarkable that it is the first music to be notated.
Another piece of music, Gaude Maria virgo by Notre Dame School is also a Middle
Ages
song. There are some similarities between Gaude Maria virgo and Alleluia, O virgo
mediatrix.

Gaude Maria virgo has the same performance type of responsorial. Melody is short and it
repeats ideas whish exchange between upper voices. Melody in two upper voices is melismatic
and it also has no meter. The language used in the song is Latin and they are also male voices.
The difference compared to Alleluia, O virgo mediatrix is that this songs genre is
organum which was developed in late Middle ages and it is the earliest polyphonic music from
Notre Dame School. Gaude Maria virgo is the three male voices organum and it has multiple
melody sounding at the same time which is nonimitative. It is remarkable that its the first use of
polyphony.
The sacred music is one of the archetypes in Middle Ages. There are two manifestations,
one is chant and the representation is Alleluia, O virgo mediatrix by Hildegard von Bingen.
Another one is organum and the representation is Gaude Maria virgo by Notre Dame School.
Even though they have similarities and differences in performance type, text setting, language,
medium, type of timing, genre and musical texture, they are both archetypes of Middle Agess
musics.