MUSIC: UNIT 1 – MIDDLE AGES.

HISTORIC CONTEXT ABOUT MIDDLE AGES:

(S.V – XV) → [400- 1500 APROX].

Three Statements (The first more important than the others): The Church, The Nobility and The
People.

The Church in the Middle Ages, they had a function that was to collect information, knowledge about
the Greece and Rome and these were transcribed into Latin to collect information about the culture
and texts.

So, from that transcription of texts and that research on music, texts and writing, Gregorian chant
emerged and these introduced the Gregorian chant to put it in the liturgy.

In 600, Pope Gregory I was the one who created the Gregorian chant, ordering this the compilation
of texts (in Greek and Roman) and music, etc.

What is Gregorian chant? It is a single melodic line, that is, it is monody, by which we can interpret
that apart from the fact that there aren’t instruments, "A Capella" is sung, there is only one voice.

The meter is free and adapts to the text, that is, it is syllabic or melismatic.

Syllabic is that for example if I say "HO, LA". I say one note in the HO and another in the LA, that is,
note per syllable.

Melismatic is that it makes several notes in the same syllable, for example, O, many notes, LA, many
different notes. It must also be said that it lengthens.

In the year 1000, four estates are created, and this new one is among the nobility (hereditary title
that the father of the family had and that title was passed on to his children, the second went to
church, the third to war, etc.) and the common people, the people. Then the bourgeoisie was
created.

The people of the bourgeoisie were in charge of transforming the raw material into objects and these
grew economically until they reached construction. Coming to build: universities, Gothic cathedrals
and monasteries.

Also in the monasteries, it was where the monks were in charge of transcribing the texts in Greek
and Roman into Latin. These texts were about cultural knowledge.

PRACTICE / APPLY THE THEORY:

1.- What is the function of the church? And the bourgeoisie?

2.- Define: Syllabic, Melismatic, Meter and Gregorian Chant.

3.- What create Pope Gregory I?

4.- All the information in the Middle Ages, in what languages was it found?

5.- Explain the change in the year 1000.

6.- Say the years in which "The Middle Ages" is set.

MIDDLE AGES

In the Middle Ages, the religion was the Catholicism.

Later, it’s important to know that the music in the church called: “Gregorian Chant” on the grounds
that the head/boss of the church is called “Gregorius Magnus”. This music sing by monks, “A Capella”
(without instruments), one voice and monophonic texture, it’ sing between 590 – 604.

Moreover, the Gregorian Chant, it’s also called Plainchant, in Spanish = canto llano. In this plainchant,
the prayers/phrases are in Latin.

In addition, Gregorian Chant it’s acapella because of the instruments were brought from Crusades,
and the monks, these instruments consider = impure.

So, the repertoire didn’t have any beat time and only the suppose “rhythm” was established by the
accentuation of the words.

The background, in this case in Spanish, el trasfondo of Gregorian chant lies/on three branches:
1) Liturgical chant from Byzantium

2) Psalms and Hymns from Judaism.

3) Theoretical writings from ancient Greece.

BYZANTIUM, THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (324 – 1453)

When speaking of Byzantine music, it is in a more complete, broader sense and refers to ecclesiastical
music such as Gregorian chant and to secular music such as troubadours. In conclusion, it refers to
everything in general.

The Byzantine chant has survived until today as part of the uninterrupted liturgy, that is, it has survived
until today in some countries such as Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and so on.

Byzantine music is also present in concert programs and entered university curriculum in the Balkans
and other countries.

However, as in most secular traditions that are based on oral tradition, there is a limited number of
written things, that is, a small number of sources because they are lost over time.

So, the word "Byzantine music" is currently applied to the singing of Orthodox churches (Moldovia,
Rumania, countries that have an Orthodox church) and other Christian communities that follow the
Byzantine rite.

GREGORIAN CHANT:
Gregorian chant is the Western plainchant tradition. This is a way of having a sacred song, with a
monophonic texture and without the accompaniment of instruments.

So, Gregorian chant developed in Western and Central Europe between the 9th and 10th centuries
(Siglo IX y X).

It must also be said that the popular legend says that Pope Greogry I, created the Gregorian chant, this
was probably a legend by the reformers of the Carolingian empire. (IT’S NOT TRUE).
Remember: After Charlemagne: 748 and 840. (Finales del siglo VIII y principios del siglo IX). (The end
of 8th Centuries and the beginning of 9th Centuries).

All this had the same purpose, which was to have a single singing repertoire throughout Europe.

TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE CATHOLIC RITE: MASS AND DIVINE OFFICE.

1.- MASS (misa)

It’s the most important service which consists of several parts. A load of parts of this service, are
invariable, namely, there are a lot of parts always in every Mass.

The other parts, depends on the festivity. For Instance, Christmas Day is a happy and lively day, and
usually sin “alleluia” = “happiness”. While in Lent, the sad period, sing “Requiem” = Funeral text.

PERMANENT/INVARIABLE PARTS OF THE CATHOLIC MASS:

ORDINARY MASS PART SIMBOLISM/MEANING:
KYRIE Greek text vestige 1 in the period of Charlemagne’s empire. It asks
for compassion for the parishioners (feligreses).
GLORIA In Latin. The prayer/phrase is “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace among men…”
CREDO Dogma of Faith: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of
heaven and earth…”
SANCTUS The prayer/phrase in latin: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts:
the whole earth is full of his glory…”
AGNUS DEI The prayer/phrase is “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world…”
1 Vestiage means: un rastro de algo que va a desaparecer o incluso que ya no existe, this in english:
“A trace of sth that is disappearing or no longer exists”.

VARIABLE PARTS OF THE CATHOLIC MASS:

PROPER OF THE HOLY MASS
ALLELUIA
REQUIEM
OFFERTORY
COMMUNION
2.- DIVINE OFFICE (Oficio Divino)

This is a table sing in different times in a day → to remember: the Passion of Christ.

LITRUGY OF THE HOURS MEANING HOURS

- THE PRAYS
MATUTINUM Give thanks for a new day Midnight
LAUDES Sing at dawn (cantar cuando: sale sol) 3 am (03:00)
PRIMA Reminds the cock’s crow (canto gallo) and 6 am
when Peter denied having met Christ (nega (06:00)
haber conocido a cristo)
TERTIA When Christ’s was captured 9 am (09:00)
SEXTA Reminds when Christ’s trial (juicio) 3 pm (15:00)
NONA The time of Christ’s death 6 pm (18:00)
VESPERAE In the sunset → thanks for the day 9 pm (21:00)
COMPLETORIUM Dedicate to the Virgin Mary Midday
REVISION – GREGORIAN CHANT:

1) RELIGIOUS TEXT WRITTEN ALWAYS IN LATIN.

2) MONOPHONIC TEXTURE.
3) THERE ISN’T BEAT OR REGULAR METRIC ACCENT
4) VOCAL MUSIC WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS = A CAPELLA.
5) ANONYMOUS COMPOSERS.
6) CHOIR = Always male voices, in some cases female voices but never: mixed choir.

SECULAR MUSIC: TROUVADOURS SING ABOUT LOVE

Trovadours = (noblemen, poets, and courtiers) began the secular poetry → south of France between
the end of XI. Then, this trovadours were imitated by Trouvéres, situated in the North of France and
Minnesinger in Germany. All of them written these songs in their own languages.

This task usually assigned to Minstrels, a kind of professional instrument player because they were
proud of creative talent composing music, but they were ashamed of playing instruments.

Jongleurs: it’s people in the lowest social classes. These people, travel through different villages to
make a living by playing, singing, and juggling acts. → The importance of this figures it’s the good
memory, as they used to learn the whole musical repertoire by heart. Good examples of these songs
would be: “Romances” (Ballads) and “Epic Songs”.

TYPES OF SECULAR SONGS:

- CHANSON: French song focused on unrequited love. (amor no correspondido).

- ALBA: Song of a lover as dawn approaches, often with a watchman warning of the approach
of a lady’s jealous husband (court love topic) = el canto de un enamorado al acercarse al alba,
muchas veces con un vigilante adviritiendo de la lllegada del marido celoso de una dama.
(tema de amor cortesano – amor cortés).
- PASTORELLA: the history of a love petition of a knight to a shepherdess. (Caballero a pastora)
- CRUSADE/EPIC SONG: a song about Crusades, encouraging knights to fight.
- BALLAD: dance music.

REVISION – SECULAR MUSIC CHARACTERISTICS

1) Secular text in romance language

2) Heterophony (instruments are doubled)
3) Regular beat suitable to dance
4) Vocal and instrumental music
5) Known composers
6) Female and male singers are common in medieval secular music

BERENGUER DE PALOU

Berenguer de Palou was a Catalan troubadour. Of his whole repertoire twelve cansos survive and
eight melodies.

Others trovadours such as Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, Bernart de Ventadorn and more → developed the
courtly love (amor cortés).

Courty Love = was born in lyric, appearing with Provençal poets in the S.XI, including itinerant and
courtly minstrels like the French troubadours and trouvères.
CANTIGAS DE SANTA MARÍA

A set of manuscripts that were written during the reign of Alfonso X “El Sabio” (1221 – 1284).

This collection is the largest collections of monophonic songs from the Middle Ages.

The Cantigas are composed of 420 poems characterized by the mention of the Virgin Mary, while
every tenth song is a hymn.

The manuscripts have survived in four codices: two at El Escorial, one at Madrid’s National Library, and
one in Florence, Italy.

Finally, the relevance of this work is enormous because it presents a huge variety of modal songs.
Composed from unknown authors.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE POLIPHONY

The Organum probably was practice much earlier, we see the first written evidence of a practice of a
improvising polyphonic music at the end of the 9th century, anonymous and this called: Musica
Endiriadis.

Between this time and the mid-thirteenth century, different types of organum were developed:

• PARALLEL ORGANUM: strict homophony with a second voice singing a 5th below the original
voice. It’s syllabic.

• MODIFIED PARALLEL ORGANUM: Strict organum with each of the voices doubled at the
octave. This style is also syllabic.
• ORGANUM WITH OBLIQUE MOTION: Here, the organal voice moves in generally the same
direction as the original voice: sometimes parallel (same direction) and organal voice stays
on one pitch – to avoid the tritone interval – while the original voice moves (oblique
motion).
 • FREE ORGANUM: Organum with Oblique Motion gains greater and greater freedom, finally
appearing in the 11th century.

However, it continues to move note against note. In addition, notice that the organal voice
is now above the original voice and that the intervals are restricted. Unisons, 4ths, 5ths, and
octaves are considered as consonant (stable and pleasing) intervals.

ARS ANTIQUA

In the 12th century music in Paris, and especially at Notre dame. There are Leónin and Pérotin in this.
And this maintains the antiquity of writing. ( S.XII)

NOTRE DAME
SCHOOL OF LEÓNIN PERÓTIN
ORGANUM

ARS NOVA

This present different changes in the writing.

This in the 13th Century.

There’re independent rhythm and secular music → 3 lines aprox.

ORGANOLOGY

This is a study of the construction and the evolution of instruments in the history.

STRING ORGANOLOGY: viola, lute, harp, psaltery.

WIND ORGANOLOGY: Bagpipes, hornpipe, flute, natural: trumpets and horns.

PERCUSSION ORGANOLOGY: drums, bells, cymbals, tambourines.

NEUMA

Pneumatic notation is a musical notation system used between the 9th and 13th centuries. It
consisted of a series of graphic signs that were written above a text and that represented one or
several sounds, without specifying the rhythm.