MUS 201 Music History and Literature I (Fall 2023)

Terminology List for chapter 1-3

Most of these vocabulary words can be found in the Glossary of “History of Western Music”
THIS IS ONLY A GUIDLINE FOR YOUR TEST. OTHER INFORMATION WILL BE REQUIRED
AS WELL.
Timeline of Music History The Judaic Heritage
From Ancient Greek to 20th Century with dates Elements of Christian observance sprang from Jewish
and one composer’s name for each period excerpt tradition
Ancient Greek and before.. Mass commemorates Last Supper

Chapter 1: Music in Antiquity Music in Early Church

Music in Antiquity Church Fathers’ principles towards music are similar
B.C.E. to ancient Greeks – How?
C.E.
Four Type of historical traces of Early Music Making Church leaders’ Three principles about the use of
Bone flute (40,000 B.C.E.) music in worship
Invention of writing (c. 3200 B. C. E.)
Music in Ancient Mesopotamia Gregorian Chant
Mesopotamia Charlemagne (Charles the Great, r. 768-814)
- Sumerian developed first known forms of Pop Gregory I
writing – Cuneiform (wedge-shaped) The Development of Notation
Royal Tombs at Ur (Sumerian city) (2500 B.C.E.) Oral transmission
- Lyres Stages of Notation
- Harp Neumes (9th Century)
- Bull Lyre Heighted neumes (10th & 11th Century)
Music in Ancient Greek Life and Thought Four-line system
Greek culture and believes Guido of Arezzo (11th cen. Monk)
Music and ethos
Plato and Aristotle: Gymnastics disciplines body, Neumes transcriptions
music disciplines the mind
- Plato’s Republic * Instructions for reading Solesmes chant notation
- Aristotle’s Politics * (Anthology vol. 1, p. 8 or text book p. 37-38)
*talk about what these two documents are about. - oblique
- liquescent
Perfect Melos - quilisma
Music and poetry were nearly synonymous - custos
Pythagoras’s view of music YOU WILL BE ASKED TO TRANSCRIBE A
SHORT NEUMES MUSIC EXCERPT.
Instruments and their uses
- Aulos Music Theory & Practice
- Lyre Musica enchiriadis (Music Handbook) – Anonymous
- Kithara (large lyre) (9th Century)
- 8 Modes (Authentic & Plagal): Final,
Reciting tone
Chapter 2: The Christian Church in the First
Millennium Guido of Arezzo
- Micrologus (ca. 1025-28)
Constantine I issues The Edict of Milan (313) - Solmization
In 392 Emperor Theodosius I made Christianity the
official religion
Chapter 3: Roman Liturgy and Chant Chant of the Mass Ordinary
Mass – Reenactment of Last Supper - Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, & Agnus
- Proper of the Mass Dei
- Ordinary of the Mass
Office Music setting of each chant of the Mass Ordinary
- Matins, Lauds and Vespers - Most
important liturgically and musically
Liber Usualis (Book of Common Use)
- Prepared by monks of Benedictine Abbey of
Solesmes (1903)

Three manners for singing chant –

1). Responsorial; 2) Antiphonal; 3) Direct

Three styles of setting texts – 1) Syllabic;

2) Neumatic; 3) Melismatic

example: Viderunt omnes

“Dominus” (Lord): longest melisma (52 notes) and
highest note in chant
“jubilate” (sing joyfully): almost syllabically

MUS 201 Music History and Literature I

Listening List for chapter 1-3

CD 1
Chapter 1
Epitaph of Seikolos (NAWM 1)
Euripides’ Orestes (NAWM 2)

Chapter 2
Gradual – Viderunt omnes (NAWM 3d)
Chapter 3
Introits (NAWN 3a)
Kyrie (NAWN 3b)
Gloria (NAWN 3c)
Gradual – Viderunt omnes (NAWM 3d)
Credo (NAWN 3f)
Sanctus (NAWN 3h)
Agnus Dei (NAWN 3i)