Music of the Medieval Period

Rennaisance and Baroque (700-1750)

Medieval period (450-1150)

 The middle ages is also known as the dark ages a time of migration upheaval
and wars.
 The later Middle ages were a period of cultural growth, Roman churches
and monasteries and Gothic cathedrals was conducted towns grew and
universities were founded, and became the center of musical music.
 The most important musicians were priest and other who work from the
church. The boys received music education in schools while women were
not allowed to sing in the church but did make music in convents.
The instruments were used in churches and ORGAN was the most prominent instrument.
GREGORIAN CHANT – was the official music of the Roman Catholic which consisted of
melody set to sacred Latin texts and sung without accompaniment.
CHURCH MODES – it is the basic scales of western music during the middle ages
and Renaissance and was used in secular and sacred music.
Secular songs - was composed by French nobles called trouvadours and
trouveres.
The medieval music that consists of Gregorian chant with one or more additional
melodic lines is called Organum
The Notre dame Mass is one of the finest compositions known from the medieval
period.
It is the first polyphonic ordinary mass by a known composer named Guillaume De
Machaut.
The five parts of the mass includes KYRIE, GLORIA, CREDO, SANCTUS and
Agnus Dei
Famous composers of Medieval period
 Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
A German composer, philosopher, Christian mystic. Also known as Saint
Hildegard and Sibyl of the Rhine. One of her works as a composers, the O successors (You
Successors) was a highly expressive example of Gregorian chant. She also wrote poetry and
music, theological, botanical medicinal texts, and musical drama.
Adam de la Halle (1237-1288)
also known as Adam le Bossu. He was a French-born trouvere, poet and musician whose
literary and musical works includes poetic debates.
He wrote a musical play The Robin and Marion, considered the earliest surviving secular
French play with music.