1. Medieval Era
Copyright 2010

2. Timeframe and Geographical Centers
600 – 1450
France
Italy

3. Cultural Background
Feudalism
Roman Catholic Church
People
Events

4. Feudalism
Political and military system
King, Lords, Clerics, Peasants

5. Roman Catholic Church Pope, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests
Served the King
Owned land

6. People Gregory the Great Charlemagne (540 – 604) Pope
Organized the Roman Catholic Church including choosing a body of canonized chants
Charlemagne
(742 – 814)
Holy Roman Emperor
Unified Western and Central Europe

7. William the Conqueror Joan of Arc (1028 – 1087) King of Normandy
King of England
Joan of Arc
(1412 – 1431)
Led the French army during the Hundred Years War
Martyred

8. Events
Black Plague
Hundred Years’ War
Crusades
Magna Carta

9. The Arts
Architecture
Cathedrals
Arches
Flying butresses
Castles

10. Frescos and Painting

11. Sculpture and Illuminated Manuscripts

12. Literature and Writing
Religous Writing
St. Thomas of Aquinas
Francis of Assisi
Secular Writing
Beowulf (Old English)
Nibelungenlied (Germany)
Chanson de Roland (France)
Arthurian Cycles

13. Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 – 1400) Father of English literature
Canterbury Tales

14. Alighieri Dante (1265 – 1321)
Italian Poet
Divine Comedy

15. Vocal Music Sacred chant Purpose: to serve in liturgy during the Mass
Texture: Monophonic
Rhythm: Unmetered
Harmony: Modal
Melody: Small range and mostly stepwise movements
Form: Could have utitlized a three-part form ( Holy Trinity)
Dynamics: Blocked or Terraced
Timbre: Vocal (male)
Sung in Latin
Purpose: to serve in liturgy during the Mass

16. Mass Ordinary Texts: sung or spoken at every Mass Proper Texts
Kyrie Lord Have Mercy, Christ have Mercy, Lord Have Mercy
Gloria Glory to God in the highest
Credo I believe in God
Sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy
Agnus Dei Lamb of God
Proper Texts
Differed according to the Christian Year

17. Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179)
Christian mystic
German Benedictine Abbess
“O Successores”

18. Perotin (c. 1160 – 1240) Associated with Notre Dame in Paris
“Alleluya”

19. Instrumental Music Associated with Dance Improvised, not written down
Melody: Longer melodic ranges
Rhythm: Metered rhythms
Harmony: Modal
Texture: Essentially monophonic
Dynamics: Blocked or terraced
Timbres: string, percussion, woodwind, brass
Anonymous, “Estampie”

21. Renaissance (1450 – 1600)

22. Meaning: Rebirth
Timeframe:
Geographic Center: Italy
Cultural Background

23. Humanism Dominant philosophy
Human dignity and humane values are foremost

24. Age of Discovery Christopher Columbus Magellan Sir Francis Drake
Sir Walter Raleigh

25. Heliocentric Universe
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543)
Galileo Galilei
(1564 – 1642)

26. Printing Press Bore witness to humanism Germany, around 1440
Johannes Gutenberg ( )

27. Protestant Reformation
Wittenberg, Germany ( )
Martin Luther
(1483 – 1586)

28. Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation
A period of Catholic revival following the Protestant Reformation (1545 – 1648)
Begins with the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563)
Reforms include: church structure, religious orders and political dimensions

29. Visual Arts in the Renaissance
Architecture
Sculpture
Painting

30. Architecture Return to Greek and Roman models
Round arch
Column
Dome
Moved away from Gothic Style of Medieval
Filipo Brunelleschi (Cathedral of Florence)
Donato Bramante (St. Peter’s Basilica)

32. Sculpture Realism, especially of the human form Movement Michelangelo
Donatello
Michelangelo – Pieta Sculpture

33. Painting Realism Depth Perspective Raphael Michelangelo da Vinci

34. Literature William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616 Poet and playwright Plays
Sonnets

35. Music in the Renaissance
Patronage System
Instrumental/Vocal
Genres

36. Musical Elements
Melody
Harmony
Rhythm
Texture
Timbre
Dynamics
Form

37. Composers Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Kyrie from Pope Marcellus Mass

38. Thomas Weelkes ( )
As Vesta Was From Latmos Hill Descending

39. Giovanni Gabrieli (1554/57-1612)
Ricercare

40. The Baroque Era

41. Baroque Culture Definitions Geographical Centers
Portuguese for “irregularly-shaped” pearl
Geographical Centers
England
France
Germany

42. The Times
Science
Sir Isaac Newton
Galileo Galilei
René Descartes

43. William Gilbert ( )
Properties of electricity
Sir William Harvey ( )
Circulation of the blood
Robert Boyle ( )
Chemistry

44. Politics – Age of Absolute Monarchs
Charles II of England
Frederick II of Prussia
Louis XIV of France
Phillip IV of Spain

45. Religion Roman Catholic Protestant New Religions Deism
Influenced by the advances in scientific knowledge
Operated on reason alone without supernatural manifestations
Ethan Allen, Thomas Payne, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, James Madison

46. Visual Arts Architecture
In the Renaissance: simple, straight lines and detail
Bramante – St. Peter’s Cathedral
Brunelleschi – Florence Cathedral

47. In the Baroque: ornate, extravagant, showy
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican
Palace of Versailles, Paris

48. Painting Emotionally charged Dramatic subjects
Contrast; play between light and shadow

51. Peter Paul Rubens ( )
Rembrandt van Rijn ( )

52. Sculpture Strong light and dark contrasts Dramatic tension
Subjects are never still but moving, struggling, twisted
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Self-Portrait
Louis XIV

53. Age of Paradox/Contrasts
Church ↔ State
Monarchy ↔ Bourgeoisie
Aristocracy ↔ Affluent Middle Class
Importance of Religions ↔ Rise of Secular
Scientific Research ↔ Superstition, Witchcraft
Importance of humanity ↔ Religious Persecution

54. Music’s Response to Paradox/Contrast
Vocal ↔ Instrumental
8 Church Modes ↔ Tonality (Major, minor)
Sacred Music ↔ Secular Music
Polyphonic Texture ↔ Homophonic Texture

55. The Composer’s Life
Patronage System
Church ↔ Court

56. Music of the Baroque Doctrine of Affections Elements of Music Melody
Long, instrumental in conception
Use of sequences
Monothematic
Use of ornamentation

57. Harmony Rhythm Texture Tonal Use of Major and minor scales Metric
Motoric
Texture
Homophony and Polyphony equal in importance (Late Baroque)
Thorough Bass or Basso Continuo

58. Form Dynamics Timbre Binary Ternary Fugue Ritornello Terraced
Not written into the score
Timbre
Vocal
Instrumental

59. Keyboard Instruments
Pipe Organ
Harpsichord

60. String Instruments
Lute
Viol Family

61. Woodwind Instruments
Wood Flute
Recorder Family

62. Brass Instruments
Long Trumpet
Trombones

63. Percussion Instruments
Kettledrums

64. Vocal Genres Opera Began as court entertainments in Italy
Includes a story (libretto), solo singing, choral singing, dancing, costumes and sets
Forms: recitative, aria , chorus
Orfeo, 1607
Tu se’ morta
Claudio Monteverdi
( )

65. Cantata Short, unstaged operas (secular and sacred)
Used operatic forms (recitative, aria, chorus)
Sacred cantatas often based on a chorale
Cantata 140: Wachet Auf, 1731
Awake, A Voice is Calling Us
First Movement: Chorus and Orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach
( )

66. George Frideric Handel
Oratorio
A sacred, large-scale opera
Always based on a biblical story
No staging or costumes
Larger role for the chorus
Uses opera forms (recitative, aria, chorus)
Messiah, 1741
Recitative: The Voice of Him
Aria: Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
George Frideric Handel
( )

67. Instrumental Genres Dance Suite Suite No. 3 in D Major, 1729-1731
Originally a series of dances played for dancing
By the Baroque, suites became independent instrumental pieces no longer intended for dancing
Usually contained four dances
Often unified by key
Differed by tempo and international background
Used binary form
Suite No. 3 in D Major,
Air
Bourée
Gigue
J.S. Bach

68. Sonata Originally a “sound piece” for one instrument
Became a chamber music genre in the Baroque (from 2 to 6 players)
Four movements: fast, fast, slow, fast
Trio sonatas were popular
Trio Sonata in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 10 (1689)
First Movement
Arcangelo Corelli
( )

69. Concerto Grosso “friendly contention”
Contrasts a larger ensemble (ripieno or tutti) with a solo group (concertino)
Three movements: fast, slow, fast
Often uses ritornello form
Spring Concerto The Four Seasons, 1725
First Movement: Allegro
Spring has come, and joyfully,
The birds greet it with happy song.
And the streams, fanned by gentle breezes,
Flow along with a sweet murmur.
Covering the sky with a black cloak,
Thunder and lightning come to announce the season.
When these have quieted down, the little birds
Return to their enchanting song.
Antonio Vivaldi
( )

70. Ritornello Form

71. Keyboard Music Organ and harpsichord
Often paired a “free” piece with a contrapuntal fugue [Prelude and Fugue]
Toccata: added elements of virtuosic “touch” keyboard technique
Fugue in g minor, BWV 578
J.S. Bach

72. J.S. Bach – Fugue in g minor, BWV 578

73. Composers Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
George Frideric Handel ( )
Antonio Vivaldi ( )
Henry Purcell ( )