1. Medieval 500-1400 A.D.

2.  Answer: What brought about the “Dark Ages” (the Medieval time period)?

3.  The Fall of the Roman Empire led to instability.  The Black Plague killed 2/3 of Europe’s population.  Invading hordes of Vandals, Huns, and Visigoths overran Europe.

4.  Life was very difficult and short.  The Church became the center of people’s lives and towns.  The Church had great power over the people- Why?

5.  The Church’s power extends to music.  Most of the music from the Medieval time period is religious or sacred music.  Sacred music:  Parts of the Mass  Anything with religious meaning or words

6.  Gregorian chant -type of music in which the melody is set to sacred Latin texts and sung without accompaniment.  Named after Pope Gregory I (the Great).

7.  These melodies were meant to enhance specific parts of religious services and set the atmosphere for prayer.  Music is calm and otherworldly

8.  Rhythm is flexible, without meter, and has little sense of beat.  Pitch was notated but not rhythm  Melodies move stepwise and have a narrow range.

9.  Listen: “Alleluia: Vidimus Stellam”

11.  What is the texture? Monophonic

15.  Sacred- religious  Secular- worldly, non-religious

17.  Abbess (type of nun) of Rupersberg in Germany  Visionary and mystic  Active in religious and diplomatic affairs.

18.  Wrote monophonic sacred songs (Gregorian chant)  First woman composer from whom a large number of works have survived.

21.  O successores fortissimi leonis Inter templum et altare- Dominantes in ministratione eius- Sicut angeli sonat in laudibus, Et sicut adsunt populis in adiutorio, Vos estis inter illos, Qui haec faciunt, Semper curam habentes In officio agni. You successors of the mightiest lion Between the temple and the altar You the masters in his household As the angels sound forth praises And are here to help the nations, You are among those Who accomplish this, Forever showing your care In the service of the lamb.

23.  Guido d’Arezzo- a Benedictine monk in France.  He created SOLFEGE and notated the music staff with only 4 lines with square notes  How is that different from today?

24.  “Ave Maris Stella”- Dufay  “Sumer is Icumen In”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Sumer_Is_Icumen_In http://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Sumer_Is_Icumen_In

25.  School of Notre Dame

27.  Cathedral in Paris, France  “School”- style of composing music.  Composers Leonin and Perotin were most prominent composers and they and their followers were considered “school of ND”.  Between 900-1200, ORGANUM was created.

28.  Gregorian Chant + one or more original melodies= ORGANUM  The Gregorian Chant was called the Cantus Firmus (which roughly translates to “fixed song”).

29.  This created POLYPHONIC music.  Pitch and rhythm were now both notated.

30.  Listen: “Alleluia: Nativitas” (1200) Perotin  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxRDhejtwo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxRDhejtwo

31.  Minstrels- poet-musicians who travelled from court to court singing songs of love, chivalry, and the Crusades.  Much of their music has survived because the court clerics wrote it down.  They were considered in the lowest part of society unless they were employed by the courts

32.  Why are they so important?  They were like Medieval newspapers, carrying the news in song from town to town.

34.  Minstrels often played lutes to accompany themselves.  The Lute was a plucked string music instrument having a pear-shaped body, a usually bent neck, and a fretted fingerboard

36.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K63 Z_abB314&feature=player_embedde d#! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K63 Z_abB314&feature=player_embedde d#!