Early Music

1. Early Music Medieval and Renaissance

2. Some basic concepts • Sacred vs. secular • Sacred – music written for religious purposes or with religious themes • Secular – music of a more worldly nature • Vocal vs. instrumental • Vocal – uses one or more voices; with or without accompanying instruments • Instrumental – uses only instruments; no voices

3. Medieval • Also called the Dark Ages • Dark Ages philosophy • People are sinful • Deserve to lead miserable lives

4. Medieval culture and society • Feudal system was prominent • Rich land owners (powerful lords & land owners) • Poor peasants (no power) • Church (Catholic) was dominant

5. Sacred Medieval Music • Mass was main form of music • Both worship and composed in general • Sung in Latin • Divided into two parts • Proper – lyrics changed with the theme • Ordinary – lyrics remained the same

6. 5 parts of the ordinary mass • Gloria • Credo • Sanctus • Kyrie • Agnus dei • The lyrics of these sections have been lifted and used in more secular settings

7. Gregorian chant • Named after Pope Gregory • Vocal only – no instruments • Sung in Latin • Monophonic texture • Everyone plays or sings the same single melody line with no accompaniment • No set meter – follow rhythm of the text • Text painting • Internet Extra Credit

8. Secular Medieval Music • Mostly vocal – little instrumental • Minstrels / troubadors – love songs • Motets • More complicated • Polyphonic texture • Different parts sung at the same time • Early experiments • Beginnings of harmony

9. Medieval music summary • More sacred than secular • More vocal than instrumental

11. Renaissance • 1450 – 1600 (approximately) • Great discovery, rebirth, & rethinking • Began shift to secular outlook on life • Focus on life on earth, rather than the afterlife

12. Culture and society • England and Italy were centers of culture • Humanism • New philosophy (we’re not so bad) • Arts and sciences flourished

13. Leonardo di Vinci • Artist and scientist

14. Michelangelo

15. Explorations pushed the envelope of thinking and discovery • Christopher Columbus • Vasco de Gamma • Magellan

16. Middle class emerges • Merchants • Trade from far off lands (explorers) • Printing press invented • First music published in 1501 in Venice • Made music more available to middle class

17. Reformation • Martin Luther • Broke away from Catholic church • Start of Protestant denominations • Services in native language • Simple congregational hymn or chorale • Sung in native language • Set off Counter-Reformation • Reactions of Catholic church • Allowed instruments in worship

18. Sacred Renaissance Music • Reformation brought simple hymns • Chorale • Counter-Reformation allowed instruments • Gabrielli – brass • Antiphony – early “stereo” • Mass was still important • Palestrina important composer

19. Renaissance Secular Music • New forms for songs / compositions • Vocal madrigal • Lively, often bawdy • Monteverdi, Morely (3 M’s) • Ballett • English composition • “fa-la-la-la-la”

20. Important part of everyday life • Middle class entertained with music • Competed for largest group of musicians • Printed music now available • Guests and host would sing or play after meals (consorts)

21. Beginnings of patronage system • System by which musicians could earn a living • Composers, singers, instrumentalists • Could not work independently • Employed by the church, royalty, or wealthy family (this will last for many, many years to come)

22. Instrumental music began to grow • Consorts– groups of instruments built in different sizes but were really the same instrument • Viols and recorders • Dance music Galliard – lively, quick Pavane – slow and stately

23. Music Summary • Wide use of 4-part polyphony • Polyphonic texture Different melodies at the same time • Increase in secular – still more sacred • Increase in instrumental – still more vocal • Compared to Medieval