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Chapter 5 The Middle Ages

Chapter 5 The Middle Ages. The Evolution of Polyphony. Organum Melismas. Key Terms. The Evolution of Polyphony. Sensuous quality of two or more melodies must have appealed to listeners First used c. 900 C.E. as improvised embellishment to plainchant— organum

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Chapter 5 The Middle Ages

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  1. Chapter 5The Middle Ages The Evolution of Polyphony

  2. Organum Melismas Key Terms

  3. The Evolution of Polyphony • Sensuous quality of two or more melodies must have appealed to listeners • First used c. 900 C.E. as improvised embellishment to plainchant—organum • Started by adding new melody (counterpoint) below chant • One note in counterpoint for each note of chant (note-against-note)—still free chant rhythm • Used parallel motion, keeping same interval between voices

  4. The Evolution of Polyphony • Soon the counterpoint moved more freely • Moved up or down, no longer parallel • Still note-against-note, free chant rhythm • By 1100, counterpoint added above chant in a more flexible rhythm • Counterpoint moves up or down freely • Counterpoint adds one, a few, or many notes for each note of the chant • Composers begin to write out a counterpoint; no longer improvised only

  5. The Evolution of Polyphony • By about 1200 composers added one, two, or three counterpoints to a chant melody! • Organum’s growing sophistication forced composers to invent rhythmic notation • Composers at Notre Dame Cathedral developed a system for notating definite rhythms in a fixed meter • Growth of composed, notated polyphonic music was a landmark in Western music

  6. Notre Dame School • Flourished during the years the cathedral was being built, 1163-1235 • Developed the first well-understood system of rhythmic notation • Based on repeated rhythmic patterns, analogous to poetic meter • Most important composers were Master Léonin and Master Pérotin • Pérotin famous for his organa in three and four voices

  7. Pérotin, Organum • Adorns a plainchant melody from the Mass, “Alleluia. Diffusa est gratia” • Plainchant used where choir would normally sing • Organum used in verse, where cantor would normally sing • Lowest voice sings chant melody, but using long, slow notes • Upper voices add new melodies with a gentle triple-time lilt

  8. Pérotin, Organum • Legato melodies move mostly by step • Based on a medieval mode (Mixolydian) • Rich, open harmonies, especially on strong beats • Chant portions nonmetrical; organum triple feel (compound meter) at moderate tempo • Polyphonic music: faster moving voices over slow-moving tenor line • Sung by male voices • Alleluia chant returns at end, otherwise free

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