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SECULAR MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGES. Troubadours and trouveres: First large body of secular songs surviving Composed during 12 th and 13 th c. Best known troubadour: Guillaume IX, duke of Aquitain, southern France Best known trouvere: Chastelain de Couci, northern France. Age of chivalry
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SECULAR MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGES • Troubadours and trouveres: • First large body of secular songs surviving • Composed during 12th and 13th c. • Best known troubadour: Guillaume IX, duke of Aquitain, southern France • Best known trouvere: Chastelain de Couci, northern France
Age of chivalry • Knights, Crusades, songs about love and fighting bravely
Love songs were usually performed by court minstrels • Notation lacks rhythm, but they were probably performed with a regular meter and clearly defined beat – differ from Gregorian chant • Why do you think?
Southern France, some women troubadours (Beatriz de Dia) • Wandering minstrels • Music and acrobatics in castles, taverns, town squares • Minstrels – no civil rights, lowest social class • Level with prostitutes and slaves • Important source of information
Estampie – a medieval dance, one of the earliest surviving forms of instrumental music • single melodic line is notated • No instrument specified • Common instruments were used: • Rebec – bowed string instruments • Pipe – tubular wind instrument • Psaltery – plucked or struck string instrument
LISTENING TO ESTAMPIE • Estampie • Books pg. 90
POLYPHONY: ORGANUM • Organum – medieval music that consists of a Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines • Between 700-900, first steps taken • Originally, a second melodic line was improvised, usually just duplicating the melody on a different pitch • Two lines moved in parallel motion in fourths or fifths
Organum • Between 900-1200: became truly polyphonic • More melodic curve instead of parallel motion • Sometimes contrary motion
C. 1100, second line became even more independent when the chant and the added melody differed rhythmically • Bottom line usually longer notes, top line shorter
School of Notre Dame: Measured Rhythm • After 1150, Paris: center for polyphony • 1163: Cathedral of Notre Dame • Leonin and Perotin: two successive choirmasters, first notable composers known by name • they and followers are the school • Used measured rhythm – time values, meter
At first, rhythm was all in threes – representing the Holy Trinity
LISTENING FOR ORGANUM • Alleluia: Nativitas • Perotin
YOUR TURN • Homework: Using the staff paper provided, compose a two-part organum. • Start and end each voice on the same pitch. • Should have at least 8 notes in the bottom voice, • At least 18 notes in the top voice