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The Middle Ages. The Middle Ages. The broadest definition of the medieval period encompasses all the centuries between “antiquity” and the “Renaissance.”
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The Middle Ages • The broadest definition of the medieval period encompasses all the centuries between “antiquity” and the “Renaissance.” • The term middle age (medium aevum) was first used in the late 15th century by Italian humanists as a description of that period of western European history between the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century AD and the revival (“renaissance”) of civilized life and learning in which the humanists believed themselves to be participating. • The notion of a thousand-year period of darkness and ignorance separating the humanists from the ancient Greek and Roman world served to highlight the humanists' own work and ideals.
1 Music and the Church: Plainchant • Why singing? • elevated speech [CD] • spiritualization • unifying worshipers • pedagogical • not work/performer/listener (music as art), but action/participant (music as practice).
1a) Music and Church Services • Church Calendar • Temporale • Sanctorale • Sanctification of Time
Mass [DVD-CD] Ordinary Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus-Benedictus Agnus Dei Proper Introitus Graduale Alleluja Offetorium Communio Divine Office Matins, about 3 a.m. Lauds, at daybreak Prime, at 6 a.m. Terce, at 9 a.m. Sext, at noon None, at 3 p.m. Vespers, at twilight Compline, before bedtime antiphones & responsoriums 1a) Music and Church Services
1b) Plainchant • “Plain” • Monophonic • free rhythm (unmeasured) • “Gregorian” • to evoke authority • The legend of Pope Gregory the Great (6th century) depicted in the Hartker Antiphoner, c980–1011
1c) Characteristics of Plainchant • nonmetrical • German neumes, c900, from St Gallen • in campo aperto(in an open field)
1c) Characteristics of Plainchant • Modal • I Protus • Authentic: mode 1/Dorian • Plagal: mode 2/Hypodorian • II Deuterus • Authentic: mode 3/Phrygian • Plagal: mode 4/Hypophrygian • III Tritus • Authentic: mode 5/Lydian • Plagal: mode 6/Hypolydian • IV Tetrardus • Authentic: mode 7/Mixolydian • Plagal: mode 8/Hypomixolydian
1d) Gregorian Recitation (Tones) • E.g. Preface (Praefation) for Mass on Sunday, “Vere dignum” • sung before “Sanctus” (re. DVD)
1e) Gregorian Melody (Tunes) • e.g. Antiphons for the liturgy for the dead, “In paradisum,” Chorus angelorum,” and “Ego sum.” • sung after the requiem mass and during the procession to the graveyard • Mode 7, 8, 2
1e) Gregorian Melody (Tunes) • e.g. Introit in Mode 3 (tune) with psalm verse (tone) • proper chant: sung at the beginning of the mass to set the character of a particular day.(re. DVD)
1f) Three Melodic styles • Syllabic • Neumatic • Melismatic
Antiphonal two alternating groups psalms, antiphons, invitatories, introits… Coro spezzati Responsorial soloist(s) in alternation with the choir responsories, graduals… Stile concertato 1g) Two Performance Styles
medieval modes recitation preface (praefation) sequence plainchant reciting tone antiphon syllabic neumatic melismatic antiphonal responsorial Important Terms
Late Medieaval Chant Additions • trope: melody, text, or both added to a plainchant, two general types: adding a new text to a melisma; and inserting new music, usually with words, between existing sections. • Practice flourished from 9th to 15th cent., was abused, and finally banned by Tridentine reform, survived as: • sequence: is trope set to final melisma of Alleluia, which is broken into phrases that were repeated in performance (as aa, bb, cc, . . . ) by alternating choirs. • sacred drama: plays based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Hildegard of Bingen • 1098–1179, German abbess, mystic, and writer. Took veil at 15. Became superior at Benedictine monastery of Disibodenberg 1136. c.1147 founded monastery on the Rupertsberg, near Bingen, Rhine Valley.
Hildegard of Bingen Wrote lyrical poetry from 1140, setting it to her own mus., much of it of strong individuality and complexity. She collected it together in 1150s under title Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum. Her morality play, Ordo Virtutum, a kind of pre-opera, representing the struggle for the soul between 16 virtues and the devil, contains 82 melodies.