Music in the Middle Ages History

Study Notes

The fall of the Roman Empire in late 2nd century led to the Middle Ages.
The Roman Empire was too large to administer, resulting in crisis and division in the late 4th century.
The Western Roman Empire, based in Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire, based in Constantinople, were the result of this division.
The Eastern Roman Empire was able to withstand attacks from other peoples, but the Western Roman Empire fragmented.
The Middle Ages lasted from the 5th to the 14th centuries.
Gregorio I, a Pope in the 6th century, attempted to unify music within the Catholic Church.
In the 9th century, monks in Europe began writing down music to preserve it.
Monks were the only ones writing music during this time, resulting in a large amount of religious music being preserved.
Music in the Middle Ages was primarily monophonic, with multiple people singing the same melody.
The text describes two types of monophonic music: silabic and melismatic.
Hildegard von Bingen, a documented first female composer in history, wrote music for a women's monastery in the 12th century.
Some monks began improvising melodies to add variety to the gregorian chant in the 5th century.
The beginning of polychoral music in the 11th and 12th centuries involved adding harmonies to the melody.
The first known trovador, Guillón de Poitiers, was a Duke in the south of France.
The trovadores, who were known for their poetry, were considered intellectuals and composers.
The first known opera comic, "Soy de Govind," was written by Adam de la Halle.
In Spain during the 13th century, monophonic music was popular, particularly in Catalonia.
The earliest known profane music from Spain was called "jarchas" and dates back to the 11th century.
The Cantigas de Santa María, a collection of 400 anonymous songs, were sung in the court of Alfonso X.
The term "ars antiqua" was used to describe the music of the Middle Ages.
The ars nova period, which began in the 15th century, was a contrast to the ars antiqua.- Philippe de Vitry writes the treatise "Ars Nova" around the year 1320, marking the beginning of recognition for composers such as Francesco Landini and Guion de Maynault.
During this time, manuscripts like the Códice de las Huelgas and the Vermeil Codex emerge, providing the first known examples of poliphony in vernacular languages, distinguishing from Latin.
Stella Splendens is one of the compositions in this era, showcasing the evolution of music from Latin to the vernacular.
Poliphonic pieces from this era included various forms like the chanson, baile, and rondo.
Vernacular languages gained prominence in musical compositions, reflecting the shift towards the language of the people.