Middle Ages (Medieval) PreviousMenuNext
700-1400



Composers

De Musica - Drummer amongst different players (1375) Boethius, Biblioteca Nazionale, Naples


Guido d'Arezzo
(c. 990 - c. 1050)
Hildegard von Bingen
(c. 1098-1179)

Léonin
(c. 1135-1201)

Pérotin
(c. 1155-1200)

Guillaume de Machaut
(c. 1300-1377)

Francesco Landini
(1325-1397)

Music in the middle ages develops mainly in the Catholic Christian church, but secular (non-religious) music, is also performed by poet-composers all over Europe. Monophony develops to polyphony, and musicians begin to write meters and note lengths.

The development of music in the early Middle Ages was under the influence of the Christian Church and the "Gregorian chant"'Corde Natus' - a Gregorian chant'Parce Domine' - a Gregorian chant is the only accepted genre in religious singing, from the 6th Century on. It is a tune based on ancient Greek modes (and also includes some Hebrew influence).
In the 10th century, polyphony (multi-voices) appears with the organumAn organum. Even then, singing was conducted in parallel voices to the main tune, in intervals of perfect fourths and fifths. In Notre Dame, lived one of the first notable composers, Léonin, who composed many two-part pieces. His work was revised and extended by the younger Pérotin. They were the chief exponents of the 'Ars Antiqua'.

Later on, polyphony evolves into counterpoint, which means "point versus point", since notes were marked as points - voices singing along with a given voice ("cantus firmus") with strict rules, but not in a fixed interval, as before.
In the 11th Century, Guido D'Arezzo invents the names of the notes and the musical staveListen to Guido's Hymn to St. John the BaptistNotes of Guido's hymn to St. John the Baptist.
13th Century mensural notation showing a shift away from modal rhythm and free rhythm of Gregorian chant to a system in which every note has a strictly determined value.
14th Century "Ars Nova" strove towards a new style, unbound by medieval rules of composition. Then appeared the first great name in music, Guillaume de Machaut - a prominent composer in the development of the ballade and the roundeau, and one of the most widely celebrated composers in the field of polyphonic song-writing.
Along with religious music, secular music was developed from the 11th Century, by troubadours (southern France), trouvers (northern France) and Minnesingers (Germany), the popular poet-composers-singers of love songs and chansons who accompanied themselves with the lute (ancient guitar). Hildegard of Bingen is an example of this kind of musician.


Notation in the middle ages
Musical notes as they appear in the Middle Ages

Guido d'Arezzo's musical hand, Bodleian Library, Oxford
Guido d'Arezzo's musical hand

Example music from this period
Examples
Free organum
"Summer is coming" - the oldest canon from 13th century
Estampie dance
#2 Estampie dance

Parce Domine

Corde Natus



The main musical forms in this period
Typical forms
Gregorian Chant
Organum
Motet
Madrigal
Mass
Chanson



Study the historical events that were connected with music and how
Historic and Scientific events
1066
William the Conqueror invades England - Battle of Hastings
1077
Emperor Henry the IV goes to Canossa

1095
Crusade to Jerusalem
711
Moors invade the Iberian Peninsula
795
Invasion of the Danes to Ireland
1054
East and West Roman Churches separated
1211
Genghis Khan invades China
1215
'Magna Carta' signed by King John of England
1271
Marco Polo journeys to China
1337
France and England begin the 'Hundred Years War'
1346
Start of 'Black Death' - killing millions in Europe (25% of population)






The Middle Ages on the WWW

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Politics
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Science
Inventions and discoveries in that period


Architecture

This period in the history of architecture


Notes
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A musical historic timeline
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Period's sites from the internet
Sites
Period's audio & Music from the internet
Audio
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Video
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Period's MIDI Files from the internet
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