Medieval music history
The roughly 500–1400 period is referred regarded as the “Mediaeval Period” of music.
It spans the whole time span from the end of the Western Roman Empire and the start of the Renaissance, making it the longest musical “period” ever (900 years!).
Types of Medieval music
There were primarily two genres of music: secular and religious. Folk songs and ballads, many of which were performed by itinerant musicians known as troubadours, made up secular music. The majority of these songs dealt with love or extraordinary bravery in combat.
Medieval music period
The style of church music known as Gregorian chant, named after Pope Gregory, is said to have been the most well-liked in the late Middle Ages. Pope Gregory is credited with bringing Gregorian chant to the West. It was considered the first mediaeval music since it was sacred, signifying priests played it as a customary part of Communion in Roman Catholicism.
Early secular music lacked a notational system. The majority of the songs, which were transmitted orally, were composed using instruments from the Middle Ages. On the other hand, vocalists who already knew the song only utilised this form of notation as a learning tool. The initial stage was the deployment of many signals called neumes that were displayed above the chant lyrics.
Medieval music characteristics
Due to the fact that the mediaeval era was the first to be documented and was the longest, its music had a distinctive tone. Actually, there are five characteristics of mediaeval music theory that set it apart from other types of music.
The music of the Middle Ages was authoritarian in style. The term “monophony” was established in the late 1800s. A single melody line is all that is present in this kind of mediaeval music. For instance, priests and nuns chant a single vocal melodic line known as the Gregorian chant.
A same rhythmic pattern was adopted by most mediaeval chants, giving the era a cohesive flavour. De Mensurabili Musica, Johannes de Garlandia’s thirteenth work on musicology, contains descriptions of these sounds.
Advantages of listening to medieval music
Developing your musical ear is one of the main advantages of listening to classical music. You’ll hear the same thing over and over again with little change in modern music genres like pop and rock, which may become very boring.
Different movements and passages of classical pieces can sound and feel extremely differently from one another. Your ear becomes challenged as a result when it can’t focus on anything that keeps repeating itself.
Even if you’re merely playing classical music in the background while doing anything else, your ears will be working somewhat. This has the great bonus that you can listen to the same piece of music several times and maybe
Medieval music examples
Italian ballad from the middle ages called Lamento di Tristano relates the tale of two lovers from Tristan’s perspective. It has been included into a Wagner opera and is evocative of “Romeo and Juliet” from the late Renaissance.
L’autrier m’iera levaz, a secular piece of music that portrays courtly love, was written in the 12th century in France. This song’s central premise is a French knight declaring his love for a woman of similar ancestry who rejects him.
Greensleeves: This 16th-century English folk song first appeared. The piece clearly shows an Italian influence, despite the lyrical matter being related to Henry VIII’s attempts to court Anne Boleyn.