Search results
- “Sumer Is Icumen In” (13th century) This English round is one of the oldest-known examples of polyphony in English music, showcasing the medieval tradition of vocal harmony.
- “Gaude Maria Virgo” (13th century) A Gregorian chant honoring the Virgin Mary, it exemplifies the sacred music of the medieval period and the influence of the Catholic Church.
- “Estampie” (14th century) A popular medieval dance form, the estampie was performed using various instruments and had a lively and rhythmic character.
- “La Quarte Estampie Royal” (14th century) This estampie is one of the most well-known surviving instrumental compositions from the medieval period, showcasing the artistry and virtuosity of medieval musicians.
Searches related to background of the middle ages music examples
Jun 7, 2021 · The Medieval period of music history began around the fall of the Roman empire in 476 AD. It progressed into the sixth century and lasted through the end of the fourteenth century, when it gave way to Renaissance music. Medieval-era music centered around the church.
- When was the Medieval Period of Music? Because it covers such a long time frame, stretching from 500-1400AD, historians like to split the Medieval era into three mini-periods, each of which saw various new musical developments.
- Secular Music and Development of Polyphony. Although most music in the medieval period was religious, the High Medieval period saw the birth of the troubadour in France.
- Music Notation in the Medieval Era. It was during the Medieval period that the foundations were laid for the way that we write down music today. Until around the 9th Century, there was no written music, so pieces had to be taught “by ear” from person to person.
- Rhythmic Notation. Incredibly, there was no way of notating rhythm until the 13th Century, when a system of rhythmic modes was developed. These were set patterns of long and short note durations.
Following the traditional division of the Middle Ages, medieval music can be divided into Early (500–1000), High (1000–1300), and Late (1300–1400) medieval music. Medieval music includes liturgical music used for the church, other sacred music, and secular or non-religious music.
- c. 1730-1820
- c. 1400-1600
- c. 500-1400
- Stephen of Liège
- Hildegard of Bingen
- Fulbert of Chartres
- Peter Abelard
- Léonin
- Pérotin
- Philippe de Vitry
- Guillaume de Machaut
- Adam de La Halle
- Francesco Landini
Up first, we have Stephen of Liège, who was active toward the end of the Early Medieval period, which lasted from the 5th to the 10th century. However, the further back in history one looks, the scarcer names of individual composers become, so Liège is one of the earliest formal composers we know of. This is largely because music at the time was pa...
A fascinating figure and possibly the most famous composer of the medieval period, Hildegard of Bingen was a German abbess, writer, philosopher, poet, and composer. She experienced religious visions from a young age, and her Christian mysticism informed her work deeply. She was not formally trained as a composer or musician but claimed that the pie...
The exact details of Fulbert’s origins remain something of a mystery, although he was born in the late 10th century in northern France or possibly Italy before becoming Bishop of Chartres and a teacher at the cathedral school there. He wrote several hymns to glorify the Virgin Mary, as well as the “Chorus Novae Jerusalem”(Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem...
Abelard is best known as a theologian and scholar: the Frenchman was one of the most important and controversial figures in the Western church of his day. But he was also a composer, writing monophonic hymns and biblical planctus(lamentations). These were mournful songs that lamented a death, in this case, the demise of a biblical figure. He had a ...
French composer Léonin, active during the High Medieval Period (1150–1300), was a pioneer of polyphonicorganum, which involves accompanying the primary melody of a plainchant with an additional voice at a fixed interval — an early form of counterpoint and harmony that emerged in the 9th century. Léonin was the first to write two melodic parts with ...
Not much is known about Perotinus Magnus, as Pérotin was also known, except that he was a French composer from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Historians only found out about him because an anonymous English writerpraised him as “Magister Perotinus” (Pérotin the Master). He improved on Léonin’s two-voice organum by writing the first ever fo...
Ars Novawas an artistic movement that became popular in the Late Medieval era (1300–1400). Philippe de Vitry wrote the treatise that named this style. Meaning “new art” in Latin, this music was more expressive and varied, with polyphony (multiple independent melodies played together) becoming common. This change paved the way for the Renaissance er...
Guillaume de Machaut was one of the central figures of the Ars Novamovement and perhaps the most important composer of the 14th century. He was also one of the first composers for whom extensive biographical information and an exhaustive list of surviving works exist. The majority of his works were secular, with the lyrics to many describing “court...
De la Halle was a French trouvère, the etymology of which is linked to the word troubadour. These were poet-composers who played music as part of the aristocratic courtly tradition, and de la Halle was employed by the households of various European noblemen. He composed 36 chansons in the trouvère tradition and also innovated in the field of French...
Francesco Landini was probably born in Florence, although concrete details about his life are lacking. After becoming blind as a child, he devoted himself to music, learning several instruments and becoming particularly proficient on the organ. He was the primary exponent of the Trecento style, the Italian take on Ars Nova. Approximately 150 of his...
Oct 14, 2022 · Music of the early Medieval period began as a single line of notes, or monodic, that has come to be defined as plainchant or Gregorian chant. Here is a short example of Medieval Plainchant. The music does not distract from the importance of the sacred text and would have been sung unaccompanied and only by men.
Aug 25, 1985 · In nineteen chapters, seventeen world-leading scholars give a perspective on the music of the Middle Ages that will serve as a point of orientation for the informed listener and reader; the book is a must-have guide for anyone with an interest in listening to and understanding medieval music.
