Monophonic Music During The Middle Ages

Before there was a rebirth in Europe, there was instability that resulted into deaths, famine, and destruction. Therefore, the renaissance played a crucial role in Europe, specifically in Italy. The renaissance would be defined as a cycle where Europe practiced a rebirth of antiquity based on the Greeks and Roman culture. For instance, the people of Italian Europe studied religion and the Northern people established several teachings of learning on topics of technology, philosophy, and science. Wherefore, the social status of artists changed since advanced ideas of art was always available in Europe l throughout the Renaissance. This had an impact on the church to be more stabilized because of how their power was drained in the past. In addition,

There are many contrasts in the art and music of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was a time of great suffering, including famine and widespread disease, such as the Black Death. The Renaissance was revival of art, learning, and literature. The people’s attitude and fervor for religion had tremendous effects on the art and music produced. The Middle Ages also referred to as “The Age of Faith” was God centered and gave power to the church who dictated how the art should appear, and music should sound. The Renaissance was more concerned with individuals and their talents, the church was not the centralized power, the art exhibited influences from ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

Another comparison that can be made to the modern era and Renaissance Europe is the field of music. Music has always been a part of the history and served as a form of entertainment for a long time. In early Renaissance Europe, wealthy merchants were able to educate their family in the arts and music. Women from rich families were also involved in music. Music in early renaissance was created in a way to sooth the listener's ears. Music with vocals was predominant and composers documented music for certain instruments. Events that led to changes from 1400 to 1600 (Arkenberg, 2002) led to the major shift in the styles making music, ways of distributing music, neo musical genres and the creation of instrument used in making music. The early Renaissance

Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution.

Two composers about this period are: (Hildegregard of Bingen What's more Leonin-ca. ). - those primary 500 quite some time from claiming this period, those pre-dominate kind of music might have been alluded should as Gregorian chant, a monophonic vocal music that might have been sung Previously, church. Those stayed of the time saw a bit by bit evolving unpredictability in the music from serenade comprising of a absolute melodic line will two part composing called organum, Furthermore At last should polyphonic consecrated (religiously based) compositions known as motets (often setting of prayers) Furthermore massenet (settings for specific writings from the custom move fact Mass). A large portion

From 1400 to 1600 A.D., the Renaissance was a period of a rediscovery of Greek ideals for musicians to explore possibilities of their art. It was during this time that ideas were able to better circulate, because individualism began to increase, and the printing of music helped to preserve and distribute musical ideas (History). Also, as opposed to the medieval period, the Renaissance began to expand upon the type of sound that was created by adding the voices of women in choirs, as well as expanding instrumental music. The texture of music also began to change, with homophonic and polyphonic compositions. Sacred vocal polyphony was used rather than monophony in the form of masses and motets, while secular pieces also included madrigals and songs. Instrumental pieces usually were short during this time, and were for dancing (History).

During the middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the sole contributor to musical development. The music of the early church was monophonic, and had nonmetric melodies set in one of the church modes, or scales. The rise or development of polyphony came about during the Renaissance period; the Council of Trent wanted polyphonic church music to be created and Palestrina composed the Pope

The Medieval period began in 500 A.D. and ended in 1450 A.D. During this time in particular, the Catholic Church had significant influence on how music was used and created. Sacred music, for example, was most prevalent because of this. Due to the religious nature of this period, music in the church had to adhere to very specific regulations, some of which included prayers such as plainchants or Gregorian chants. A single melody without harmony, or one musical part sung together in unison, is called a Monophonic melody, which was sung primarily by monks. Some time later, around 900 A.D., the using of two melodic lines was permitted by the church, this music was called organum. A low, continuous note called a drone, was sung at the same time as the main melody. The two melodies were often moving in contrasting motion to each other. By the Late-Medieval period, 1100 A.D., the music of the church had shifted from monophonic to more polyphonic, often two or more varying parts.

The musical work that I am going to use in this essay is “Non avra ma’ pieta” by Francesco Landini. Classical Archives (2008) have noted that Francesco Landini was the most celebrated musician in the first school of polyphonic music in Italy. They also say that Landini was born in Fiesole on the outskirts of Florence and that he was the son of Jacopo Del Casentino, a painter and student of Giotto. It also states that when Francesco Landini was a child, he suffered from smallpox and as a result of this, left him blind for the rest of his life. He dealt with this by taking refuge in music. One way in how Landini done this was by playing a wide range of instruments. One in particular that he mastered was the organ. Landini was famed for his

​Gregorian Chants are a body chants of the Roman Catholic Church. It has been created by Pope Gregory by 590-604. The Gregorian Chant was also known as plainsong, or plain chant, and it was named after Pope Gregory. This music is a single line of melody with a flexible rhythm sung to Latin words with no male voices on it. The single line of melody called monophony. Furthermore, it was a characterized music until about 1000 AD.

Anne Sullivan, an American teacher, once said “Every Renaissance comes to the world with a cry, the cry of the human spirit to be free.” The Renaissance was a time of profound social changes that affected nearly every aspect of human life. The Renaissance can be traced to several causes; societal changes such as new philosophies and forms of expression, political changes such as a shifting in the religious-political structures, and, ultimately, economic changes that drove the influx of cultural evolution.

3. Medieval and Renaissance culture varied in many ways, aside from the differing music. In the Medieval age (the time between the 5th and 15th century), the church controlled many things, not only music. The church was in charge of education, the church also dominated politics. People very much feared God. Whereas in the Renaissance (15th and 17th century) the state ruled over the church. People in the Renaissance believed that God wasn’t some fearsome being, instead they believed more in logical and practical thinking.

The feelings that the Ancient Romans had towards music could be described as ambivalent. They admired it and at the same time, they condemned it. Music, nevertheless, played a role in Roman society that, as time passed, became less and less important to the Romans. As a result, much of the information about music in Ancient Rome has been lost in time. However what has been discovered about this topic is quite fascinating, in spite of what it is lacking. The subsequent paragraphs will explain some of the aspects of Roman life regarding music. This includes the history of music in Ancient Rome, the instruments that the Romans played, the uses of music in their society and the impact that music in Rome has had on the music of today.

Beginning at around 476 AD, the medieval era is mostly related to the church as most music from this era is sacred. The style of this era, the Gregorian chant is monophonic only comprising of the plainchant (or the single- line melodies of early church music) in texture only comprising of the plainchant (or the single- line melodies of early church music). It is not until the arrival of the French composers Léonin and Pèrotin in 1100 and 1200 respectively that polyphony would be incorporated into musical worship with the “decoration” of Gregorian chant with one or more simultaneous musical lines, thus transitioning from Gregorian chant to Organum. During this era, most of the music and roles for musicians belonged to the church except for the troubadours of southern France and the trouvères of northern France. The music was responsorial between the mass and the father during church and was