-
476
The Fall of Rome
-
Period: 476 to 1430
Melody
This period of music had a confined pitch range, high use of melismas, and mostly had conjunct motion. Melody was based on 8 modes: Dorian, hypodorian, phrygian, hypophrygian, lydian, hypolydian, misolydian, and hypomixolydian. -
Period: 476 to 1430
Harmony
No chord structures or system yet. 4ths, 5ths, and 8ves were the favored consonant intervals. 2nds and 7ths were used. 3rds and 6ths were avoided. -
Period: 476 to 1430
Rhythm
Music from this time often had a steady beat and rhythmic regularity. by 1250, there were 6 established rhythmic modes. -
Period: 476 to 1430
Form
The musical structure of compositions and melodies were based on text and poetic form. Ballads, madrigals, and lais were popular. -
Period: 476 to 1430
Texture
In the early Medieval, monophony was popular. By the middle/late Medieval, 3 to 4 part polyphony was common. -
Period: 476 to 1430
Singing
Technique different than ours. Solo vocalists had vocal polyphony, choruses had monophonic melodies. -
Period: 476 to 1430
Common Instruments
Strings: Viols and lutes were popular, music for each solo and viol ensembles of different size/dynamic, also harp, lute, organistrum, psaltery, and vielle
Organs: Large grand/great, portative (carryable) and positive
Wind: traverse flute, recorders, shawms, horns, and trumpets -
Period: 991 to 1033
Guido d'Arezzo
Invented the staff, pitch notation, and syllables ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la. -
Period: 1095 to 1291
The beginning of the Crusades
-
Period: 1098 to 1179
Hildegard von Bingen
Founder and abbess of the convent at Rupertsberg, Germany; composer of first morality play; wrote liturgical dramas and religious poetry. -
Period: 1135 to 1201
Leonin
First composer of polyphonic music; credited with compiling the "Magnus liber organi". -
Period: 1155 to 1207
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras
Troubadour poet and composer; wrote at least 35 poems and 7 survived with music -
Period: 1180 to 1238
Perotin
Three and four voice organum -
Period: 1291 to 1361
Philippe de Vitry
First composer of Ars Nova describing hocket, isorhythm, and the division of a beat into 3 equal parts -
Period: 1300 to 1377
Guillaume de Machaut
Leading composer and poet -
Period: 1300 to 1420
Trecento
-
Period: 1300 to 1350
Ars Nova
Rhythm: Became more complex outside of the old 6 rhythmic modes. Polyrhythms and polymeters used. Beat began to be divided into 2 (tempus imperfectum) rather than 3 (tempus perfectum). Four meters: 6/8, 9/8, 3/4, 2/4
The use of dissonant 2nds and 7ths became popular. Singing technique changed. -
Period: 1325 to 1397
Francesco Landini
Most famous Italian composer; music theorist, poet, and organist -
Period: 1347 to 1353
The Bubonic Plague
The Black Death wipes out nearly 1/3 of Europe's population. -
Period: 1390 to 1453
John Dunstable (Dunstaple)
Leading English composer, created new consonant style of 3rds and 6ths -
Period: 1397 to 1474
Guillame Dufay
First Renaissance composer; used Medieval cadences -
Period: 1420 to 1497
Johannes Ockeghem
Very respected and prolific; bass singer -
Period: 1430 to
Harmony
Modal tonal system. Focused on consonance and progression of 3rds and 6ths. -
Period: 1430 to
Melody
Had wider leaps but still mostly conjunct, flowing, and melismatic. Used cantus firmi - pre-existing (often secular) tunes were placed in new sacred music. Intermingle between secular and sacred. -
Period: 1430 to
Form
Structure dictated by poetic forms: strophic, madrigals. Binary form common, masses controlled by cantus firmus. -
Period: 1430 to
Timbre
Variation in combo of instruments and singers. -
Period: 1430 to
Texture
Began with 3 to 4 part texture. By the 1500s, 5-8 was the norm. Homorhythm common. Counterpoint was very popular, especially imitative. Used techniques such as augmentation, diminution, retrograde, and inversion. Canons also widely used. -
Period: 1430 to
Dynamics
Cori Spezzati: one choir split into 1 larger group and 1 soft group. Contrast between loud and soft instruments. -
Period: 1430 to
Rhythm
Simple compared to the Ars Nova -
Period: 1430 to
Instruments
Haut (loud): shawms, cornets, slide trumpets, and sackbut
Bas (soft): harps, vielles, lutes, psaltries, organs, traverse flutes, recorders, harpsichord, and clavichord. -
Period: 1435 to 1511
Johannes Tinctoris
Composer and music theorist; wrote about contemporary music; wrote first dictionary of musical terms "Diffinitorum musices" (c. 1475) -
Period: 1450 to 1521
Josquin des Prez
Most revered Renaissance composer especially by Martin Luther -
Period: 1450 to 1517
Heinrich Isaac
Prolific German composer -
Period: 1452 to 1519
Leonardo da Vinci
-
Period: 1483 to 1546
Martin Luther
German theologist and composer; founder of the Lutheran church -
Period: 1490 to 1562
Adrian Willaert
Father of text expression -
Period: 1505 to
Thomas Tallis
English composer who wrote a 40-voice part motet -
Period: 1507 to 1568
Jacques Arcadelt
One of the earliest Italian madrigal composers; secular; composed over 250 madrigals, 125 French chansons, and sacred music -
1512
Michelangelo finishes the Sistine Chapel
-
Period: 1521 to
Philipp de Monte
Most prolific composer of the Renaissance; mixed polyphony and homophony -
Period: 1525 to
Palestrina
Roman, anicon, contrapuntal, liturgical music -
Period: 1525 to
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Awarded the most posthumous fame -
Period: 1532 to
Orlando di Lasso
Ranks in important with Josquin and Palestrina; very versatile and prolific -
Period: 1543 to
William Byrd
Important Catholic English composer working in Protestant England -
Period: 1548 to
Romas Luis de Victoria
Carries on Palestrina's style while working in Spain -
Period: 1557 to
Giovanni Gabrieli
Leading composer of instrumental ensemble music and polychoral works in the late Renaissance -
Period: 1564 to
Shakespeare
Many Renaissance-style songs were composed for and used in his plays -
Period: 1567 to
Claudio Monteverdi
Moved music from the Renaissance style to the Baroque; wrote 9 books of madrigals -
Period: 1570 to
John Farmer
English composer and organist; secular; 4 solo voices