Medieval Timeline

By Cweldin
  • Period: 500 to 1450

    Medieval Period

  • Apr 2, 742

    Charlemagne

    Charlemagne was the Holy Roman Emperor. His idea was to control the church in order to control the empire. He had anywhere from 400-600 tunes and died in 814.
  • 900

    Musica Enchiriadis

    This was the first method in the western music world to create polyphony. It had parallel motion for perfect fourths and perfect fifths. Some voices were also used with improvisation.
  • 990

    Guido of Arezzo’s Micrologus.

    The innovation here is the hexachord system. This was known as “singing with the hand”. Gamma- Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La. 990-1050
  • 1071

    Troubadours and Trobairitz

    This tradition originated in France and spread to places like Spain, Italy, and Portugal. First Troubadour was Guillhem de Peitieus. This was vernacular poetic music from 1071-1348 (the Black Death).
  • 1098

    Hildegard of Bingen

    She was most famous for her visions from God. She did many things like write about her visions and compose music. It was very taboo to claim any composition but she did anyways. She lived 1098-1179.
  • 1163

    Notre Dame School

    Most famous for the styles created like Polyphony. The people that were known to work on this was Leonin and Perotin. School was in session from 1163-1250
  • 1280

    Franco of Cologne

    Was famous for the Ars Cantus Mensurabilis. The innovation he had was perfect versus imperfect intervals and resolutions. This included the semitone, tritone, and much more.
  • 1300

    Guillaume de Machaut

    Wrote love songs in Cantalina style. He also continued the traditions of the Troubadours. The thing he was most famous for was Ars Nova. He lived 1300-1377
  • 1323

    Ars Nova Treatise

    New Art was concerned about the meters and if they were considered perfect or imperfect. This had to do with duple and triple meters. The Breve was derived from this as well.
  • 1325

    Francesco Landini

    He was well known for his cadence known as the “Landini Cadence”. He had 140 Ballete and believed in the idea of musica ficta. The “hard B became the soft B”. When writing music, he would avoid the tritone at all costs. He lived 1325-1397.