Middle Ages

By charlieshadid
  • 476

    Fall of Roman Empire

    Fall of Roman Empire
    The fall of the Western Roman Empire in the year 476 CE brought about the Middle Ages in Europe. The thousand-year era was a time of sacredness for Europe; thus, most music was written for use in Christian worship.
  • Period: 590 to 604

    Gregorian Chant

    During this time the Gregorian chant was developed. It is also known as plainchant or plainsong and named after Pope St. Gregory the Great. This pope was credited with bringing it to the West.
  • 695

    Organum

    Organum
    The organum was developed. It is an early form of counterpoint, which eventually led to polyphony. This type of song had a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony. There is no real independent second voice, so, it is not yet considered polyphony.
  • 800

    Charlemagne Crowned Emperor

    Charlemagne Crowned Emperor
    On Christmas Day, Charlemagne, King of the Franks, was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III. This revival of the Roman imperial title, which had not been used in western Europe since the fifth century, heralded the birth of what would come to be known, much later, as the Holy Roman Empire.
  • Period: 1000 to 1100

    Troubadour and Trouvère

    During this time of liturgical musical drama unfolds throughout Europe. Also, the music of the troubadour and trouvère, a vernacular tradition of monophonic, secular song is accompanied by instruments and singers. Guillaume d'Aquitaine was one of the well-known troubadours with most themes centered around chivalry and courtly love.
  • Period: 1000 to 1400

    Dark Ages

    During the “Dark Ages” (the name given by Renaissance thinkers to the Middle Ages), the vital classical heritage of the ancient Greeks was safeguarded in the eastern Empire.
  • 1030

    New Method to Teach Singing

    New Method to Teach Singing
    It was around this time when a new method to teach singing was invented by a Benedictine monk and choirmaster named Guido de Arezzo. He is regarded as the inventor of modern musical notation.
  • Period: 1098 to 1179

    Hildegard von Bingen

    The lifetime of Hildegard von Bingen, a highly regarded abbess who was conferred the title of "doctor of the church" by Pope Benedict XVI. One of her works as a composer, the ​"Ordo Virtutum," is an early example of liturgical drama and arguably the oldest surviving morality play.
  • Period: 1100 to 1200

    Age of the Goliards

    The Goliards were a group of clergy who wrote satirical Latin poetry to mock the church. Some known Goliards were Peter of Blois and Walter of Chatillon.
  • Period: 1100 to 1300

    Birth of Minnesang

    This period was the birth of minnesang, which were lyrics and songs writing in Germany much like the troubadour tradition of France. Minnesingers mainly sang of courtly love and some known minnesingers were Henric van Veldeke, Wolfram von Eschenbach, and Hartmann von Aue.
  • Period: 1150 to 1250

    Notre Dame School

    The Notre Dame school of polyphony firmly takes root. Rhythmic notation first appears during this period. Also known as the ars antiqua; it is during this time when the motet (a short, sacred, choral song) initially developed.
  • 1200

    Geisslerlieder or Flagellant Songs

    The spread of geisslerlieder or flagellant songs. The practice of flagellation was practiced by people whipping themselves with various instruments as a way to repent to God with hopes of ending the disease and wars of the time. Geisslerlieder music was simple and closely related to folk songs.
  • 1298

    New Art

    The period of ars nova, or "new art," coined by Philippe de Vitry. During this period, secular music acquired polyphonic sophistication. The most notable practitioner of this style was Guillaume de Machaut.
  • Period: 1375 to 1473

    Composers

    Known composers during this time were Leonel Power, John Dunstable, Gilles Binchois, and Guillaume Dufay. Dunstable is credited with the contenance angloise, or "English manner," which was his stylistic trait of using full triadic harmony. It is a distinctive style of polyphony.
  • 1453

    Fall of the Byzantine Empire

    Fall of the Byzantine Empire
    The fall of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks caused ancient Greek and Roman writings about free thought and individualism, which were held by the church, to be distributed to the masses. This triggered the Renaissance, which was a time of secularism and exploration of art in Europe that caused music to be spread to the people/