Period 4 Music History Presentation Notes Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque

Period 4 Music History Presentations

Middle Ages (Medieval)
Dates: 450-1450
1. Polyphony – combo of 2 or more melodies
2. 3 classes of people – nobility, clergy, peasants
3. sacred music – religious music (by monks). Gregorian chant – early Christian music
4. Music of the church – part of worship and patron of the arts
5. Secular music – music outside church (minstrels – traveling musicians)
6. Guillaume de Machaut – French Composer, used French poetry
7. Music printing – Guido A’drezzo invented Do, re, mi.
8. Courtly culture – Nobility, music was important (medieval party)
9. Musical notation invented
10. Troubadours – sung about war, chivalry
11. Pope Gregory – first person to invent written music

Renaissance
Dates: 1450 – 1600
1. Secular music – non religious, with new forms that reflected national styles
2. Sacred music – music was more important then words
3. Instrumental music – no lyrics
4. Harmony – introduced by Europeans, more than 1 person singing
5. Opera was invented
6. Polyphony – written to accompany dancing
7. Madrigals – vocal music that tells a story.

Baroque
Dates: 1600 – 1750
1. Music expanded instrumental performance and opera
2. Opera – play that you sing and act, Cantata is like opera but no acting
3. Trends – elaborate melodies, more lines of music, music expressed emotions
4. J.S. Bach – Born in Germany is composer.
5. National styles – different styles for different countries
6. Antonio Vivaldi – composer, almost a priest
7. Instrumental music was as important as vocal music
8. Henry Purcell – British composer
9. Concerto – 1 solo instrument + orchestra
10. Baroque musical styles – Keyboard more important