Medieval Music
Mary E. Wolinski|James Borders
Medieval music generally refers to western European between the late 8th and early 15th centuries, although topics concerning Christian liturgy plainchant reach further back into history. The Latin-Christian realms considered here include Britain ranging from England St. Andrews, Scotland, Frankish Empire France central Europe, Spanish territories of Galicia, León, Castile, Catalonia, Mediterranean region, Sicily, Italian peninsula. Questions how these peoples was composed, conceived, performed, preserved during this lengthy period are as many diverse backgrounds interests those seeking answers. During Middle Ages, transmitted orally churches different regions had distinctive liturgies chants. With unification Church under Carolingians around turn 9th century, chant came be written down, musical notation serving a memory aid. relationship other regional repertories that papal city Rome, various attempts regularize Western plainchant, theory developed comprehend it among most extensively studied scholarship. Religious songs than were also sung, often outside services, in Latin or such vernacular languages Galician, German, Czech, English, Italian, Hebrew. Numerous love Old Occitan, French, German. Starting polyphonic arrangements chants called organum emerged. In 12th one encounters settings strophic poems versus conductus. Sacred polyphony by then performed at number centers, conductus composed for Notre Dame Cathedral Paris 13th centuries widely disseminated stylistically influential genres their time. Toward end new composition emerged, notably motet, French secular songs, Mass Ordinary movements. Instrumental existed since earliest times but notated only century form monophonic dance tunes. Most composers medieval sacred monophony unknown except certain authors hymns, sequences, courtly troubadours, trouvères, Minnesänger however identified manuscript song collections. By like Leonin Perotin known praised.