Middle Ages Music (476-1450)
Like most of the arts, early music was primarily religious (sacred) in nature. The Roman Catholic Church inspired and paid for most artistic undertakings. Male human voices combined to form a choir, the primary source of music for the services. The early Church disapproved of instruments in religious services because of their association with old pagan traditions. The purpose of this music was to prase and glorify God through the words. These simiple, singable tuned were called plainchant, and had no harmony or accompaniment. Pope Gregory (540-604) organized and standardized these chants and their use in the liturgy. Eventually, another melody was added to decorate and embellish the plainchant. In the first part of the 12th centry, the School of Notre Dame located at the cathedral in Paris, became the main center of musical activity. Two prominent musicians, Lionin and Perotin, skillfully wrote compositions using three or four voices. This necessitated the need to write down the music, as it could no longer be effectively taught aurally. Musical notation began to be developed and composisiton replaced improvisation as the main source of musical creation.
An important byproduct was that composers began signing their names on their compositions. The addition of this new element (the human ego), changed Western art as composers used music as a form of self expression. Self-expresion would link composeres to the changing events and styles of their day.
Secular (non-religious) music used a variety of instruments and focused mainly on love songs, much like pop music does today. Both sacred and secular music used modes (a series of scales which are different from our modern scales and give the music a distant and exotic flavor).
An important byproduct was that composers began signing their names on their compositions. The addition of this new element (the human ego), changed Western art as composers used music as a form of self expression. Self-expresion would link composeres to the changing events and styles of their day.
Secular (non-religious) music used a variety of instruments and focused mainly on love songs, much like pop music does today. Both sacred and secular music used modes (a series of scales which are different from our modern scales and give the music a distant and exotic flavor).