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The fall of the Roman Empire ( 476 A.D.) brought a chaotic period of political unrest. Europe was carved into many small kingdoms that were constantly at war.

• Most people were virtual slaves.
• Disease was a constant threat.
• It was a period of unstable weather with long periods of drought followed by floods.

Art was affected by a mystic, fatalistic attitude. Painted and sculpted figures are not realistic and appear weightless and disembodied.

Gothic architecture - Delicate details with tall spires raised toward heaven.

Music of the early Middle Ages consists primarily of liturgical music from the Catholic church. Plainchant (chant, plainsong, Gregorian chant) is monophonic vocal music. It can be syllabic, melismatic, or neumatic.

The late Middle ages brought 2 developments: Secular song and simple polyphony. The history of secular song and instrumental music is not clear because most of it was not written down.

Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) was a leading composer of the late middle ages.

"Age of Humanism" brought a sense of optimism and self-confidence, and led to a human- rather than God-centered civilization.

Curiosity led artists to dissect cadavers, explorers to travel the world, and lay people to question the church.

The Reformation and Counter-Reformation re-ordered the role of the Church in society.

The Church was the most important, but not the only patron of the arts.

• 1440 - invention of moveable type by Gutenberg
• 1492 - Columbus "discovers" America

Renaissance means "rebirth". There was a rebirth of interest in ancient Greece and Rome.

Art became "classical".

• Balanced and orderly
• Gives a sense of serenity
• Emotional expression is restrained
• Formal design was of primary importance
• Natural, realistic, and detailed
• The illsion of depth and distance

For music, the Renaissance centered in the Netherlands (Belgum, Holland, Northern France). For art and literature, the Renaissance was centered in Italy.

• The Renaissance was known as "The Golden Age of Polyphony". The polyphonic vocal style reached its culmination by 1600.
• The rise of instrumental music: lute, viol, harpsichord, recorder, trumpet/trombone (no valves)
• Compositional techniques: 1.word painting. 2.use of 3rds and 6ths replace octaves and fifths common in middle ages music.

• The motet was based on religious, but not liturgical texts. It was an opportunity for composers to be fully creative.
• Masses began to use secular material until the Council of Trent banned the practice.

Palestrina (1525-1594) wrote music that represented the ideals of the Counter-Reformation. He was a master of late-Reniassance polyphony. His music was simple, controlled, cool, objective, and elegant - classical in every sense.

1517: Reformation (Martin Luther) brought chorales: hymn sung by the congregation in the worship service. Tunes came from Catholic church music, folk or popular songs, and newly composed material.

SECULAR MUSIC

Musical opportunities expanded for professionals and amateurs. Musical training became a part of a "proper" education and aristocratic courts supported composers and performers.

• Chansons were written for 3 voices and set to poetic forms (rondeau, ballade, virelai).
• Instrumental dances (pavane, galliard, allemande, ronde) were the basic structures upon which complex Western instrumental forms eventually grew.
• The madrigal was introduced in 16th century Italy and became popular with english composers. It was a secular style and differed from sacred forms (motet) as follows:
Language - vernacular rather than Latin
Text - non-religious, often descrptive and dramatic
Expressive - text painting
Purpose - social and entertainment
Performance practice: anyone (including women) able to read music

Mr. Craig C. Alberty
Assistant Professor of Music; and Director of Instrumental Activities
M.M.E., Arkansas State University
Lecture Notes: departments.fmarion.edu/finearts/caln.htm
calberty@fmarion.edu

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