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the power of music in medieval literature
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The Power of Music in Medieval Literature: An Honors Thesis presented by Brenda Jean Johnstone to the Medieval Studies Department in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in the Major Field. New London, Connecticut. May 2000.
This work discusses the power of music in medieval literature. It begins with The Life of Saint Guthlac, an 8th century saint's life, and the way in which Guthlac uses the psalms as a weapon against demonic forces. The next section is about the role of trumpets in medieval warrior society, as well as linking the discussion to Biblical precedents. The chapter discusses the critical role the olifant plays in The Song of Roland, both as a communication device within the framework of the poem, and as an object capable of changing the outcome of the story, as well as the olifant's role as a relic. Continuing the topic of the medieval trumpet is the scene of the Joy of the Court in Chrétien de Troyes' Erec and Enide. I discuss the trumpet as it relates to warrior society, and the degree to which it complements and displaces valor. The final chapter revolves around two medieval tellings of the Orpheus story: the first the anonymous romance Sir Orfeo, and the second Robert Henryson's Orpheus and Eurydice. I use these texts to show how music can empower the musician ...
This work discusses the power of music in medieval literature. It begins with The Life of Saint Guthlac, an 8th century saint's life, and the way in which Guthlac uses the psalms as a weapon against demonic forces. The next section is about the role of trumpets in medieval warrior society, as well as linking the discussion to Biblical precedents. The chapter discusses the critical role the olifant plays in The Song of Roland, both as a communication device within the framework of the poem, and as an object capable of changing the outcome of the story, as well as the olifant's role as a relic. Continuing the topic of the medieval trumpet is the scene of the Joy of the Court in Chrétien de Troyes' Erec and Enide. I discuss the trumpet as it relates to warrior society, and the degree to which it complements and displaces valor. The final chapter revolves around two medieval tellings of the Orpheus story: the first the anonymous romance Sir Orfeo, and the second Robert Henryson's Orpheus and Eurydice. I use these texts to show how music can empower the musician ...
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Mar 12, 2006
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Other links at Composers and Arrangers > medieval
Medieval Music, Wikipedia,
The term Medieval music encompasses European music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD) and ends in approximately the middle of the fifteenth century. Establishing the end of the Medieval era and the beginning of the Renaissance is admittedly arbitrary; 1400 is used here ...
The term Medieval music encompasses European music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD) and ends in approximately the middle of the fifteenth century. Establishing the end of the Medieval era and the beginning of the Renaissance is admittedly arbitrary; 1400 is used here ...
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Medieval Period
(1200 - 1450):
A large proportion of the music developed in Europe during the medieval period was vocal, both of a religious and secular nature. In church music, this took the form of Gregorian and other types of chants, while non-religious music consisted largely of the songs of traveling minstrels and troubadours.
Vocal music was, until the 9th century, written for one voice part only. Then a second, lower part was introduced, which duplicated the top melody exactly by an interval of a fifth or fourth. A third voice was sometimes added, sounding an octave below. The idea of contrary motion slowly developed, in which the lower part moved in the opposite direction to the top. While the idea of two or more voices, or polyphony, began to influence church music, secular songs continued to be written for one voice, accompanied by various instruments ...
(1200 - 1450):
A large proportion of the music developed in Europe during the medieval period was vocal, both of a religious and secular nature. In church music, this took the form of Gregorian and other types of chants, while non-religious music consisted largely of the songs of traveling minstrels and troubadours.
Vocal music was, until the 9th century, written for one voice part only. Then a second, lower part was introduced, which duplicated the top melody exactly by an interval of a fifth or fourth. A third voice was sometimes added, sounding an octave below. The idea of contrary motion slowly developed, in which the lower part moved in the opposite direction to the top. While the idea of two or more voices, or polyphony, began to influence church music, secular songs continued to be written for one voice, accompanied by various instruments ...
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Medieval Instruments - David Munrow - spoken introduction, demonstration of individual instruments. CD. Check our music samples and detailed description.
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The Central Middle Ages 1100-1350:
Biographies of composers of Early Music complementing Here Of A Sunday Morning the radio program.
From the Ninth Century onwards, a new kind of music began to appear, in which the older chants were implemented by additional voice parts of increasingly independent character. The gradual melodic and rhythmic independence of these 'counter parts' led eventually to the rich polyphonic music of the later mediaeval period. From the beginning of the Twelfth Century, the composers of secular song (the knightly troubadours, trouvères and Minnesingers) and of vocal and instrumental dance music also began to make use of polyphonic settings. The climax of this development of polyphony was reached in the French Ars Nova of the Fourteenth Century, with Guillaume de Machaut (died 1377) as its leading master.
Biographies of composers of Early Music complementing Here Of A Sunday Morning the radio program.
From the Ninth Century onwards, a new kind of music began to appear, in which the older chants were implemented by additional voice parts of increasingly independent character. The gradual melodic and rhythmic independence of these 'counter parts' led eventually to the rich polyphonic music of the later mediaeval period. From the beginning of the Twelfth Century, the composers of secular song (the knightly troubadours, trouvères and Minnesingers) and of vocal and instrumental dance music also began to make use of polyphonic settings. The climax of this development of polyphony was reached in the French Ars Nova of the Fourteenth Century, with Guillaume de Machaut (died 1377) as its leading master.
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Wind Instrument Ensembles in Italy from 1450 to162:
By the Beauteous Brenda Flynn;
A neat fact of music history trivia is that one of the first composers (though not the very first) to specify both specific wind instruments to specific musical lines in ensemble compositions and dynamics is Giovanni Gabrieli (1554-1612). I have always been curious, however, why more attention wasn't payed to the instruments thus honored! These wind and string musicians, however, did not only exists in Gabrieli's home cathedral of San Marco (St. Marks) during this period; they were a phenomenon across Europe! Not only did churches, like St. Marks, have resident wind ensembles, but any court or municipality worth its salt had one too. Even the Kiwanas Clubs of the day, the Venetian Scuole, or confraternities, had ensembles. (Gabrieli moonlighted as organist for the Scuole de San Rocco!) These ensembles go by many names, one of them appearing to be pifarri. Another common name is alta or alta capella. (Although pifarri is more specifically Italian.) I am studying these ensembles, and their relatives. While both 'pifarri' and 'alta' may be unspecific or poorly defined, what I am studying (specifically) are some ensembles in Italy, specifically between 1450-1620, which include winds ...
By the Beauteous Brenda Flynn;
A neat fact of music history trivia is that one of the first composers (though not the very first) to specify both specific wind instruments to specific musical lines in ensemble compositions and dynamics is Giovanni Gabrieli (1554-1612). I have always been curious, however, why more attention wasn't payed to the instruments thus honored! These wind and string musicians, however, did not only exists in Gabrieli's home cathedral of San Marco (St. Marks) during this period; they were a phenomenon across Europe! Not only did churches, like St. Marks, have resident wind ensembles, but any court or municipality worth its salt had one too. Even the Kiwanas Clubs of the day, the Venetian Scuole, or confraternities, had ensembles. (Gabrieli moonlighted as organist for the Scuole de San Rocco!) These ensembles go by many names, one of them appearing to be pifarri. Another common name is alta or alta capella. (Although pifarri is more specifically Italian.) I am studying these ensembles, and their relatives. While both 'pifarri' and 'alta' may be unspecific or poorly defined, what I am studying (specifically) are some ensembles in Italy, specifically between 1450-1620, which include winds ...
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