Medieval and Renaissance Europe Music
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Music from Medieval and Renaissance Europe
Summary
During the early Medieval era, Europe boasted a rich musical life, evidenced by artistic depictions and writings about music. The only surviving repertoire from before 800 is the monophonic liturgical plainsong of the Roman Catholic Church, known as Gregorian chant.
Article
Medieval and Renaissance Europe
In the early Medieval era, Europe had a vibrant musical culture, as shown by artistic depictions of instruments and writings about music. However, the only preserved repertoire from before 800 is the monophonic Gregorian chant of the Roman Catholic Church. Beginning in the 12th century, various schools of liturgical polyphony emerged. In addition to sacred music, a lively tradition of secular song developed, characterized by the works of troubadours, trouvères, and Minnesänger.
By the 14th century, much of the surviving European music was secular. By the mid-15th century, composers were using smooth polyphony for both sacred compositions like the mass, the motet, and the laude, and secular forms like the chanson and the madrigal. The advent of commercial printing significantly influenced the spread of musical styles.
The Baroque Era
Around 1600, the first operas were written, and the rise of contrapuntal music marked the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque era, which lasted until about 1750, the year Johann Sebastian Bach died. German composers of this period wrote for ensembles featuring strings, brass, woodwinds, choirs, pipe organs, harpsichords, and clavichords. The Baroque era established major music forms such as the Fugue, the Invention, the Sonata, and the Concerto, which evolved in later periods.
The Classical Period
Classical period music is characterized by its homophonic texture, with prominent, singable melodies. Instrumental music grew in popularity, with the evolution of forms like the sonata and the concerto, and the introduction of the symphony. Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who remain well-known today, were central figures in this period.
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