Dark Age / Renaissance - Definitions Flashcards
Mundus senescit
The world is growing old
Benedicamus domino
Let us bless the lord
Crusades
A series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns, originally defensive in nature
Plainchant/plainsong
A body of chants used in the liturgies of the Catholic Church. It is monophonic. It generally has a more free rhythm than the metered rhythm of later western music.
Gregorian chant
It is the central tradition of western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within western Christianity than accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual Church services.
Monophonic
Music consisting of a single, unaccompanied melodic line
Polyphonic
When two or more musical lines are performed simultaneously.
Organum
A form of the polyphonic music which consisted of two melodic lines moving simultaneously note against note. Sometimes a second voice doubled the chant, or principal voice, a fourth or fifth below and moved in parallel motion.
Monk
A person who practices religious goals, living either alone or with any number of people practicing the same purpose or concept.
Requiem Mass
Alone known as “Mass for the Dead”. They are composed to honour the deceased.
Monasteries
A building or group of buildings that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the living and workplaces for the monks.
Sacred music
Music of the church (religious music)
Secular music
Non-religious music
Troubadours
French singer-songwriters who wrote lyrics and melodies (secular music) which were performed in courtly surroundings, and were sometimes accompanied by instruments.
Hurdy-furry
Also known as a wheel fiddle, is a stringed instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow.
Motet
A vocal composition, either sacred or secular, which may or may not have had instrument accompaniment.
Neumes
Early musical notation signs; square notes on a four-line staff
Viler
Bowed-stringed instrument; ancestor of the violin.
Rebec
Bowed-stringed instrument, often with a pear-shaped body, three strings and is played on the arm.
Lute
Plucked-string instrument, of Middle Eastern origin.
Recorder
End-blown woodwind instrument with a whistle mouth-piece.
Shawm
Medieval wind instrument that was the ancestor of the oboe.
Gothic architecture
A style of architecture that flourished during the medieval period, which often featured the pointed arch and the ribbed vault.
Dark Ages
The term characterized the bulk of the Middle Ages (Medieval Period) — a period of intellectual, cultural and economic darkness between the extinguishing of the light of Rome and the Renaissance or ‘rebirth’.
Protestant Reformation
The European Protestant Reformation that establishes Protestantism. It was led by Martin Luther.
Parchment
A thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most common use was a material for writing on.
Golden Mean
An irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.1680339887 it is often found in nature in the shape of a leaf or the spiral of a shell. It is often thought to add harmonious composition to buildings and other structures.
Antiphonal singing
Performance style in which an ensemble is divided two or more groups, performing in alternation and then together. (Often on opposite sides)
Chiaroscuro
The use of light and shadow in Renaissance art to make figures appear full and real.
Manuscript
Music paper; consisting of the 5-line staff.
A cappella
Chiral music performed without instrumental accompaniment.
Liturgy
The customary public worship
Madrigals
Renaissance secular work originating in Italy for voices, with or without instruments, set to a short, lyric love poem.
Refrain
Text or music that is repeated within a larger form.
Tone-painting
The musical technique of writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song. (Example: dark music in a minor key would accompany lyrics about death)
Sacbut
Early brass instrument, ancestor of the trombone
Gamba
Ancestor of the cello; often played between the legs; 6-strings with frets
Organetto
Portable pipe instrument performed by a bag pushing air through the pipes while pressing down keys. (Looks like a mini organ)
Dulcimer
Stringed instrument performed by striking wooden sticks against the strings.
Kortholt
Woodwind instrument. The instrument has two narrow cylindrical bores side by side with a reed in the mouthpiece. When blown, it produces a soft-low buzz sound.
Tabor
A portable snare drum played with one hand (always with ‘pipe’)
