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Music History 2 > Medieval Terms > Flashcards

Medieval Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Ars Nova

A

(New art) was a new polyphonic musical style developed in the 14th century in France and later in Italy. Transformed music composition from religious to secular. Marked by greater variety of rhythm, duple instead of triple time, expressive melodies, and more independently moving voice parts.
Eg. Puis qu’en oubli

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2
Q

Ballade

A

French fixed poetic form and chanson type of the Middle Ages and Renaissance with courtly love texts

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3
Q

Cantus Firmus

A

a “fixed melody”, usually of very long notes and based on a Gregorian Chant that served as the basis for a polyphonic composition (such as mass or motet)
Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec Dies OR Haec dies

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4
Q

Chanson

A

French secular song, especially of Middle Ages and Renaissance, sets to courtly or popular poetry. Can be monophonic or polyphonic in texture, with or without instrumental accompaniment
Eg. Ce fut en mai OR puis qu’en oubli

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5
Q

Clausula

A

Short Medieval composition in discant style sung to 1 or 2 words or a single syllable, based on a fragment of Gregorian Chant
Eg. Haec Dies

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6
Q

Discant Style

A

Type of Medieval polyphony (organum) in which all voices move at approximately the same fast speed; the movement of the lower voice (fixed Gregorian chant) parallels the fast movement of the newly composed upper voice
Eg. Haec Dies

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7
Q

Drone

A

Sustained sounding of 1 or several tones, usually in the bass, for harmonic support (a pedal point), a common feature of some folk music

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8
Q

Dulcimer

A

Medieval folk instrument that resembles the psaltery; strings are struck with hammers instead of being plucked
Eg. Ce fut en mai

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9
Q

Duplum

A 
The 2nd (middle) voice of a polyphonic work, especially the Medieval motet
Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies
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10
Q

Embellishment

A

Melodic decoration, whether improvised or indicated through ornamentation signs in the music
Eg. Royal estampie No. 4

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11
Q

Estampie

A

A stately dance in the Middle Ages, probably for couples, characterized by elaborate body
Eg. Royal Estampie No. 4

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12
Q

Gradual

A

4th item of the Mass Proper, sung in a melismatic style, monophonic in texture. preformed in a responsorial manner, as a series of exchanges between soloist and chorus in which one answers the other. Solo passage known as verse, choral answer is response. Therefore involves the contrast between 2 dissimilar bodies of sound
Eg. Haec Dies

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13
Q

Gregorian Chant

A

Official music of the services of the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. Consists of a monophonic melody with a freely flowing, unmeasured vocal line, and with no wide leaps and dynamic contrasts
Eg. Royal Estampie No. 4

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14
Q

Improvisation

A

Creation of musical composition while it’s being performed, seen in Medieval and especially Baroque players
Eg. Royal Estampie No. 4

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15
Q

Mass

A

Most solemn service of the Roman Catholic Church. Constitutes a re-enactment of the sacrifice of Christ. Falls into 2 categories: Ordinary (texts that remain same in every mass) and Proper (texts that vary depending on holiday) There are different movements in both Masses
Eg. Haec dies

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16
Q

Melismatic style

A

Plainchant melodic style with many notes sung on 1 syllable, different from syllabic (one note sung to each syllable) and neumatic (2-4 notes set to each syllable)
Eg. Haec Dies

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17
Q

Modes

A

Form of scale used as the basis for a composition. Major and minor scale are modes. In middle ages there were 8 different sequences of steps and half steps, or modes, other than those of the major and minor scales. Modal scales refer to those Medieval church modes
Eg. Haec Dies

18
Q

Monophonic texture

A

Single line of melody without accompaniment, such as Gregorian chant. All western music before emergence of polyphony was monophonic
Eg. Haec dies OR Ce fut en mai

19
Q

Motet

A

Most important form of early polyphonic vocal music. Medieval motet is a polytextual (more than one text) vocal composition usually in 3 voices, either sacred or secular, which may or may not have had instrumental accompaniment.
Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies

20
Q

Musica Enchiriadis

A

Latin treaty of the 10th century, is the 1st detailed account of notated polyphony. Best known for its examples of parallel organum
Eg. Musica enchiriadis

21
Q

Neumatic style

A

Plainchant melodic style with 2-4 notes set to each syllable, different from syllabic (1 notes sung to each syllable) and mellismatic (many notes sung to 1 syllable)
Eg. Haec dies

22
Q

Neumes

A

Early musical notation signs in Middle Ages that consisted of little ascending and descending signs written above the words to suggest the contour of the melody, later developed into square notes on a 4 line staff
Eg. Haec dies

23
Q

Organal style

A

Type of Medieval organum in which the lower voice (tenor) sings the fixed melody (Gregorian chant) in very long notes while the upper voice sings a freely composed part that moved rapidly above it
Eg. Haec dies

24
Q

Organum

A

Earliest kind of polyphonic music in which a 2nd voice is added above the Gregorian melody (fixed melody), running parallel to it at the interval of a 5h or 4th. Soon the individual voices moved with even greater independence, not only in parallel but also in contrary motion
Eg. Haec dies

25
Q

Ostinato

A

A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a work or a section of one
Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies

26
Q

Polyphonic texture/polyphony

A

2 or more melodic lines combined into a multivoiced texture

Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies

27
Q

Polytextuality

A

2 or more texts set simultaneously in a composition

Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies

28
Q

Psaltery

A

Medieval folk instrument, consisted of a sound box over which were stretched 4 or 5 strings that were plucked to produce the melody and a larger number of strings for supplying accompaniments
Eg. Ce fut en mai

29
Q

Responsorial Singing

A

Singing, especially in Gregorian chant, in which a soloist or group of soloists alternates with the choir. Solo passage known as verse, choral answer is response. Singing therefore involves contrast between 2 dissimilar bodies of sound
Eg. Haec dies

30
Q

Rhythmic Modes

A

Medieval concept by which 6 rhythmic patterns known as modes, all triple meter, were defined and systemalized. These patterns served as the basis of much early polyphony
Eg. Haec dies

31
Q

Rondeau

A

French fixed poetic form and chanson type of the Middle Ages and Renaissance with courtly love texts
Eg. Puis qu’en oubli

32
Q

Saltarello

A

Lively Italian “jumping dance” characterized by triplets in a rapid 4/4 time, popular especially in Middle Ages and Renaissance
Eg. Saltarello (NOT REQUIRED WORK)

33
Q

Shawm

A

Medieval double-reeded wind instrument that was the ancestor of the oboe. A “loud” instrument appropriate for outdoor performances
Eg. Royal estampie No. 4

34
Q

Strophic Form

A

Song structure in which the same melody is repeated with every stanza or strophe of the poem.No real closeness between words and music, instead sets up a general atmosphere that suits equally well to all stanzas. Common in folk and popular song. Simple and lyrical, unlike dramatic and complex through-composed song
Eg. Ce fut en mai

35
Q

Syllabic Style

A

Plainchant melodic style with one note sung to each syllable of text; different from neumatic and melismatic
Eg. Haec dies

36
Q

Tenor

A

Bottom voice of polyphonic work (especially Medieval motet) which usually carried out cantus firmus and performed in repeated rhythmic pattern (ostinato) forming the structural basis for the piece
Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies

37
Q

Triplum

A 
The 3rd (top) voice of a polyphonic work, especially Medieval motet
Eg. O mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies
38
Q

Troubadours

A

Aristocratic poet-musicians in Middle Ages who lived in southern region of France known as Provence. Presented original material in their chansons as distinguished from Church musicians who based their art on past melodies

39
Q

Trouveres

A

Aristocratic poet-musicians in northern France in Medieval period. Presented original material in their chansons as distinguished from Church musicians who based their art on past melodies
Eg. Ce fut en mai

40
Q

Vielle

A

Ancestor of violin. One of the principal bowed string instruments of Middle Ages
Eg. Ce fut en mai

41
Q

Virelai

A

French fixed poetic form and chanson type of the Middle Ages and Renaissance with courtly love texts

Music History 2 (3 decks)

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