Middle Ages

Question 1

Goliard songs

Answer 1

Latin songs, late tenth to thirteenth centuries
goliards: wandering students and clerics
topics: religious/moral themes, satire, celebrations of love, spring, eating, drinking, etc.

Question 2

Epic

Answer 2

long heroic narrative
eg., chanson de geste, “song of deeds” - epic in n. French vernacular recounting deeds of national heroes; simple melodic formula

Question 3

Troubadour and Trouvere song

Answer 3

12th c., cultivated in French courts and cities under aristrocratic sponsorship
Troubabour, Occitan, southern France
Trouvere, Old French, northern France
trobar/trover, “to compose a song”

Question 4

Minnesinger

Answer 4

12th-14th c., modelled after Troubadours
Middle High German
minne, “love”

Question 5

Medieval instruments

Answer 5

vielle: five-stringed fiddle tuned in fourths and fifths; melody supported by drones on open strings
hurdy-gurdy: three-stringed vielle sounded by rotating wheel inside, turned by crank; levers change pitch on melody string while others drone
psaltery: strings attached to frame over wooden sounding board are plucked (remote ancestor of harpsichord)
transverse flute: wood or ivory, no keys but similar to modern flute
shawm: double reed instrument similar to oboe
trumpet: straight, no valves (harmonic series only)
pipe and tabor: high whistle fingered with left hand; drum beat with stick with right hand
bagpipe
portative organ
positive organ

Question 6

Medieval dance music

Answer 6

Carole: circle dance, usually accompanied by a song sung by one or more of the dancers