Midterm Listening Examples Info Flashcards
Kyrie
Anonymous; Kyrie plainchant, from the Ordinary of the Mass; 10. c.
- Ternary form
- Kyrie from Greek, thus sung in Greek.
- Antiphonal, alternating between two groups.
Alleluia, O Virga Mediatrix
Hildegard of Bingen; Alleluia plainchant, from the Proper of the Mass on feasts for the Virgin Mary; Late 12th century.
- Hildegard had no formal training
- Women did not normally write chants
- New praise music was very controversial
Gaude Maria virgo
Unknown, possibly a student of Pérotin; Organum; Early 13th c.
- Organum originated in Notre Dame
- Earliest polyphony
- First usaf of notated rhythm
Mout me fu grief/ Robin m’aime/ Portare
Unknown; Motet; 13th century
- French vernacular layered over Latin Gregorian chant.
- Text was potential risqué
- Critiqued by Martin Luther as unfitting for church.
Kalenda Maya
Raimbaut de Vaquieras; Estampie; Late 12th century;
- Allegedly improvised
- Form of sung dance
- Example of courtly love, the love of an unattainable woman
Ma Fin Est Mon Commencement
Guillaume de Machaut; Chanson ; Mid-14th century.
- Palindromic structure
- Byproduct of the Ars subtillior
- Experimental pieces like this one we caused by the attempt to drown out the horror of the Black Death, Papal Schisms, and the Hundred Years’ War
Deo gratias, Anglia (Agincourt Carol)
Unknown; Carol; 15th Century
- Early form of secular polyphony from England
- Commemorates English victory at Agincourt
- Strophic, “burden”
Sumer is Icumen In
Unknown; Round; 13th century
- Celebrates the coming of summer
- Tune has both secular and sacred lyrics
- English enjoyed simpler, more “normal” music than the French.
Kyrie from Missa L’homme Armé (The Armed Man mass)
Guilliame Du Fay; Kyrie, cantus firmus mass; 15th century
- Based off popular folk song
- Dufay trended toward simpler and clearer music
- Cantus firmus ideas led to many composers writing settings of the Mass
Ave Maria…virgo serena
Josquin de Prez; Latin Motet; 15th;
- Latin motet is different than 13th c motet, very versatile
- Josquin employed balance/moderation in his music.
- Josquin uses varied textures highlight emotional aspects of the piece.
Il Bianco e Dolce Cigno (The White and Sweet Swan)
Jacques Arcadelt; Italian Madrigal; 16th century;
- Madrigal was designed originally for amateurs, but gradually became more became more professional.
- Death is an euphemism for sexual climax
- Arcadelt focused more on the lyrics of his pieces than some previous composers
Fair Phyllis
John Farmer; English Madrigal; 16th.
- Less somber than the Italian madrigal (usually)
- Dealt with pastoral theme
- Farmer was the choirmaster at Christ Church in Dublin, Ireland
El Grillo
Josquin des Prez; Forttola, 16th.
- Reflects interest in easy to sing pieces of music; more publicly accessible
- Frottolas were usually more upbeat than their madrigal couterparts
- El Grillo tries to mimic the bouncing of the cricket
Gloria, from Pope Marcellus Mass
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina; Gloria, from the Ordinary of the Mass; 16th c.
- Palestrina created over 100 settings of the mass
- Direct response to the Council of Trent and the instructions to make the lyrics more comprehensible
- Council of Trent decided, in response to Luther, that music should be more orderly and the lyrics more comprehensible
Three Dances from Danserye
Tielman Susato; Ronde; 16th.
- Called a “ronde” because it was danced in a circle
- Susato could play almost all the instruments of his era
- Instrumental music became more prevalent due to the creation of new instruments through court competitions
