MUS 3324 History of Music Before 1600 - Medieval Monophony Flashcards

Question

○ Medieval modes (authentic)

Answer 1

§ Authentic □ Range of 8va finalis □ Reciting tone is 5th above finalis (but not B) ® Dorian D-d (A) ® Phrygian E-e (C) ® Lydian F-f (C) ® Mixolydian G-g (D)

Answer 2

§ Plagal □ Reciting tone is 3rd below the Auth RT ® Hypodorian A-D-a (F) ® Hypophrygian B-E-b (A) [also C-E-c] ® Hypolydian C-F-c (A) ® Hypomixolydian D-G-d (C)

Answer 3

* Composer: o Anonymous * Date of composition: o Unknown * Location/ language: o Catholic, Latin * Genre: o Gregorian chant, B section of ABA (antiphon, psalm, antiphon) * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o This is a psalm from the bible that is sung as part of Christmas Mass. Its significance in the celebration of the birth of Jesus is due to the text’s reference to womb and dominion.

Answer 4

* Composer: o Anonymous * Date of composition: o Unknown * Location/ language: o Catholic, Latin * Genre: o Gregorian chant, A section of ABA (antiphon, psalm, antiphon) * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o This antiphon consists of one of the verses from the subsequent biblical psalm. Together these are sung as part of Christmas Mass. Its significance in the celebration of the birth of Jesus is due to the text’s reference to womb and dominion.

Answer 5

* Composer: o Anonymous * Date of composition: o Unknown * Location/ language: o Catholic, Latin * Genre: o Gregorian chant, multiple verses repeated over the same melodic gesture (A:) * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o This hymn celebrates the arrival of Jesus at his birth. The text is not biblical, but sung in praise as a part of Christmas Mass.

Answer 6

* Composer: o Anonymous, oral tradition * Date of composition: o Unknown, 10th century * Location/language: o Byzantine Empire, Greek * Genre: o Antiphon, AAA BBB CCC’ * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o Second song of the Christmas Day Mass. Follows the Introit. * Stylistic features: Very melismatic because of the short text. Opens with a lifting melodic gesture followed by three falling gestures (in the A and B). The C section opens the same but the falling gestures are replaced by rising gestures. Large range. Monophonic. * Critical thinking: Short text which is very winding. Each section is stated and repeated twice, which reiterates the importance of the sparse words.

Answer 7

* Composer: o Anonymous, oral tradition * Date of composition: o Unknown, 10th century * Location/language: o Holy Roman Empire, Latin * Genre: o Through composed * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context?: o Praises God, states the doctrine of the Trinity, and asks for mercy. Only sung on Sundays and feast days, so it adds a festive quality for Christmas Day. * Stylistic features: No standard pattern of repetition, but mentions of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit utilize the same motive. Begun by the priest rather than the singer. Mostly neumatic or syllabic. Monophonic. * Critical thinking: Very wordy which makes it hard to discern patterns, but listening for the long melismatic motives of the repeated mentions of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can make it recognizable.

Answer 8

* Composer: o Anonymous, oral tradition * Date of composition: o Unknown, 10th-13th century * Location/language: o Holy Roman Empire, Latin * Genre: o Through composed * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o The Nicene Creed. A statement of faith that summarizes the central doctrine of the Catholic Church. Marks the end of the first main division of Mass. * Stylistic features: No exact repetition, but is a simple repeated motive. Mostly syllabic. Monophonic. * Critical thinking: Although there is no exact repetition, the pure length and wordiness makes it stand out at the Nicence Creed (which is already familiar to me). The range is pretty narrow.

Answer 9

* Composer: o Anonymous, oral tradition * Date of composition: o 11th century * Location/language: o Holy Roman Empire, Latin * Genre: o AA’A’’ * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o Text is the words sung by angels in a vision described in Isaiah 6:3. * Stylistic features: Neumatic. Monophonic. “Happy” mode. * Critical thinking: Easy to recognize because of the three repeated “Sanctus” and two repeated “Hossana”. The melody here is a bit more light-hearted sounding which makes it stand out against the prior “serious” chants. The melodic gestures have a “fun” and “bouncy” quality to them.

Answer 10

* Composer: o Anonymous, oral tradition * Date of composition: o Unknown, 10th-13th century * Location/language: o Holy Roman Empire, Latin * Genre: o AB CB AB * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context?: o A repeated prayer where the participants respond (“have mercy on us”, and “give us peace”) to the leader asking God to “take away the sins of the world”. * Stylistic features: Short. Syllabic. * Critical thinking: A unique mode with a brighter sound. The melodic gesture rises and then falls in a “happier” sound.

Answer 11

* Composer: o Anonymous, oral tradition * Date of composition: o Unknown, 10th-13th century * Location/language: o Holy Roman Empire, Latin * Genre: o A: * Sacred/secular: o Sacred * Why is this piece important? What does it illustrate? What is the historical/cultural context? o This is the last song of Mass where the priest dismisses the churchgoers and they respond with “Thanks to God.” * Stylistic features: Very short. Repeats the melody from Kyrie. Highly melismatic due to the very brief text. * Critical thinking: Short text. Hard to mistake the melody from the previous Kyrie.

Answer 12

clivis ("cleevees")

Answer 13

Combination of three neumes