Middle Ages

It gathered all the knowledge from Antiquity, and all the arts were in hands of the Church. During this period appeared religious music, musical notation, technical breakthroughs that ended up in the birth of polyphony, and secular music was developed.

0476-01-01 00:00:00

Fall of Western Roman Empire

The fall of Western Roman Empire is considered as the beginning of the Middle Ages.

0570-01-01 00:00:00

Muhammed

Muhammad, prophet of Islam is born

0590-01-01 00:00:00

Pope Gregory the Great

Considered as the creator of Christian singing or Gregorian chant: -Latin -Monodic texture and single melody -No instrumental accompaniment -Uses special notation with the use of neumes (symbols that relect the pitch and duration of sound) -Free rhythm

0732-01-01 00:00:00

Charles the Hammer and the Battle of Tours

He was a Frankish political and military leader, and he defeated Moorish invaders in the Battle of Tours.

0800-01-01 00:00:00

Charlemagne, the Emperor of Romans

He was a Frankish king who expanded the Frankish kingdom and covered almost all of the Western and Central Europe.

0801-01-01 00:00:00

Primitive polyohony

Built by improvising upon the base of Gregorian Chant. The main forms are: -Organum (ading a parallel voice) -Melismatic organum

0843-01-01 00:00:00

Treaty of Verdun (843 AD)

It ended the three years long Civil War between the Carolingian.

0901-01-01 00:00:00

Romanesque art

Dark and serious period, symbolising man's with drawal from the outside world to look inward.

1030-01-01 00:00:00

Guido de Arezzo

He was a monk and choirmaster who around this time invented a new method to teach singing.

1050-01-01 00:00:00

Gothic art

Reflects brighter outlook.

1100-01-01 00:00:00

Secular vocal music: Troubadours and Minstrels

Troubadours were poet-musians generally of noble birth, who represented secular vocal music and appeared in the south of France. Minstrels were traveling musicians who went over castles and illages entertaining people with songs: - Language of each area - Subjects: "courtly love" and knightly spirit. - Monodic texture and instrumental accompaniment. - Marked rhythm

1101-01-01 00:00:00

Ars antiqua

Rhythm was measured by using their main metrical feet, due to the need of synchronizing the different voices of the polyphony. Composers are no longer anonymus. New polyphonic forms: -Conducts (composed upon newly created melodies) -Motet (several voices move in different rhythms singing different texts).

1101-01-01 00:00:00

References to dancing

Some of the references to dancing are sung and others are instrumental. This dances appear with the name of estampie (monodic textures and structured in several phrases).

1150-01-01 00:00:00

Leonin

Enter story info here

1183-01-01 00:00:00

Perotin

Enter story info here

1221-01-01 00:00:00

Alfonso X the Wise

King who promoted the aarts and sciences during his reign. The CANTICAS DE SANTA MARÍA, works dedicated to the Virgin Mary, were composed under the supervision of Alfonso X the Wise.

1291-01-01 00:00:00

Philippe de Vitry

Enter story info here

1301-01-01 00:00:00

Ars Nova

New type of music closer to humanity that grew apart from medieval theocentrism, in which measural notation like signatures and metrical units were the main novelties, revolutionising the old style. Secular music became very important making room for songs like the canon, the ballad and the chanson (polyphonic forms).