Ancient and Medieval Music Traditions

Ancient Greek Music: Key Characteristics

1. Music and Dance: Art Dissemination

Music and poetry were the primary means to disseminate art.

2. Heterophonic Monody Texture

Instruments introduced small heterophonic ornaments, imitating the melody.

3. Music System Based on Modal Scales

Tetrachords are four sounds that overlap on the octave. Two tetrachords combine to form descending modal scales, creating an ethos.

Ethos: Scale Tone Distribution and Feeling

The distribution of tones and semitones in the scale caused different feelings:

• Dorian mode: Sublime
• Phrygian mode: Mild
• Lydian mode: Tears and sorrow
• Mixolydian mode: Passionate

4. Alphabetic Code for Pitch and Metric Feet for Rhythm

Letters were used to reflect pitch. Metric feet were combinations of long and short syllables according to the measure of the verses.

5. Key Instruments: Lyre and Aulos

• The Lyre: A plucked string instrument, associated with Apollo.
• The Aulos: A double-reed wind instrument, associated with Dionysus.

Medieval Music: Developments and Forms

Religious Vocal Music: Gregorian Chant

Gregorian Chant began with Emperor Constantine in 313 AD. Its development was driven by Pope Gregory the Great. It was not an invention but a powerful tool to strengthen Christian sentiment.

Characteristics of Gregorian Chant

1. Music for the liturgy, in Latin.
2. Monodic texture, without instrumental accompaniment.
3. Notation with neumes, reflecting pitch and duration.
4. Free rhythm.
5. Three singing styles:
   • Syllabic: 1 note per syllable.
   • Neumatic (or adorned): 2 or 3 notes per syllable.
   • Melismatic (or florid): More than 3 notes per syllable.
6. Modal scales: The 8 Gregorian modes derive from 4 authentic modes, each divided into two versions (authentic and plagal).

Profane Vocal Music: Troubadours and Minstrels

Profane vocal music developed parallel to religious music and was represented by troubadours. It emerged in Southern France in the 11th century. Troubadours were noble poet-musicians. Alongside troubadours were minstrels, itinerant musicians who performed troubadour lyrics.

Features of Profane Vocal Music

1. Songs in vernacular languages. Themes included courtly love and heroes of the Crusades.
2. Monodic texture, often with instrumental accompaniment (frequently heterophonic).
3. Gregorian modal scales with a more distinct rhythm.
4. Songs were collected in lavish songbooks (chansonniers).

Polyphony: Evolution of Multiple Melodic Lines

Polyphony arose from different melodic lines sounding simultaneously. It developed in three stages:

1. Primitive Polyphony (9th-10th century): Improvised polyphony based on Gregorian chant.
2. Ars Antiqua Polyphony (12th-13th century): Voices were measured using Greek metrical feet.
3. Ars Nova (14th century): Mensural notation appeared, along with the secular chanson.