Medieval Music History: Forms, Styles, and Evolution

The Middle Ages: Church Dominance and Music

The Middle Ages lasted from the 5th to the 15th centuries, a period dominated by the power of the Church and by a profound theocentrism that made room for the predominance of religious music.

Gregorian Chant: Liturgical and Monodic

Gregorian chant was the liturgical chant of the Christian church. Its text is in Latin and has a monodic texture. It uses modal scales and a free rhythm based on the accentuation and the phrasing of the text.

Secular Music in the Middle Ages

Troubadours: Poets, Musicians, and Performers

Secular music was represented by the songs of **troubadours**. They used monodic textures and the scales of the Gregorian chant. However, they were sung in vernacular languages, accompanied by instruments, and had a marked rhythm. The **troubadours** were medieval musicians and poets who composed their works and performed them, or had them performed by **juglares** or **minstrels**, in the stately courts of certain parts of Europe, especially in the south of France, between the 12th and 14th centuries.

Goliards: Satirical Latin Songs

There were also secular songs in Latin called «songs of **goliards**». **Goliards** were students and vagabond friars who performed satirical, political, or religious critique, and carnal love songs. The songs of **goliards** are gathered in a 13th-century songbook called Carmina Burana.

The Evolution of Polyphony

Polyphony appeared in the late 9th century and was developed in three stages:

• Primitive Polyphony (9th-12th Centuries): Improvised polyphony upon the basis of Gregorian chant.
• Ars Antiqua (12th-13th Centuries): Voices are measured using Greek metrical feet.
• Ars Nova (14th Century): Mensural notation and the secular polyphonic song appeared.

Religious Vocal Music and Church Divisions

Religious vocal music reflected the division of the Church. The **chorale** was the hymn of Luther's Protestant Church, and the **anthem** the Anglican religious form. The Catholic Counter-Reformation based its music on the expressive clarity of the text, taking polyphony to its peak with the **motet**.

Secular Vocal Music Forms by Country

Secular vocal music developed several forms of song depending on the country: In Italy, the **madrigal**; in France, the **chanson**; and in Spain, simpler and more popular forms like the **villancico**, the **romance**, and the **ensalada**.

Emergence of Independent Instrumental Music

Instrumental music became independent from singing. Specific instrumental pieces, based on the adaptation of vocal works and on the techniques of improvisation and variation, began to appear.

Dance: A Catalyst for Instrumental Music

Dance was widely accepted, and it contributed to the development of instrumental music. We distinguish two types of dances:

• Social Dance, with the dance pair composed of the **pavane** and the **galliard**.
• Dance Theatre, which made room for **ballet**.