University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Literature and Styles in Music I
Early Christian Music
I Quality of Early Christian Music (Plainchant):
A. Unworldly, mystical, serious
B. Music and art strives for illusion of "unreality;"
seeks to "elevate" worshipper to non-wordly concerns and greater spirituality
II Sources of Music for the Western Church
A. Music of Ancient Greek Antiquity
B. Jewish Practices
- Solo recitations using melodic formulas
- Parallels in symbolism between Temple sacrifice and Christian mass
- Use of responsorial psalmody
C. Practices of the Byzantine Church
(Eastern branch of Christian Church centered in city of Byzantium [later Constantinople, now Istanbul]
- Eastern Influences:
- Classification according to 8 modes
- Specific forms, including Hymns
- Some Hymns develop from Byzantine Kontakion
(esp. those by St. Romanus the Melode)
- Others develop from "Troparia," short responses between psalm verses called "Stichera" or "Kanones"
- Kanon had 9 sections based on elaborations of 9 Biblical canticles or odes
- Each section subdivided into multiple stanzas or verses
- Melodies constructed according to principle of "Centonization," i.e., based on the use of short melodic formulas
III Varieties of Western Liturgies Develop
A. France (Gaul): Gallican
B. Southern Italy: Beneventan
C. Rome: Old Roman
D. Spain: Visigothic or Mozarabic
E. Milan: Ambrosian (St. Ambrose)
F. England: Sarum
IV Chant Repertoire Unified by Rome
A. Pope Gregory (590-604) takes leadership in moving toward a codified repertoire for general use
B. Schola Cantorum organized in 8th Century to teach a more unified repertoire
C. Emperor Charlemagne attempts to make the Gregorian Chant repertoire the common musical language for all Christian Churches in the West
V Philosophy of Church Leaders
A. Music valued for its power to "uplift the soul" rather than for aesthetic reasons
B. Music seen as at the service of the Church just as music of Greek Antiquity seen as as the service of the state.
C. Church mistrustful of instruments and instrumental music since it has no specific religious message
D. Some (e.g., St. Ambrose) see music as a valuable way to "ensnare the hearts of the people"
VI Views of Music Held by Medieval Theorists
A. Notable theorists:
- Capella: The Marriage of Mercury and Philology" (early 5th century)
- Boethius: "De Institutione Musica" (Fundamentals of Music), early 6th century
- Based on a variety of Greek sources
- Emphasizes link between music & mathematics
- Discusses 3 types of music:
- Musica Mundana ("Cosmic" music; harmony of the spheres)
- Musica Humana (harmony of body and soul)
- Musica Instrumentalis (audible, performed music, concrete realization of the same principles of order, especially in terms of mathematical proportions)
- Also emphasizes influence of music on character and morals
- Includes music in Quadrivium (four highest subjects in Medieval education system) along with arithmetic, geometry & astronomy.