Music 220 Class Period 34 Outline
Secular Music of the Middle Ages, continued
- Germany: from Mid-12th Century, troubadour songs were model for the
Minnelied, songs of courtly love, or nature, or inspired by Crusades.
- poems had set format: Bar Form: consists of 2 stanzas (Stollen)
and a conclusion (Abgesang)
- Famous Minnesinger was Walther von der Vogelweide, his best known song
was "Crusader Song"
- In late 13th Century, Minnesingers declined, tradition taken over by
Meistersingers (14th to 16th Centuries)
Early Polyphony: often found in Troped texts
- Some sources:
- Musica Enchiriadis (ca.900) ("Handbook of Music")
and Scolica Enchiriadis (companion volume): these sources are mostly about
monophony, but also discuss Organum
- Types of Organum:
- "Strict:" Gregorian melodies sung by one voice (Vox
Principalis) while another voice (Vox Organalis) duplicates
melody at an interval (4th or 5th below)
- Parallel: in practice, voices usually started together, Principalis
followed melody, Organalis stayed on starting note until they were 4th
or 5th apart; at end of phrase, they came together again.
- Free Organum: Documented in the Micrologus (11th century,
"short account") by Guido d'Arrezzo. Organalis isn't necessarily
parallel to Principalis; can run in oblique or contrary motion, cross voices;
not necessarily note against note.