11/17/2023 0 Comments Composers of medieval periodEngland produced its own share of notable composers during this period. ![]() Check out this performance by the Huelgas Ensemble, featuring a set of de Lassus’ secular Italian madrigals, which illustrate both the increasing cosmopolitanism and secularisation of Renaissance music. In the Netherlands, the likes of Orlande de Lassus (considered now to be amongst the most important of the Franco-Flemish composers) wrote prolifically in both sacred and secular forms, riding the wave of religious turmoil that followed in the wake of the Reformation. The polyphonic seeds of the 14th century reached fruition in the second half of the next century. You can see a small excerpt of music by one exponent of this school, the Swiss composer Ludwig Senfl, performed here by the vocal ensemble Wishful Singing. Polyphonic writing – the use of simultaneous but independent melodic lines – truly took off during this time, with composers like those of the Franco-Flemish school, led by Josquin des Prez, adding increasing levels of polyphonic complexity to their settings of Catholic liturgy. Music, of course, was one of those areas. The first widely recognised era in classical music history, however, is considered to be the Renaissance, a period which began in the 14th century and saw huge change in all areas of European life and culture. However, instrumental writing was on the rise due to innovations in printing: as the Middle Ages progressed, more instrument builders were able to publish designs of their handywork. Prominent medieval-era composers, such as the 12th-century mystic Hildegard von Bingen (see a small selection of Bingen’s work performed here by the Adolf Fredriks Gosskör) and the 13th-century poet Guillaume de Machaut wrote largely for the human voice rather than instruments. These early composers tried adding extra parts to the previously monophonic chant forms which had comprised liturgical music up to that point. Furthermore, the foundations for conventions such as counterpoint and polyphony were laid by the monastic vocalists of Europe during this time. For example, it was during this time that the systems of music notation that we use today began to develop. But some important innovations during these years are especially important in allowing us to understand how art music evolved into what we know it as today. As such, the musical history of this 1000-year period would be far too large a subject to cover in this humble section. The medieval period of history is generally seen as starting from the fall of the Roman Empire and going up to around 1400. The Medieval period, the Renaissance and the dawn of a musical era ![]() In this week’s At Home Guide, we take a look at the major currents of Early Music as it existed back in the day, and how its revival became a worldwide movement that fills today’s concert halls – all illustrated by concert videos from the ever-growing Bachtrack At Home archive. ![]() With a dizzying array of festivals, institutions and period ensembles, it seems like more people than ever feel like pulling on some hosiery and returning to the Olde Worlde – musically speaking, that is. ![]() This resource is a compliment to the Music History Quick Guide Bundle.Early music – most commonly defined as the Western art music composed from the medieval period to the dawn of the Baroque era – is arguably enjoyed on a more widespread scale than it has ever been. From Von Bingen to Landini, students will spend clue tokens, give answers, and listen to audio clips to see if they can name the composer from the Medieval Period in Western art music history. The Name the Composer Game is a fun and engaging way to assess students’ knowledge on the composers of Western art music history.
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