CHANT an astonishing collection of melodies a vast body of work reflecting individual composition, communal refinement, and collective memory.

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1 CHANT an astonishing collection of melodies a vast body of work reflecting individual composition, communal refinement, and collective memory

2 CHANT Mark, Ch 16. c. 900

3 ORIGINS OF CHANT We do not know when it was first sung, how it was first composed, where or by whom. (Pope Gregory I (d. 604) was not the composer!) Three periods of evolution 'Gregorian' strictly speaking c. 700-850 some 500-600 pieces established Carolingian 850-1000 Medieval 1000-1300 All of it commonly called: chant, Gregorian chant, plainchant, plainsong now a collection of some 3,000 pieces

4 Listening(!) example 1 Gregorian chant – Ave Maria Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, you are blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. RESERVE CD TRACK 1

5 CHANT MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS REPETITION? TEMPO? METER? TEXTURE? usually NO well... DEBATABLE NO MONOPHONIC

6 CHANT MELODIC CHARACTERISTICS REPETITION? CONTOUR & MOTION? RANGE? subtle, small-scale NARROW (narrow ambitus) CONJUNCT & SMOOTH

7 CHANT NEW MELODIC TERMS MELISMA – multiple notes per syllable of text (adj. melismatic) SYLLABIC TEXT SETTING – one note per syllable “mel” is Latin root for “honey”

8 Listening example for melisma Kyrie -------------------------------------- elison (reserve CD track 2)

9 CHANT PERFORMANCE CONTEXT SUNG BY? PERFORMED EVERY DAY IN TAVERNS? ON THE STREET? AT COURT? IN MONASTERIES AND CONVENTS? MENAND WOMEN BUT NOT TOGETHER NO YES

10 CHANT PERFORMANCE CONTEXT SUNG WHEN? DAILY HOW OFTEN? TO OBSERVE THE HOURS

11 The Hours (approximately) Matins (3 Nocturnes) – during the night Lauds – at cockcrow (?3 a.m.?) Prime – 6 a.m. Terce – 9 a.m. MASS – 10 a.m. Sext – noon None – 3 p.m. Vespers – 6 p.m. Compline – at nightfall

12 NEUMES In the beginning was the word, but how do I remember all those tunes? Neumes – notational signs for single tones and groups of notes; about 20 symbols used

13 930 AD from NEUMES to NOTES (almost) 11 th c. 930

14 NEUMES notate CONTOUR, INTERVAL and, with a staff and clef, PITCH, suggestions for duration BUT RHYTHM comes later

15 GUIDO d’ AREZZO Around 1000, defines THE STAFF C and adds new names for the 6 notes ut re mi fa sol la

16 Part of the Culture of the Book 1615 edition

17 Initial A

18 Part of the Culture of the Book

19 TROPES TROPE – the addition of words to extended melismas to aid in memory; melismas become syllabic Great example of Medieval mindset, layering text upon text – the Culture of the Book.

20 a troped piece O gracious mistress of the singing people, who bears Christ, have mercy. Flowering vase, fashioner of him who governs, have mercy. You who cleanse us of our sins as a healer does, have mercy. Kyria christifera plebis modulantis, eley[son]. Aulula florigera, plasmata regentis, eley[son]. Nostra luens scelera, [tu] more medentis, eley[son]. Original text in bold; added text is blue Example: Kyrie from An English Ladymass sung by Anonymous 4 (not on reserve or textbook CD)

21 Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen 1098-1179 Abbess, scholar, visionary, poet, musician, healer, spiritual leader One of the earliest “named” composers in the European tradition

22 Listening example Hildegard of Bingen, Columba aspexit, c.1150 large intervals large or wide range (large ambitus) this is NOT Gregorian chant performed with a drone in this realization * Know this Hildegard example on the RESERVE CD for the exam

23 While we listen, some of Hildegard’s illuminations of her visions 9 rings of angels

24 While we listen, some of Hildegard’s illuminations of her visions giving birth

25 EARLY MEDIEVAL SUMMARY 800-1150 POLITICS & SOCIETY – Charlemagne, Ottonian (German) emperors; FEUDALISM ARCHITECTURE – Romanesque Style ART – relief sculpture and a fantastic approach to human form IDEAS – The Culture of the Book; monasteries MUSIC – consolidation of chant; early notation neumes & staff (staff c.1000)

26 LISTEN THREE TIMES

27 Bayeux Tapestry c. 1088 Battle of Hastings 1066 FEUDALISM

28 New Anchor Dates 1000 - Musical STAFF used for - CHANT in the - EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIOD in - MONASTERIES 1066 - BATTLE OF HASTINGS depicted in the - BAYEUX TAPESTRY which we associate with - FEUDALISM

29 Up to dates? 480 BC 0 547 c.1000 Start of CLASSICAL GREEK PERIOD Just after the start of the ROMAN EMPIRE; Caesar Augustus reigns SAN VITALE; sort of end of Early Christian period Guido describes the MUSICAL STAFF