Middle Ages Art and Music Pertinence to Literature
Medieval Times directly follow the period of the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages are recalled as unwieldy times. After the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages raised themselves up against odds to be a time of elegance and class. Not only was the sophistication of the age can be seen being altered in the specific expressions of music and art. The art and music within the Middle Ages brought sophistication, elegance, refinement, and new ideas into the world through beauty, love, and warriors, which all are applied in Sir Thomas Mallory’s novel of Le Morte D’Arthur through the sacred and secular world.
The music within the era begins by mirroring the religious outlook on the medieval world. The prime example comes through Gregorian chant. Gregorian chant are notes strung together that are performed in unison and are usually the same length. Monks or religious orders of men are meant to perform this monophony texture. Monophony texture is a simple notation is to be sung without the accompaniment of harmony. Polyphony texture, which is the accompani...
Leeming, David Adams. “The Middle Ages.” Element of Literature, Sixth Course. Austin: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, 1997. 72-88. Print.
The Medieval period, also known as the dark ages were from 1066 to 1485. During the Medieval period, William the Conqueror brought French ideas to the people of England. He brought the class systems and continued Christianity. Throughout history, nobles have been known for greed, corruption and the need for more power and material items. This greed soon trickled down toward the middle class. They began leaving their farms and taking other jobs; even owning land. Geoffrey Chaucer despised the idea of class jumping and felt the middle class should stay below the upper class and continue with their own roles in society. Since he could not stop it, he uses his novel to satirize class jumping and several institutions heavily involved with class jumping.
In “Document A: Textbook Passage #1’’ it explains that the early Middle Ages of Europe were dark. It says that they were undergoing in many crucial factors that would help the civilization be successful. An example of this is in the last part of the text when it says, “Europe suffered a decline in commerce and manufacturing, in education, in literature and the arts, and in almost all that makes possible a high civilization. Cities grew smaller and in some cases practically disappeared, and western Europe became a region of poverty-stricken farming communities, each virtually isolated from the rest of the world.” says Roehm, A., Buske, M., Webster, H. & Wesley, E,. (1954). The Record of Mankind. Heath and Company. This explains the specific
“For over one thousand years the official music of the Roman Catholic church had been Gregorian Chant, which consists of melody set to sacred Latin texts and sung without accompaniment” (Kamien 67). The credit for developing Gregorian chant music, also known as plain...
Norman Davies, a leading English historian, wrote, “There is an air of immobility about many descriptions of the medieval world” (Davies 291). However, these descriptions he refers to do not capture the true essence of the Middle Ages of Europe, which were a continuation and a formation. They were a continuation of old Rome in race, language, institutions, law, literature, arts, and in cultures independent of Rome. Nevertheless, the Middle Ages were not merely a continuation; they were the formation of our world. Many modern-day historians argue that the so-called Dark Ages were a period of ascent rather than of descent, that with the withering of the pagan classic civilization came the first budding of a new culture that was to develop into our modern civilization. James M. Powell, a prominent historian, agreed with this argument concerning the untold progress of this age. Powell believed that the Medieval Ages was a multi-faceted period of time in which the roots of modern civilization began to emerge, and that it was. This time period was critical because, although it seemed to be a dark age, seeds were being planted for future generations such as ours. These seeds have sprouted and have given us templates to work with regarding issues of centralization, the economy, scholasticism, education, expressions of art, and religion.
...ttles. The Middle Ages was a time of war, knights, and castles. It started when the Roman empire fell by the barbarians around the late 4th century and ended in the early 15th century. Medieval weaponry and armor was very unique for its time.
In his piece, Manchester feels that the term ‘Dark Ages’ is a more suitable title than ‘Middle Ages’ or ‘Medieval Period’. Fred C. Robinson basically rebuts William Manchester’s standpoint on the argument of the term ‘Dark Ages’ vs.
McGee, Timothy J. Medieval and Renaissance Music: A Performer’s Guide. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985.
The word renaissance means rebirth in French. Later historians would claim and label era of the renaissance by the rebirth of approach and standards based on in traditional antiquity. The renaissance was from 1420 to 1600 and it was both historical and cultural. Some of the most notable events that occurred during this period was the end of the hundred-year war between England and France, Christopher Columbus heads for the new world, Ottaviano Petrucci publishes the Odhecaton which is the first book of music printed, Henry VIII breaks with Rome, declares himself the head of the church of England, and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, there are other countless events that took place this time period.
Taking a look back into our history, it is very hard to graze over the fact that music has reigned as one of the most influential components of artistic expression in our time. It has been a part of numerous peoples' lives across the globe since the beginning of time. Music has been able to not only define the people that craft it, but encompass and define a whole time period and culture in its own, leaving a very bold mark upon history. Two pieces of music that have played integral roles during their time are “In Paradisum” (by an anonymous individual) during the middle ages (600-1450), and “Same Love,” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, featuring Mary Lambert during the 21st century (2001-2100, specifically released in 2012). These musical pieces, although from two very different spectrums in history, share a few notable similarities, as well as some remarkable differences that embody the ever so changing sound of art in time.
History shows that women were not as big of participants in music as men until later in the medieval era. This is due to many obstacles that faced women disabling them from singing, playing any instruments, or even composing music. Although barriers were present, many women and nuns were able to surpass them, and make use of their abilities and skills. In this paper, I will present the role of women as they interacted with polyphony, and as they became scribes, performers, composers, and patrons.
By the end of eleventh century, Western Europe had experienced a powerful cultural revival. The flourish of New towns provided a place for exchange of commerce and flow of knowledge and ideas. Universities, which replaced monasteries as centers of learning, poured urbanized knowledge into society. New technological advances and economics transformations provided the means for building magnificent architectures. These developments were representative of the mental and behavioral transformations that the medieval world underwent and the new relationships that were brought about between men, women and society in the twelfth century. As in technology, science, and scholasticism, Literature was also reborn with a new theme.3
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, written by J.K. Rowling, is an excellent example of a modern novel that uses medieval influences extensively. Many of the novel’s characters are based on medieval ideas and superstitions. The settings in the book resemble old medieval towns as well as castles. The book is also full of medieval imagery such as knights in armour, carriages etc. Whilst there is no time travel involved in the novel, the medieval period is used to such an effect that the reader is encouraged to ignore the fact that the book is set in the present.
The Medieval time period was an important era for the growth of culture throughout the entire world. We owe many innovations used in design, architecture and overall style to the works of the many artists that flourished in the middle ages. Each of the four periods of development were unique to one another, yet followed an overlying religious theme that defined the medieval times. The advancements made during that time were able to influence to the 800 years of art that lead up to present day, and still remain visually and architecturally beautiful.
Music throughout the ages has changed dramatically. Starting in the Medieval period, from 400-1475, music was in the form of what is called the Gregorian chant. Instruments were very rarely used at this time. Since songs during this period were either troubadour or trouvere these chants had no real harmony. One example of this type of medieval composition is “Viderunt Omnes” by Leoninus. Like most Gregorian chants the texture of this piece is monophonic and polyphonic. “Viderunt Omnes” is a typical Gregorian chant in that it uses diatonic, not chromatic notes of the scale. Musical compositions during the Medieval period was made mostly by members of the church for the church. It was and is a very slow and steady movement that was meant to create a feeling of peace for worship purposes.