What is the dynamics of medieval music

A LOT OF medieval music is like jazz -- not in its rhythms and harmonies (though these can be quite jazzy), but in the special freedom and responsibility it imposes on the performers. Look at the old manuscripts and the first thing you notice is that they didn't write it all down 700 years ago. The words are there, with a string of (usually square-shaped) notes on a four-line staff, but the manuscripts leave out almost everything a classical musician expects to be told: tempo, rhythm, dynamics, style and expression -- or even the slightest hint of what instruments, if any, should be used. A lot is left to the performers' imagination -- guided by the (often conflicting) theories of scholars on what to do with "secular monody."

Last weekend, the Folger Consort tried a new approach to this music, which is one of its specialties, by looking at some of its roots and branches. It was a step outside of the group's usual territory -- roughly, French, German, Spanish, Italian and English music from about 1100 to about 1600 -- into such exotic areas as Cyprus, Greece and Morocco. A lot of it sounded like folk music, and sometimes they seemed to be improvising. The last live performance of this interesting musical experiment was given last night, but it can be heard again in a broadcast on WETA-FM on Feb. 24.

One key to what the Folger Consort was trying to do could be heard in the music from Cyprus, which sounded quite a bit like the music from southern France. The reason is simple: Cyprus was conquered by Richard the Lion-Hearted in 1191 (during the Third Crusade) and for the next three centuries it was essentially a French colony.

The Greek and Moroccan folk songs on the program had a family resemblance to the Folger style of performing troubadour music, and the reason for this, too, lies in the Crusades. For centuries, Europe (particularly southern Europe) was intensely involved with the Islamic world -- a great culture at its peak. The interaction had a transforming effect on European culture and was one of the factors that led to the Renaissance. Medieval scientists began developing ideas received from the Arabs, and the influence is still visible in our vocabularies. Such words as "algebra," "alchemy" and "alcohol" are medieval European versions of Arabic words. Medieval philosophers began to study Plato and Aristotle, using texts that had been preserved and translated by the Arabs. Arabic numerals began replacing the cumbersome Roman numerals, and European foods began to be flavored with spices that came from or through the Middle East.

But what about music? The evidence there is not overwhelming, but it seems fairly clear. Many musical instruments of medieval Europe came from the Middle East during the Crusades -- not only the kinds of percussion that were still considered "Turkish" in the time of Mozart and Beethoven, but the lute (a descendant of the Arabic oud), the rebec (still used in the Middle East under the name of "rebab") and even the bow for stringed instruments. Some manuscripts (particularly from Spain, where Christians and Moslems lived side by side for centuries) have pictures of European and Arab musicians performing together.

For a long time, musicologists were reluctant to take the logical step and sanction the use of Middle Eastern styles and techniques in performing troubadour music. The continuous performance tradition from the Middle Ages was overwhelmingly religious, and when the old music began to be revived, performers naturally turned to that tradition. So the music of hot-blooded poet-composers like Richard the Lion-Hearted (who was a troubadour as well as a warrior) came out sounding like genteel British choirboys.

The Folger Consort began later than the pioneers in new performance styles (such musicians as David Munrow and Thomas Binkley), but it is now one of the leaders in the field. Its style is based on the idea that French musicians learned a lot from Arab musicians, that folk performance styles are appropriate for this courtly music, and that the people of the Middle Ages had the same kind of hormones as we do. In this field, the performers have taken the initiative away from the scholars. Strictly speaking, they cannot prove that everything they are doing is right. But it does make the music more interesting -- and nobody can prove they are wrong.

During the Middle Ages, the musical texture was monophonic, meaning it has a single melodic line. Sacred vocal music, such as Gregorian chants, was set to Latin text and sung unaccompanied. It was the only type of music allowed in churches, so composers kept the melodies pure and simple. Later on, church choirs added more melodic lines to Gregorian chants.

The Texture of Medieval Renaissance Music

The addition of more melodic lines to the Gregorian chants created polyphonic texture, meaning it has two or more melodic lines.

During the Renaissance, the church had less power over musical activity. Instead, the Kings, Princes and other prominent members of the courts had more influence. The size of church choirs grew, and with it, more voice parts were added — this created music that sounded richer and fuller. Polyphony was widely used during this period, but soon, music also became homophonic.

Composers wrote pieces that shifted between polyphonic and homophonic textures. This made the melodies more complex and elaborate. Many factors contributed to the change of musical texture during these periods. The influence of the Church, a shift in musical focus, the change in the status of composers, the invention of printing and religious reformation were some of the factors that contributed to these changes.

Instruments Used in Medieval and Renaissance Music

During the Middle Ages, most of the music was vocal and unaccompanied. The church wanted to keep music pure and solemn because it was less distracting. Later on, musical instruments such as bells and organs were allowed in church, but it was mainly used to observe important days in the Liturgical calendar. Traveling musicians or minstrels used musical instruments as they performed on street corners or courts. The instruments they used include fiddles, harps, and lutes. The lute is a pear-shaped string instrument with a fretted fingerboard.

During the Renaissance period, most of the musical activity shifted from the church to the courts. Composers were more open to experimentation. As a result, more composers used musical instruments in their compositions. Instruments that produced softer and less bright sounds were preferred for indoor events. Louder and more brilliant-sounding instruments were preferred for outdoor events.

Musical instruments used during this period include the cornett, harpsichord, and recorder. A musical instrument called shawm was used for dance music and outdoor events. The shawm is the predecessor of the oboe.

What is the rhythm of medieval music?

What is dynamics in music?

What is the texture of medieval music?

Is medieval music polyphonic or monophonic?