Roman Instruments and the Beginning of the Middle

Roman Instruments and the Beginning of the Middle Ages

Roman Instruments The Romans, like the Greeks, had several instruments they used in the Ancient era. Ø Tibia Ø The tibia is the Roman version of the aulos

Roman Instruments cont. Ø Cornu Ø Rounded brass instrument Ø Buccina was a smaller version of the cornu Ø Lituus Ø Tuba

Important People in the Early Christian Church Ø Saint Paul (10 -67 C. E. ) Ø Emperor Constantine I Ø Edict of Milan legalized Christianity Ø Emperor Theodosis I Ø Christianity became the official religion Ø Pliny the Younger Ø Governor of a Roman province Ø “Singing a song to Christ as if to a god” Ø Saint Augustine (354 -430 C. E. )

Psalms and Hymns Ø Psalms and hymns came from Jewish traditions Ø Thought to discipline the soul Ø Turn the mind to spiritual things Ø Build a Christian community Ø Convey church teachings and doctrine

Roman Empire Separation Ø By 395 C. E. , the Roman Empire had divided into the Eastern and Western Empires. Ø Western Empire Ø Ruled by Rome/Milan Ø Ruled by the Pope Ø Used Latin Ø Invaded by Germanic tribes Ø Collapsed in 476

Eastern Empire Ø Centered at Constantinople Ø Formerly Byzantium, now Istanbul Ø Church was under control of the emperor Ø Used Greek Ø Survived until Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453

Chants Ø Byzantine chant Ø Gregorian chant Ø Ambrosian chant

Byzantine Chant Ø Used Scriptural readings Ø Psalms and hymns Ø Music Ø The eight modes were used to classify chants Ø Created from standard formulas

Gregorian Chant Ø Saint Gregory the Great (Pope Gregory I) Ø Ruled 590 -604 Ø Founder of the English church Ø Spread throughout western Europe, but a different chant in Rome

Ambrosian Chant Ø Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan (374 -397) Ø Founder of Latin hymnody Ø Although each branch of the church had a different rite, all rites had the same components Ø Church calendar Ø Liturgy Ø Plainchant

Development of Notation Ø Up until this point, only oral transmission was used Ø Notation MAY have been used by Charlemagne’s time Ø Signs called neumes (gesture) were placed above words to indicate melodic direction Ø Graduals—c. 900 Ø Earliest book of chants for the Mass Ø Highted neumes (or diastemic) Ø Line scratch indicates “a” Ø Relative height indicates relative pitch

Guido de Arezzo (991 -1033) Ø Monk in the 11 th century Ø Used red ink for F, with the letter in the left margin Ø Used yellow ink for C, with the letter in the left margin Ø In between the line is one note Ø Evolved into a four line staff

Guidonian Hand Ø Guido de Arezzo used his hand as a way to teach intervals and basic solfege Ø Each joint signified a note Ø Ut = do Ø Did not include ti

Solesmes Chant Ø From the French monks Ø Late 19 th century Ø Tried to restore the original Gregorian chant Ø 4 line staff Ø Read left to right or bottom to top Ø Pop Pius X sanctioned its use in 1904

Mass for Christmas Day Ø https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=EN 73 k. O 2_PZA Ø This is the gradual, Viderunt omnes Ø Exemplifies responsorial psalmody because the soloist is singing the psalm verse and the choir preforms a response.