Music From The Middle Ages and The Renaissance

Ranjith Daluwatta

Collection of Music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance  period. From the thousand-year period extending from ca. 500 to 1500 C.E. Accordingly, the series offers an array of music that is correspondingly rich and diverse, encompassing the principal types of both monophony and polyphony that were composed during the period.  liturgical music from about 500 A.D. to 1400. Medieval music was an era of  Western music , including  liturgical music  (also known as sacred) used for the church, and  secular music , non-religious music. Medieval music includes solely vocal music, such as  Gregorian chant  and  choral music  (music for a group of singers), solely  instrumental music , and music that uses both voices and instruments (typically with the instruments  accompanying  the voices). Gregorian chant was sung by monks during  Catholic Mass . The Mass is a reenactment of Christ's  Last Supper , intended to provide a spiritual connection between man and God. Part of this connection was established through music. This era begins with the  fall of the Western Roman Empire  in the fifth century and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century.  Establishing the end of the medieval era  and the beginning of the  Renaissance music  era is difficult, since the trends started at different times in different regions. The date range in this article is the one usually adopted by  musicologists . During the Medieval period the foundation was laid for the music notation  and  music theory  practices that would shape Western music into the norms that developed during the  common-practice era , a period of shared music writing practices which encompassed the  Baroque music  composers from 1600–1750, such as  J.S. Bach  and  Classical music period  composers from the 1700s such as  W.A. Mozart  and  Romantic music  era composers from the 1800s such as  Wagner . The most obvious of these is the development of a comprehensive  music notational  system which enabled composers to write out their song melodies and instrumental pieces on parchment or paper. Prior to the development of musical notation, songs and pieces had to be learned "by ear", from one person who knew a song to another person. This greatly limited how many people could be taught new music and how wide music could spread to other regions or countries. The development of music notation made it easier to disseminate (spread) songs and musical pieces to a larger number of people and to a wider geographic area. However the theoretical advances, particularly in regard to  rhythm —the timing of notes—and  polyphony —using multiple, interweaving  melodies  at the same time—are equally important to the development of Western music.     A Collection of Music from the   Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Music from about 500 A.D. to 1400 .  Medieval music was an era of  Western music , including  liturgical music  (also known as sacred) used for the church, and  secular music , non-religious music. Medieval music includes solely vocal music, such as  Gregorian chant  and  choral music  (music for a group of singers), solely  instrumental music , and music that uses both voices and instruments (typically with the instruments  accompanying  the voices). Gregorian chant was sung by monks during  Catholic Mass . The Mass is a reenactment of Christ's  Last Supper , intended to provide a spiritual connection between man and God. Part of this connection was established through music. [1]  This era begins with the  fall of the Western Roman Empire  in the fifth century and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century.  Establishing the end of the medieval era  and the beginning of the  Renaissance music  era is difficult, since the trends started at different times in different regions. The date range in this article is the one usually adopted by  musicologists . During the Medieval period the foundation was laid for the  music notation  and  music theory  practices that would shape Western music into the norms that developed during the  common-practice era , a period of shared music writing practices which encompassed  the  Baroque music  composers from 1600–1750, such as  J.S. Bach   and   Classical music period  composers from the 1700s such as  W.A. Mozart   and   Romantic music  era composers from the 1800s such as  Wagner . The most obvious of these is the development of a comprehensive  music notational  system which enabled composers to write out their song melodies and instrumental pieces on parchment or paper. Prior to the development of musical notation, songs and pieces had to be learned "by ear", from one person who knew a song to another person. This greatly limited how many people could be taught new music and how wide music could spread to other regions or countries. The development of music notation made it easier to disseminate (spread) songs and musical pieces to a larger number of people and to a wider geographic area. However the theoretical advances, particularly in regard to  rhythm —the timing of notes—and  polyphony —using multiple, interweaving  melodies  at the same time—are equally important to the development of Western music. LISTEN TO THE  REST OF COLLECTION 1500-1750  Music of Baroque Period 1750-1820 Music of Classicism 1820-1910 Music of Romantism  1910- 1960 Music of Modern Era    See the full Standard Licence Terms  http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/help/terms/

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