Medieval Music History Quiz 1

Front 1

Consisting of a single unaccompanied MELODIC line

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monophonic

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Music or musical TEXTURE consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent MELODY. See also COUNTERPOINT.

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polyphonic

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Musical TEXTURE in which all voices move together in essentially the same RHYTHM, as distinct from POLYPHONY and HETEROPHONY. See also MELODY AND ACCOMPANIMENT.

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homophonic

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A poem of praise to God, one of 150 in the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Christian Old Testament). Singing psalms was a central part of Jewish, Christian, Catholic, and Protestant worship.

Back 4

psalms

Front 5

The repertory of ecclesiastical CHANT used in the Roman Catholic Church.

Back 5

Gregorian Chant

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A repertory of ecclesiastical CHANT used in Milan.

Back 6

Ambrosian Chant

Front 7

In a Christian RITE, the schedule of days commemorating special events, individuals, or times of year.

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Church Calendar

Front 8

A sign used in NOTATION of CHANT to indicate a certain number of NOTES and general MELODIC direction (in early forms of notation) or particular pitches (in later forms).

Back 8

Neume

Front 9

In an early form of NOTATION, NEUMES arranged so that their relative height indicated higher or lower pitch. Also called DIASTEMATIC neumes.

Back 9

Heighted Neumes

Front 10

In particular, one of the eight scale or melody types recognized by church musicians and theorists beginning in the Middle Ages, distinguished from one another by the arrangement of WHOLE TONES and SEMITONES around the FINAL, by the RANGE relative to the final, and by the position of the TENOR or RECITING TONE.

Back 10

church modes

Front 11

The main NOTE in a MODE; the normal closing note of a CHANT in that mode.

Back 11

final

Front 12

A MODE (2) in which the RANGE normally extends from a STEP below the FINAL to an octave above it. See also PLAGAL MODE.

Back 12

authentic mode

Front 13

a mode in a which the RANGE normally extends from a fourth (or fifth) below the FINAL to a fifth or sixth above it. See also AUTHENTIC MODE.

Back 13

plagal mode

Front 14

(from Latin tenere, "to hold") (1) In a MODE or CHANT, the RECITING TONE. (2) In POLYPHONY of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the voice part that has the chant or other borrowed MELODY, often in long-held NOTES. (3) Male voice of a relatively high range.

Back 14

tenor

Front 15

(1) A set of six pitches. (2) In medieval and RENAISSANCE SOLMIZATION, the six NOTES represented by the syllables ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, which could be transposed to three positions: the "natural" hexachord, C-D-E-F-G-A; the "hard" hexachord, G-A-B-C-D-E; and the "soft" hexachord, F-G-A-B-C-D. (3) In TWELVE-TONE theory, the first six or last six notes in the ROW.

Back 15

hexachord

Front 16

The entire range of pitches normally written in the Middle Ages (see p. 47).

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gamut

Front 17

A method of assigning syllables to STEPS in a SCALE, used to make it easier to identify and sing the WHOLE TONES and SEMITONES in a MELODY.

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solmization

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In SOLMIZATION, the process of changing from one HEXACHORD to another.

Back 18

mutation

Front 19

Addition to an existing CHANT, consisting of (1) words and MELODY; (2) a MELISMA; or (3) words only, set to an existing melisma or other melody.

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trope

Front 20

"something that follows") (1) A category of Latin CHANT that follows the ALLELUIA in some MASSES. (2) Restatement of a pattern, either MELODIC or HARMONIC, on successive or different pitch levels.

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sequence

Front 21

Dialogue on a sacred subject, set to music and usually performed with action, and linked to the LITURGY.

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liturgical drama

Front 22

(from Latin gradus, "stairstep") Item in the MASS PROPER, sung after the Epistle reading, comprising a RESPOND and VERSE. CHANT graduals are normally MELISMATIC in style and sung in a RESPONSORIAL manner, one or more soloists alternating with the choir

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Gradual (book)

Front 23

(1) A LITURGICAL CHANT that precedes and follows a PSALM or CANTICLE in the OFFICE. (2) In the MASS, a chant originally associated with ANTIPHONAL PSALMODY; specifically, the COMMUNION and the first and final portion of the INTROIT.

Back 23

antiphon

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Adjective describing a manner of performance in which two or more groups alternate.

Back 24

antiphonal

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Pertaining to a manner of performing CHANT in which a soloist alternates with a group.

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responsorial (chant)

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Pertaining to a manner of performing CHANT without alternation between groups (see ANTIPHONAL) or between soloist and group (see RESPONSORIAL).

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direct (chant)

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A long MELODIC passage sung to a single syllable of text. (having many)

Back 27

melismatic

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Having (or tending to have) one NOTE sung to each syllable of text.

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syllabic

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In CHANT, having about one to six NOTES (or one NEUME) sung to each syllable of text.

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neumatic

Front 30

"usual") Texts of the MASS that remain the same on most or all days of the CHURCH CALENDAR, although the tunes may change.

Back 30

Ordinary of the Mass

Front 31

"particular" or "appropriate") Texts of the MASS that are assigned to a particular day in the CHURCH CALENDAR.

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Proper of the Mass

Front 32

(Greek, "Lord") One of the five major musical items in the MASS ORDINARY, based on a BYZANTINE litany.

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kyrie

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(Latin, "Glory") Second of the five major musical items in the MASS ORDINARY, a praise formula also known as the Greater DOXOLOGY.

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gloria

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(Latin, "I believe") Third of the five major musical items in the MASS ORDINARY, a creed or statement of faith.

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credo

Front 35

Latin, "Holy") One of the five major musical items in the MASS ORDINARY, based in part on Isaiah 6:3.

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sanctus

Front 36

(Latin, "Lamb of God") Fifth of the five major musical items in the MASS ORDINARY, based on a litany.

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agnus dei

Front 37

(from Latin officium, "obligation" or "ceremony") A series of eight prayer services of the Roman church, celebrated daily at specified times, especially in monasteries and convents; also, any one of those services.

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Daily Office