Music During The Medieval Period, Romantic, And Middle Ages

Scholars have segregated music’s history into time periods or eras, those being medieval/middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, and 20th century. The eras all were different in important ways. In the medieval times, music was predominantly plainchant and religious in nature. Here we music lovers dwelled in the simplicity of a monophonic chant. The renaissance was the age was where music became available not only to royalty and the church but everyone (if you had enough money that is). In the baroque period humanity experienced massive growth and progress in the pursuit of knowledge. This is where we developed instruments and music which the likes of are still seen today. During The classical period composers …show more content…
They were performed for the eight daily prayer services and many other religious events. Plainchant means single sacred melody. It’s also called Monophony a single sound or voice. Until they were first recorded around the 9th century, by medieval saints, they were passed down through memory. The rhythm was not notated so the chants varied. Before this few plainchant manuscripts survived. Some were notated in independent formats, so interpreting them are near impossible. Through time as plainchant evolved its rhythm became more consistent, and different styles of plainchant were being created. Charlemagne, as part of the Holy Roman Empire, standardized plainchant music and distributed them to all of the monasteries across …show more content…
Western music was recognized by its functioning tonality. Tone intervals were categorized based on the key or tonal center. These intervals have different labels and emotional effects. The 20th century composers were tired of the same emotional effects, so they wanted to make their own premise. One of these composers was Claude Debussy. He was classically trained by tradition; he studied with a student of Chopin. His writing style was independent. His pieces were short and fluid on very expressive topics. Many critics did not like that he presented the tonal center in unconventional ways. They called his music foundationless, but the foundation was just different his own independent style. His music was described as impressionistic, this kind of (music is based on a blurring of distinct harmonies, rhythms, and forms). Debussy did not like his music being labeled impressionist. Igor Stravinsky used his native Russian folk music and extremely modern harmonizing methods. Arnold Schoenberg grew up playing the violin and cello in Vienna. His father died and he left school to work in a bank. He still composed on the side. When he lost his job he got more serious about composing. He started conducting worker’s choral societies. Eventually he moved to berlin there his wife ran off with a painter, the painter hung and stabbed himself, and the rise of the Nazis helped him