CHAPTER 4: EXPOSITIONS: A JOURNEY THROUGH MUSICAL TIME

Lesson 1: PEASANTS, PRINCES AND PALADINS: MEDIEVAL MUSIC

Medieval music includes liturgical music used for the church, secular music,
non-religious music, 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).

A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land

ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent,
tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants existed: non-
free slaves, semi-free serfs, and free tenants. Peasants might hold title to land outright
(fee simple) or by any of several forms of land tenure, among them socage quit-rent,
leasehold, and copyhold.
 Princess is a title used by a female member of a monarch's family or by a
female ruler. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin princeps, meaning principal
citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince or for the
daughter of a monarch. A crown princess can be the heir apparent to the throne or the
heir apparent's spouse.

Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the
foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the
medieval (12th century) chanson de geste cycle of the Matter of France, where they
play a similar role to the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian romance.

The Medieval Period of Music is the period from c.500 to 1400. It is the
longest “period” of music (it covers 900 years) and runs right through from around the
time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance.
PEASANTS, PRINCES AND PALADINS: MEDIEVAL MUSIC

The Middle Ages, sometimes called the "Dark Ages" or "medieval period," are
a period in European history that encompasses nearly a thousand years. There are no
definite dates as to when it started and when it ended, but the approximated dates are
from 500 A.D. to 1500A.D. It was an age of anxiety, corruption, and uncertainty. The
Roman Empire had just collapsed, and invasions from Germanic tribes—Magyars,
Vikings, and Saracens—were a regular occurrence.

The Bubonic Plague (also known as the Black Death) caused a decline in the
population and the de-urbanization of cities. In spite of these, there was still
technology and cultural development throughout the European continent. People turn
to God and to the church for guidance and enlightenment. The intertwining of both
faith and reason gave rise to scholasticism, as did the establishment of the first
universities. Feudalism was institutionalized in society. It was a time of nobility, of
knights, chivalry, crusades, and exploration.

PEASANTS, PRINCES, AND PALADINS: MEDIEVAL MUSIC

Medieval Music

Medieval music encompasses the sacred and secular music of Western

Europe during the Middle Ages, from approximately the 6th to 15th centuries.

PLAINCHANT
 Gregorian chant, or plainsong, is the vast collection of melodies designed for
religious texts used by the church for its service. It is called "Gregorian" after Pope
Gregory I (circa 504-604 A.D.). This label is quite misleading, for he did not compose
the majority of these chants; he just organised and standardised them. These chants
were used extensively for service, masses, and other ceremonies, which happened
almost daily.

Musical Instruments:

Some of our modern-day musical instruments may be traced to the Middle Ages,
and they share a lot in common in terms of form and function. However,
technological changes have shaped these greatly over the centuries.

VIELE

HARP

LYRE
 ZITHER

ZITHER

Lesson2: Extravagant Exaggerations: The Baroque Period