# Medieval music examples wanted



## Bachplay (Mar 31, 2013)

At the risk of being off topic, what are some good examples of medieval compositions ie monophonic i suppose?
Bruce


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

To be crude about it, there are really only 4 things that went on in the Medieval period in regards to classical music.

Chant (Gregorian):





















Troubadour Music:











The Notre Dame School of music, also known as Ars Antique (the first Polyphony)





















The Ars Nova:





















Guys like Machaut and Landini also wrote quite a bit of music in Troubadour style.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

It's music, it's (broadly) classical so not off topic.

Doesn't have to be monphonic, not saying this is a good example but it's on you tube:






Really early - Hildegard of Bingen e.g.






Or pure plain chant






Trouble is the Middle Ages is a big time span - 400 - 1400 - and if you think what has happened to Music since Bach in the 1700's you can see that it covers a whole range of styles from monophony or simple chant through polyphony, from religious through secular.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I think violaguy has grossly simplified the history of medieval music. The variety of music during this period was quite impressive.

Some favorite recordings:


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

The Middle-East had a profound influence upon music in Europe during the Middle-Ages... especially in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) which were under Islamic rule until 1492.




















There are any number of traditions of chant from across Europe: Byzantine (as in my first example), Maronite, Milanaise, Arabic, Andalusian, Sephardic, and then any number of Eastern European traditions... such as Russian Orthodox Chant:


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I think violaguy has grossly simplified the history of medieval music. The variety of music during this period was quite impressive.


Yes, I said that myself.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I'm particularly fond of Sephardic or Judeo-Spanish music:


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I recently borrowed an excellent six CD Harmonia Mundi set of medieval music ranging from Greogorian chant to th epre- renaissance period from my library . It's taken from a variety of Harmonia Mundi recordings .
Don't know if it's still available, but it's worth looking for . Try arkivmusic.com ,the best place on the internet if you'r e looking for hard to find classical CDs.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Here's a "Best of..." page, from the 1100s through the 1600s, with YouTube links for each piece.

https://sites.google.com/site/kenocstuff/ama/best-works-by-decade


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

superhorn said:


> I recently borrowed an excellent six CD Harmonia Mundi set of medieval music ranging from Greogorian chant to th epre- renaissance period from my library . It's taken from a variety of Harmonia Mundi recordings .
> Don't know if it's still available, but it's worth looking for . Try arkivmusic.com ,the best place on the internet if you'r e looking for hard to find classical CDs.


I think it might be http://www.amazon.co.uk/Richest-Hours-Medieval-Age-Journey/dp/B00000074R/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1364764600&sr=1-2


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