Music from Medieval to Late Baroque
Middle Ages (476-1475), although in this period many kinds of music existed, the era was more of sacred in terms of music. Mostly people were illiterate which included large number of nobility, and the significant quantity of written music that has survived is church music. Those music were written by men and fewer nuns of church who were educated. Music was devoted to praise God. Melody moved within narrow range, and rarely there was use of chromatic scale. At that era there was no harmony and whatever music that has survived is either monophonic Gregorian chant or another monophonic form known as troubadour or trouvẻre, respectively. Rhythm in songs was sung in notes of same value and was not clearly marked. Polyphony in medieval was mostly composed in triple meter and used repeated rhythmic patterns. Color in music was mainly vocal sounds and very little instrumental music has survived. Texture of music was also limited to monophonic melodies of Gregorian chant, troubadour, and trouvere. Although medieval period was sacred there were various forms of music, such as, strophic form of troubadour and trouvere songs, rondo form of the French rondeau, and ternary form of the Kyrie. Hildegard of Bingen, Leoninus, Perotinus, and Machaut were few of many composers whose music has survived till now.
Renaissance (1475-1600), originated in Italy and was worldlier in outlook. Unlike medieval period renaissance was equally divided between sacred and secular music. In this period composers began think of themselves as independent artists, and act individualism and humanism is born. Josquin Desprez one of the famous composers of the period puts his name in his music, rather than devoting it to the divine. In the renaissance a very important invention happens that changes the world. A man called Qutensburg created press; this made it possible for the prices of books to go down, and a new era of how people read and wrote was born. Music...