Medieval

Medieval music that we possess for the most part is inevitably choral in nature given the dominance of the Church during this period. The earliest dates from around the sixth century and is a form of plainchant called Gregorian Chant named after Pope Gregory I (590 - 604) who is said to have codified the music.

Gregorian Chant remained dominant until the eleventh century when a more sophisticated form of choral music was developed, called polyphony, which featured an interweaving of a number of different melodic lines as compared to the single monodic line of plainchant. This was in response to the vast acoustical spaces of the huge cathedrals that were being built during this period. In contrast we possess little or no knowledge of secular music, at least until the dawn of the second millenium with the emergence of the troubadors (trouveres) in Spain, Italy and France and the equivalent minnesingers of Germany.

Key Composeres: Adam de la Halle, Alfonso X el sabio, John Dunstable, Gautier de Coincy, Guillaume de Machaut, Hildegard of Bingen,Francesco Landini, Leonin, Perotin, Phillipe de Vitry