

Small percussion instruments: triangle, tambourine, bells, small drums.Adapted string instruments: viol, rebec, lyre, lute, guitar.Early brass instruments: slide trumpet, cornet, valveless trumpet, sackbut.Instrumentation became more prominent during this period, with the introduction of: Take a moment to listen to “ The Silver Swan,” a famous choral piece still sung today by composer Orlando Gibbons. Some composers of sacred music began to adopt secular forms (such as the madrigal) towards the end of the period. Religious music continued to flourish throughout the entire Renaissance period, including new forms such as masses, anthems, psalms, and motets. The Renaissance was a golden age for choral composition, especially in a capella compositions. The Renaissance brought significantly increased amounts of harmony and polyphony into music, as most composers were focused on choral music. Though a large portion of the music written in this era is not attributed to any author, John Dunstable, Adam de la Halle, Phillippe de Vitry, Guillaume de Machaut, and Francesco Landini were all notable composers in this period. It can be concluded that the introduction of harmony began in the Medieval period.

Polyphony is the use of multiple independent voice types, as opposed to the one melody line in monophonic singing. Though the monophonic style was a staple in the Medieval period, it’s important to note that polyphonic vocal genres also developed in this time. Notice the notation in the background as well, which has also drastically changed over time. Take a moment to listen to the Gregorian Chant below. Gregorian Chants were monophonic, (a single, unaccompanied melodic line) and most commonly sung by monks. Perhaps the most known type of music to come out of the Medieval period was the Gregorian Chant. Early versions of the organ and fiddle also existed. Instruments used during this time included the flute, the recorder, and plucked string instruments, like the lute. Most notated manuscripts from the Medieval period came from the church or places connected to the church, and so most pieces have a religious subject. Though we can assume that music began far before 1150, the Medieval period is the first in which we can be sure as to how music sounded during this time. The 6 musical periods are classified as Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th/21st Century, with each fitting into an approximate time frame. Music has come a long way in the last thousand years or so, and we’re going to tell you how! From Gregorian Chants to Mozart’s sonatas, we’re going to give you a brief history of the 6 Musical Periods and how they’ve each contributed to music today.
