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Medieval European music

Medieval European music is music from the European middle ages, which is generally divided into two periods: the Ars Antiqua and the Ars Nova. Characteristics of the time are styles such as Plainsong, as well as basic polyphony in the later Ars Nova period.

Music of the time is modal and difficult to listen to in an authentic way because of the modern ear's tendency to hear music in a diatonic context.

The early music period is marked by the gradual rise and refinement of polyphony and counterpoint. Mediaeval music begins with Gregorian chant; its written history in the earliest period is constrained by the need to develop musical notation, of which the neumes usually used to write Gregorian melodies are the earliest. Several versions were tried before a notation equal to the task of clearly displaying both the length and duration of the notes was devised.

Table of contents
1 Medieval composers
2 See also
3 External Link

Medieval composers

Much music from this period is anonymous. The following is a list of important composers whose names are known from the medieval period.

Chant

Early polyphony and organum

The tradition of the troubadors, trouvères, and minnesang

The beginnings of complex polyphony

The mannered and complex style of Ars subtilior

Moving towards Renaissance music

See also

External Link