The Affect of Urban Centers and Trade on the Devlopment of Music

The Affect or Urban Centers and Trade on The Development of Music

Brianna Weldon

The musical era from the renaissance period took place from 1400 to the beginnings of the 1600's. This era featured the rebirth of humanism. It also featured the revival of cultural achievements. The Renaissance is labeled a time for rebuilding and reconstructing. The musicians and artists of the time produced musical works based on individualism and new found freedom. This era took place after the medieval period, a period known to be the longest and most remote period of music history.

Early music in this time was different than our music today, where during this time a musical notation consisted of one note being sung, this didn't change until later in the middle ages when two or more melodic lines were sung. This was called polyphony. The traditions of Western music can be tracked back to the religious and social developments that took place in Europe at the time, taking place from 476-1450. Because of the domination of the early Catholic Church during this particular period, sacred music was most prevalent. Beginning with Gregorian Chant sacred music slowly but surely developed into a polyphonic music. This polyphonic music was called organum, performed at Notre Dame in Paris by the twelfth century. Secular music also flourished, mostly with French troubadours. Then music morphed into more secular compositions.

Organum was very slowly developed over the next hundred years. By the eleventh century, one, two and even sometimes three melodic lines were no longer moving in parallel motion, but opposite each other sometimes even crossing. Popular music mostly in the form of secular songs existed during the Middle Ages. This music was not bound by the normal traditions of the Church, it wasn't even written down for the first time until after the tenth century. Hundreds of these songs were performed and created by bands of musicians who were very successful all across Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, the most famous of which were the French trouveres and troubadours. The monophonic melodies of these musicians were often rhythmically lively. The subject of overwhelming majority of these kinds of songs was love, though at the root of all of them is pain.

The traditions of Western music can all be traced back to the social and religious developments that took place in Europe during the Middle Ages. As changes continued to occur, music grew as freedom grew.