Page 25 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

EARLY MUSIC 1000–1400 23

See also: Micrologus 24–25 ■ Magnus liber organi 28–31 ■ Messe de Notre The Mass
Dame 36–37 ■ Canticum Canticorum 46–51 ■ Great Service 52–53
It took until at least the 11th
century for the Mass to reach
a final form. Its music became
known as the Gradual, a book
divided into the Ordinary (the
elements that remain the same
every week) and the Proper
(the parts that are particular
to the time and day in the
Church calendar).
The Ordinary of the Mass
has five parts. The first, Kyrie
eleison (“Lord, have mercy”),
is an ancient text in Greek (the
language of Roman services
until about the 4th century);
the second, Gloria in excelsis
Deo (“Glory to God in the
highest”), was introduced
in the 7th century; the third,
the Credo (“I believe”) was
adopted in 1014 (though is
believed to date from the
4th century); and the fourth,
followed the ancient Greek modal This Gregorian chant, Hodie the Sanctus (“Holy”), rooted
system of seven-note octaves made Cantandus (“today we must sing”), by in Jewish liturgy, had become
up of five tones and two semitones, St. Tuotilo, a 10th-century Irish monk, part of the Roman rite before
and consisted of two types of has neumes on the upper lines and the reforms of Pope Gregory I.
chant: the responsorial and the Latin script underneath. The fifth section, Agnus Dei
antiphonal. The former involved (“The Lamb of God”), was
more elaborate, solo chants, with a Gregory consolidated the music of added to the Roman Mass in
response from the choir. Antiphonal the Roman rite and is said to have the 7th century, originating
chants, where singing alternated instigated a papal schola cantorum from a Syrian rite.
between choir and congregation, (“choir school”) to do justice to the
consisted of simpler melodies. evolving repertoire.
These forms were shared by
Roman and Ambrosian plainsong, Expanded repertoire
but Ambrosian chant was smoother Under the rule of Charlemagne
in its note progression and more (742–814), the first Holy Roman
dramatic than Roman chant. It also Emperor, Roman chants were
made greater use of melisma, in synthesized with elements of the
which a string of notes was sung Gallican style, which was also
on one syllable—a style still used in common use. This expanded
in Middle Eastern and Asian song. collection formed the basis of
By the middle of the first Gregorian chant, which remains at
millennium, thousands of chants the heart of Catholic Church music.
existed across the different rites. Plainsong was also the foundation The ritual of the Mass was
The sheer variety of unique styles for medieval and Renaissance based on the Last Supper, shared
and traditions was addressed by music and its notation, based on by Christ and His disciples,
seen here in this detail from
Gregory I (Pope 590–604 ce), who the staves and neumes, or notes, a 6th-century manuscript.
wished to unify liturgical practice. of written chants. ■

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