A unique history of the vast repertory of monophonic music of the Middle Ages.

Combines a complete history and score anthology for students of medieval music, Music in Medieval Europe combines a cultural history of the Middle Ages and in-depth scholarship on the music and leading composers active during the period. The text includes an integrated anthology of key works with approachable and enlightening explanations, making it easily accessible to both beginning and advanced students. Its chronological organization, broad scope, and detailed music analyses makes Music in Medieval Europe an ideal introductory text. Features, Covers the major composers, musical styles, and works of the medieval period, An in-text anthology features all of the major works, eliminating the need for a separate purchase, A wide variety of source materials, all translated by Jeremy Yudkin, offers fresh interpretations of classic works, Illustrations of source manuscripts and artwork provide added context Book jacket.

Music of the Middle Ages provides a comprehensive, chronological survey of musical style and compositional technique from early plainchant to the flourishing of fourteenth-century polyphony.--From publisher description.

Music both influences and reflects the times in which it was created. In the Middle Ages, the previous Dark Ages, the Crusades, and the feudal system all impacted the types and forms of music in the period. Charlemagne standardized the church mass and promoted the Gregorian chant, to the point of threatening excommunication if any other were performed. Musical notation — the staff line — was developed during the period. The troubadours of France, Meistersingers of Germany,the Cantus Firmus of Italy, and the instruments that played the music are all included in this thorough guide to music of the middle ages. Topics include: the British Isles, Dance Music, Eastern Europe, France, Germanic Lands, Harps, Italy, the Low Countries, Spain, and more.

Uniquely among histories of mediaeval music, this book is specifically devoted to the vast repertory of monophonic music. Too often treated as a preamble to polyphony, this music forms the basis of Europe's musical tradition. (A companion volume by F. A. Gallo, forthcoming in English translation, covers polyphonic music of the Middle Ages.) Giulio Cattin outlines the birth and evolution of Christian chant in the early centuries of the Church and describes a number of partly independent Byzantine and Western chant traditions. Fr Cattin's own background in the Church gives a particular authority to his writing on liturgical music, and he presents the latest original research without being too technical. In addition to offshoots of the main liturgical tradition such as tropes, metrical offices and liturigical drama, Fr Cattin covers the birth of secular music, first in Latin monody, and then in a growing variety of music in vernacular languages - the Italian laude and the lyrics of the Provençal troubadours, the French trouvères and the German Minnesinger. Chapters on early instrumental music and on the philosopher's view of the ars musica complete the book.

Features 50 compositions from early Middle Ages to mid-18th century, including a Gregorian hymn, English lute piece, operatic arias, instrumental and vocal motets; works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Scarlatti, and others. Features commentary.