Machaut Polyphonic Music

•For a long time the western music was monophonic. Monks from monastery choirs created a new form of music. They added a second line to Gregorian chants. This made the music polyphonic. Because it had more than one line. Medieval music that has two or more melodic lines is organum.
•The estampie is from the thirteenth century. It is one of the earliest forms of music. It is played in triple meter. The estampie beat is strong and played very swiftly. It has a very upbeat sound and sounds very cheery.
•Leonin and Perotin are two of the very first notable composers. These two men and their followers are known as the school of notre dame. Paris was known as the artistic capitol of Europe. Paris was very known for having polyphonic music. Lenin
Gregorian chant wasn't heard as much anymore. Most of the polyphonic music focused on drinking songs and items that were heard in nature such as dogs barking, birds calling, and hunters yelling.
•A famous musician and poet was Guillaume de Machaut he was famous for having works that survived. Machaut studied theology and was serving royal families throughout his life. Machaut showed the decline of the fourteenth century in his songs which were mostly love songs.
•Machaut met a noble woman when he was sixty years old. Her name was Perrone he fell in love with her and they wrote poems back and forth to one another. Their age difference became a problem and they ended up being apart from one another.
•Machaut had nine musical compositions that he created one of them was Puis queen oubli sui de vous. The song has a vocal melody and two parts that are played in a very low pitch. We do not know if those pitches are suppose to be voices or just instrumentals. When listening to this song you can't help but feel sad. It has a sad sound to it.
•Machauts fame does not end there he is also known for Notre Dame Mass. This is a well known composition and it the first polyphonic treatment of the mass by a known
These five prayers are often set to polyphonic music. In church services Kyrie and Gloria are sung back to back. The Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei were separated.
•The Agnus Dei was a prayer for mercy and peace. Agnus Dei is sung in triple meter. It consists of upper parts and lower parts. The two upper parts are very rhythmic and have syncopation. The two lower parts are long and contain support for the rest of the rhythms. Even when listening to this it sounds solemn. The Agnus Dei has a lot of different sounds to it.
•Next is the Renaissance. The Renaissance period is from 1450 to 1600. Printing was invented in this time period and that helped expand music greatly. Music was very important in this age and played a key role in many peoples lives. If you knew music they considered you educated.
•Many of Shakespeare's plays included music and had many tributes to music as well. Polyphonic church music was normally sang by few soloist but in the 1400's they incorporated polyphonic music into a whole male choir. Choirs increased in size by nearly double from 1440 to 1480.
•The church remained an important part of music but it started spreading to the courts nobles kings and