Essay Database

MEDIEVAL MUSIC Very few examples of music remain from the ancient civilizations that pre-date the fall of the Roman Empire in 476. However, much is preserved from the Middle Ages, a time period that ran from 476 to the beginning of the Renaissance in the fifthteenth century. Two types of music developed during the Middle Ages; sacred and secular. Sacred music was filled with religious context while secular music pertained to everyday life in the Middle Ages. …

…the Ars nova. This music still used the same concepts as earlier period but was written a bit more refinement. One of the most famous figures from this period is French composer Guillaume de Machaut. He wrote both secular and sacred music. His music introduced a new freedom of music. The Middle Ages saw a dramatic evolution of music and the development of the notation system that has continued to evolve through our present day.