There are quite a few resources available that discuss the music of the Middle Ages, which is a very specialized and complex area of study, in an introductory and general style. This book happens to be one of those, and the author is quite clear that this book is for a general audience that is interested in music and its development within the years 1000‐1450 CE. It is not meant to be scholarly, nor does it deal with music of this time period in Byzantium or Islam.
For a book of 200 pages, the author does a tremendous job of not only explaining various genres, geographic developments, instruments, dance, history, and personages, but does so concisely and as simplistically as possible. A short note at the beginning of the book describes four types of collections of music during this time period: chansonniere, liederbuch, codex, and manuscript. A general historical introduction to the Middle Ages follows, describing the fall of the Roman Empire, the split into Eastern and Western empires, early music theorists like Boethius and Cassiodorus, the rise of the Christian Church, Charlemagne, the feudal system, the Crusades, and various other events up until 1450 CE. With this background, the author moves into medieval music in Chapter Two by discussing Pope Gregory I (the Great) and his relationship to the development of chant in the Christian Church. Other non‐Gregorian chant styles, such as Ambrosian, Old Roman, Ravenna, Beneventan, Gallican, Mozarabic, and Sarum are given short informational paragraphs. The development of the Mass, monasticism and the Divine Office, music notation, the church modes, and liturgical drama are all discussed in relation to the development of Gregorian chant and the various types of medieval church music. A short description of the importance of Hildegard von Bingen is also provided.
Chapters Three through Nine examine various European geographical areas and the music that developed there during the Middle Ages. Each of these chapters first provides some historical context regarding each country/geographic area. Chapter Three focuses on France, discussing the Aquitaine region, troubadours and trouveres, various types of song, the concept of courtly love, the development of organum and the motet, and ars nova, as well as important personages such as William of Acquitaine, Franco of Cologne, and Guillaume de Machaut, among others. Chapter Four focuses on the Italian states, with topics such as the trecento movement, musical forms like the caccia and lauda and madrigal, and musicians and music theorists such as Guido d'Arezzo and Francesco Landini. Chapter Five examines Germanic lands, specifically Minnesingers, Meistersingers, and composers like Walther von der Vogelweide. Chapter Six deals with the British Isles, and discusses compositions like the rondellus, carol, and the faburden technique. John Dunstable and Leonel Power near the end of this time period are mentioned. Chapter Seven looks at the Iberian peninsula. Since much of this geographic region had a mix of Christian and Islamic influences during this time period, some interesting musical styles and genres were developed, including cantigas and Jewish music. Chapter Eight examines music of Burgundy and the Low Countries, which near the end of the Middle Ages separated itself from Frankish rule. Much of the most innovative music that developed during the Renaissance had its start in this geographic region, including quite a lot of court and hunting music. Chapter Nine provides some short synopses of other European areas during this time period, including Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia.
The largest section of the book is devoted to musical instruments of the Middle Ages, Chapter Ten. The author divides this section into stringed, woodwind, keyboard, and percussion instruments. What is nice about this section is that there are lots of woodcut reproductions from the actual manuscripts of these instruments, what they looked like, how they were played, and various instructions. Chapter Eleven is a short description of dance music during the medieval period. The last chapter provides information on historical events that moved the medieval period into the Renaissance.
Each chapter has a short Notes section. There is a For Further Reading section at the end of the book, along with a partial discography, glossary and index.
This book has a wonderful, glossy color green binding that really makes it stand out on a bookshelf. For those individuals that want an introduction to the wonders and complexities of music in the Middle Ages, this is an excellent resource that is both comprehensive yet understandable to the average person. This book would be a great reference book on this topic in any public library.
