The Middle Ages, a period of history of western Europe, began around 450 AD and ended around 1450.  I know that the Middle Ages are also referred to as the “Dark ages” and Europe was run by kings and queens. During this era, Christianity spread. I find the spread of religion most interesting about this era because I am Christian myself and the great cathedrals built during this era really spark interest in me. These cathedrals were built for a place of public worship. Monasteries were established as self-sufficient religious communities. Monasteries were centers of learning and have a special significance in the history of European music. The Europeans borrowed sacred texts and they were an important part of their liturgy. They had chants sung in church services. These chants were passed through oral tradition. They practiced the chants with melodies added to them. The monks ultimately developed the notation of two or more stimulus melodies and created early rules for creating new music. I listened to Francesco Landini-Ecco la primavera. This piece was beautifully sung by women. They sounded like angels which I expected from this era of very faithful people. I also listened to Leonin. This music has beautiful instruments that complement the voices. It sounds similar to hymns that would be sung in a catholic church today.

Ellie Cerullo