We may first describe the historical time in which we stand, The Middle Ages , one of the longest periods. It ranges from the fall of the Roman Empire in the West (476) until the fifteenth century or so.
Music in the Middle Ages was almost all religious, as they used to develop in churches, monasteries and cathedrals. The most prestigious works at this time were of a religious or liturgical and its representation was carried out in different parts of the masses.
These works were monódicos songs, that is, with one voice, without accompaniment of instruments, written in Latin.
sure have heard of Gregorian chant. Well, this song as well known as sung in the churches, dating back to the seventh century to its subsequent disappearance at about the sixteenth century. Pope Gregory the Great (ca. 540 in Rome - March 604), managed to unify Christianity throughout the song, which in his honor called "Gregorian Chant." It was this kind of music which was more important in the Western world and was characterized mainly because of a religious nature, performed a capella and a Monod. Advancing in time and evolving from Gregorian chant, in the tenth century, was emerging as the Polyphonic Singing , meaning a song of many voices. First there were only two voices, and became a simple way: the leading voice sang Gregorian and doubled the main vocals, with a distance of a 4 th or 5 th lowest. Gradually, each melodic line was becoming independent and thus appeared as a major difficulty.
The first composers of the polyphonic singing worked in the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, extending his works throughout Europe. Leonin eg, Monk composer, and Perotín, considered the best Parisian School of Notre-Dame.
Documents where it appears the English religious polyphonic music is the Codex Calixtino , composed for the feast of St. James and also Codex Las Huelgas.
As I said before, almost all medieval music was religious, but there was music outside of religion, composed and performed by troubadours and minstrels accompanied by some instruments.
trova movement born in France and spread to the Iberian Peninsula. They were poets, musicians who composed songs with instrumental accompaniment monodic.
In Spain the most characteristic compositions troubadours were the songs in Galician-Portuguese receive on behalf of "Cantigas" . The songs are poetic compositions that are intended for singing, mainly. Cantigas
An example is the "Cantigas de Santa Maria" and "Cantigas de Amigo."
This was a summary of the Middle Ages, I hope that you are interested.
