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The Effects of the Attitudes and Behaviors of the Christian Church Towards Music from the Medieval Era to the Renaissance Era�

Manuela Paki Amouzou

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Outline

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A summary of key findings

An introduction of topic and thesis statement

Analysis of Catholic and Protestant attitudes and liturgical music

Scope of study and important sources utilized

Implications for music pedagogy and future studies

Methods for conducting research

Introduction/Purpose

Analysis

Conclusions

Problems/Lit. Review

Implications

Methodology

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Introduction

  • Spirituality in music
  • During the medieval era (476 – 1450 CE), the Catholic church chiefly controlled music in western civilization (Miller 1973).
    • Role decentralizes during the Protestant Reformation
  • Catholic church resistance to music development (Faulkner 1996).
    • These behaviors developed the state of music in the contemporary era.

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Purpose

With the intent of improving music pedagogy and performance, the purpose of this research is to investigate the attitudes and behaviors of the western Christian church towards the development of music from the Medieval to Renaissance Era (476 - 1600 CE).

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Problems

The specific problems of this study were to:

1) Identify the usage of music in the Catholic Church during the Medieval and Renaissance eras; including their attitudes and behaviors;

2) Examine the effects of the Protestant Reformation on the music of the Lutheran and Calvinist Churches; and

3) Compare and contrast the Catholic and Protestant hymns of this era included in various hymnals.

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Literature Review

  1. Faulkner, Q. (1996). Wiser than Despair: the evolution of ideas in the relationship of Music and the Christian Church
    1. Juxtaposed the musical ideologies of the Catholic Church and that of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation.
  2. Buszin, W. E., & Luther, M. (1946). Luther on Music. The Musical Quarterly, 32(1), 80–97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/739566
    • Provided primary source of Martin Luther’s thoughts on the use of music.

3) Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book X, 33, trans. and ed. R. S. Pine-Coffin (London: Penguin Books, 1961), pp. 238–239.

    • A representation of the views of the early medieval Catholic Church on the purpose of liturgical music.

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Methodology

  1. Design
  2. Analyzed texts to understand attitudes and behaviors towards liturgical music
  3. Instrumentation
  4. Reviewed of reputable texts about the development of sacred music.
  5. Analysis
  6. Examined scholarly sources and characteristics hymns to determine specific characteristic musical traits.
  7. Public Presentation
  8. Presented research at the University of Lynchburg’s student scholar showcase on April 5th, 2023

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Problem One: The Use of Music in the Catholic Church during the Medieval and Renaissance eras (476–1450)

  • Music that leads to distracting emotion can lead the congregation into sin
    • Sacred music must serve as a background to communicate the words of God. St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Confessions
  • Sole institution for music pedagogy and production (Faulkner 1996).
    • Grip loosened with the rise of humanism and Protestant Reformation.

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Problem Two: Effects of the Protestant Reformation on the Music of the Lutheran and Calvinist Churches

  • The Great Schism
    • Martin Luther (1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564)
    • Lutheran liturgy to be accessible
      • a tool for evangelism (Buszin and Luther 1946).
  • Calvin, the potential emotionality of music as a distraction (Faulkner 1996).
    • Psalms; Genevan Psalter in 1562

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Problem Three: Compare and Contrast Catholic and Protestant Hymns of this era

  • Dies irae (c1250), Anonymous
    • Latin plainchant
    • Monophonic texture, modified strophic, thin density, narrow note range.
    • Airy and emotionless, creates a setting to contemplate on the meaning of the Dies Irae, the Day of Wrath.

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Problem Three: Compare and Contrast Catholic and Protestant Hymns of this era

  • The Kyrie of the Missa Prolationum (c1475) by Johannes Ockeghem
    • polyphonic textures, contrapuntal methods, a double mensuration canon
    • Thick density, medium note range
    • Greek and Latin lyrics

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Problem Three: Compare and Contrast Catholic and Protestant Hymns of this era

  • Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (c1529)
    • Thick density
    • Descending melodic contour, wide note range, major mode, consonance
    • Evokes emotion
    • Johann Walter, under the instruction of Luther, introduced polyphony
    • For the layman

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Problem Three: Compare and Contrast Catholic and Protestant Hymns of this era

  • John Calvin, God Is Our Refuge; He Will Shield Us (c1543)
    • Thin density, sacred reflection
    • Acapella with monophonic textures, acceptable instrumentals, organ.
    • Descending melodic contour, wide note span, and major mode with consonance
    • For the layman

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Conclusion

  • Unemotional music for sacred reflection; Medieval (476 - 1400)
  • Complex, not accessible; Early Renaissance Catholic (1400 - 1600)
  • Accessible, a tool for evangelism and encourage polyphony; Luther (1400-1600)
  • Accessible, primarily monophony, no distracting emotions; Calvin (1400-1600)

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Implications for Music Pedagogy

  • Social lens and point of connection to interpret music.
  • Current debate around whether certain genres of music are appropriate for worship music, or are too overpowering and distracting for sacred purposes.

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Future Studies

  • Analyzing the evolution of Christian music from the Renaissance era to Modern era
  • Effects of Catholic music on secular music
  • Characteristics of music by denominations and their implications

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Bibliography

Anonymous. (1250). Dies Irae. http://gregorian-chant-hymns.com/hymns-2/dies-ire.html

Barber, J. (2006). Luther and Calvin on music and worship. Reformed perspectives magazine, 8(26), 1-16.

Burgess, C., & Wathey, A. (2000). Mapping the Soundscape: Church Music in English Towns, 1450-1550. Early Music History, 19, 1–46. http://www.jstor.org/stable/853857

Buszin, W. E., & Luther, M. (1946). Luther on Music. The Musical Quarterly, 32(1), 80–97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/739566

Calvin, J. (1543). God Is Our Refuge; He Will Shield Us. https://genevanpsalter.com/files/psalm-46/Psalm_46_Genevan_BoP.pdf

Carter, T. (2014). Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque. In The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music. Cambridge University Press.

Faulkner, Q. (1996). Wiser than Despair: the evolution of ideas in the relationship of Music and the Christian Church.

Johann Walter. (n.d.). Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/johann-walter

Lambert, E. (2015). “In corde iubilum” Music in Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion [Review of “In corde iubilum” Music in Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion]. Reformation & Renaissance Review, 14(3), 269–287. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1179/1462245913Z.00000000018

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Bibliography

Lowinsky, E. E. (1954). Music in the Culture of the Renaissance. Journal of the History of Ideas, 15(4), 509–553. https://doi.org/10.2307/2707674

Luther, M., & Walter, J. (1529). A Might Fortress Is Our God. https://www.lutheranchoralebook.com/wp-content/uploads/A-Mighty-Fortress-Is-Our-God.pdf

Mahrt W. (2006). Gregorian Chant As the Paradigm of Sacred Music. Sacred Music. 133(1):5–14. http://www.musicasacra.com/publications/sacredmusic/133/1/1_1.html.

McElrath, H. (1972). Music in the History of the Church. Review & Expositor, 69(2), 141–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/003463737206900202

Miller, S. D. (1973). Guido d'Arezzo: medieval musician and educator. Journal of Research in Music Education, 21(3), 239-245.

Ockeghem, J. (1475). Kyrie of the Missa Prolationum. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Ockeghem_Prolationum_Kyrie_full.pdf

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Bibliography

Sachs, C. (1960). Primitive and medieval music: a parallel. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 13(1/3), 43-49.

Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book X, 33, trans. and ed. R. S. Pine-Coffin (London: Penguin Books, 1961), pp. 238–239.

Vaubel, R. (2005). The Role of Competition in the Rise of Baroque and Renaissance Music. Journal of Cultural Economics, 29(4), 277–297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-005-0699-9

Visser, A. de. (2014). Church Music in Calvin’s Tradition | Christian Library. Christianstudylibrary.org. https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/church-music-calvin%E2%80%99s-tradition

Wright, C., & Simms, B. (2010). Music in Western Civilization, Media Update. Schirmer Cengage Learning.

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Thank You

  • Dr. Cynthia Ramsey, DMA
  • MUSC 303 Classmates

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The Effects of the Attitudes and Behaviors of the Christian Church Towards Music from the Medieval Era to the Renaissance Era�

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