In Allan's lectures, we are now watching Howard Goodall's music documentaries. It's a six part documentary and he basically explains how music became what it is today.
THE AGE OF DISCOVERY:
So not that long ago we didn't have music. Well if they did, it would be very rare. So basically the world was silent without it.
Music is now a global thing that people can't live without, so it is hard to imagine when we had no music.
In the 19th century you would only hear your favourite symphony about four or five times in your entire life until recording came along.
The evolution of music is an on going thing.
I listen to Heavy Metal music, and all the techniques in that kind of music didn't happen by accident. That's with every genre. Someone thought of them.
Music makes everyone week, sad or strong and happy. Howard traces music from scratch.
So music to us a luxury, it's something we enjoy. But our ancestors didn't think so. Music to them was a matter of life or death.
32 000 BC - There were paintings in caves (France). People back then used singing as a type of 'Sat-Nav' to find their way about the caves. Recently people have discovered whistles and flutes made out of bones.
It was also a very ritual thing.
9000 - 7000 BC - Music was essential because it helped people along with their work.
But we have no idea of what that music sounded like because they couldn't write it down, it's just disappeared.
Around that time ancient instruments have also been dug up. Lur's were discovered in 1797. They were persevered for over 2000 years.
When I listen to an example of a Lur. It sounds like it is meant to be scary and intimidating for enemies.
To the Greeks music is science and an art to them. They actually had talent contests! 3000 years ago there were all ready singing contests! I thought that was very interesting. The Greeks used to play infront of a live audience and judges. The contestants were awarded money and right there was the beginning of music as a profession.
The main topic for music back then, was religion. Monks would sing together in unison without any rhythm, instruments or harmony.
8th Century - Someone decided to add young boys to the choirs giving them high and low voices making the choir sound fuller and brighter. The young boys would sing an octave higher than the men (I found out that there were only eight notes to choose from in church music and that's why it is called an octave).
People then picked another note instead of the octave. The unison chants were called Organum because it sounded like an Organ.
People then made instruments to hold one continuos note which is called a Drone. The Drone chant is still used today in Bagpipes which I thought was amazing because of how long it's stayed.
9th Century - There was a guy called 'Kassia of Constantinople' who is the furthest back composer we can trace who used unusual harmonies.
Harmony was the first big step in the 1000's. Howard dais that musical notation was to change the musical history forever.
Latin's had the text of what they were singing on paper but had to memorise the melody. They tried to write the melody above the words but not a lot of people can understand it.
Winchester Troper made the oldest manuscript of Organum. 'Swiggles' would be above the words or in the margin and that would tell you how the melody went. But the fall back of his invention was, you could only read the pieces if you all ready knew them (to jog your memory) but you couldn't learn them.
1000 - There was a monk called 'Gvidon Darezzo' and he drew four lines and one line was red to show the centre note. Where ever he placed a dot, that would indicate a note (A, B, C etc.). It has been advanced over the years to show the length of the note. What we use today for manuscription is the most advanced it's been.
12th Century - A guy called Perotin thought "what if three voices were singing at the same time?" He basically invented the chords. He also invented rhythm in notation, so like shorter notes would be barred together. He had harmonies which were way to advanced for that time.
Muslim Spain made more instruments like the Rubab which became the Violin, the Lute which became the Guitar. They also created much more rhythms.
End of the 14th Century - By now all the components of music was discovered, Notation (Melodic and Rhythmic), layering of voices and Instruments. Howard said that harmony took an even greater leap which was very intriguing.
John Dunstaple introduced the imperfect third (I completely forgot about the third!). With the help of Theory I know that it's imperfect because it can be Major or Minor. From the thirds, Chords were then created. People then started mixing related chords. The home Chord then created Cadences (home chord is the prefect).
16th Century - A lot more instruments were invented, Siter - Lute - Viol - Violin. Keyboards had more techniques but the Organ was still 'the best.'
1450 - Music was being printed. I thought it was amazing that it was being printed that long ago!
A man named Josovinvs Partensis made lyrics have a meaning. A technique called Melisma was one syllable stretched out. He created songs with a meaning but it was sang with a lot more syllables.
1570 - Religious music and hymnes changed. But it kind of faded towards the end of the 16th Century. Folk music took over.
1600 - John Dowland was the most famous singer/songwriter in Europe. The music was so different to other music. He was interested in peoples feelings not gods and demons.
Music was now getting to the top of it's 'game.' Opera was then created. It expresses feelings and emotions and lasts a while. He also used chords that didn't work well together, he wanted the listener to be surprised (that's how suspension was created).
I noticed that in this decade music advanced so much because as well as all that, surround sound was created. It was created by mini choirs being in different places in a big building. John Downland also used unusual instruments together. He was going against what everyone thought and his music was mainly for acts and dramas (passion and emotions). But he only created the begging of Opera.