Medieval/Renaissance Period (476 A.D - 1420-1600)

Timeline created by brendapuente45
In Music
  • 467


    The melody in Medieval times was limited from a 6th to an octave. The melodies were compact and confined. The music was based on church modes.
  • 476

    Fall of Rome

    The large territory of Rome was slowly crumbling because it was so big it was hard to manage a large amount of land. The crumbling of Rome started when Odocer was the king of Italy and made Rome's emperor Augustulus give up his reign.
  • Period: 476 to 1420

    Medieval Period (476 A.D - 1420s)

    also referred to as the "middle ages" started in 476 when the fall of Rome began. The music during this time is religious and sacred. Religion played a very big part in this type of music. The melody in this kind of music is mostly monophonic and it is used to convey words. The composers in this era were mostly poets.
  • 500

    Monophonic texture

    Most of the music in this time period was monophonic in texture. The monophonic texture is an unaccompanied melody
  • 715

    Gregorian Chant

    was monophonic, the music of the Roman Catholic Church was used to accompany the mass. Was invented by Pope Gregory was active from 715 to 731.
  • Period: 991 to 1033

    Guido of Arezzo

    Arezzo was a music theorist and has credits towards creating a system that precisely notes pitches on the lines and staff of pages. Yellow line for C and red line for F. He was an advocate of sight-singing and started telling others to do so on pitches; ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la.
    wrote one of the first treatise musical composition.
  • Period: 1098 to 1179

    Hildegard von Bingen

    was born in 1098 and died in 1179. Bingen was the composer of the first morality play and she was one of the most famous composers of the sacred monophony. She was a writer, composer, theologian, wrote 77 melodies, books, poetry, and painted many paintings.
  • 1100

    Six Medieval Rythmic Modes

    In this time modes, were created to help composers identify and dictate the rhythm. The modes showed rhythmic patterns by using combinations of single neumes longs and shorts. The patterns have a 6.8 time signature feel to them.
  • 1130

    Bernart de Ventadorn

    was born in 1130 and died in 1190/the 1200s. This was a famous troubadour and one of the first troubadour poets. He is very important because a lot of his music has survived more than any other 12th-century poet. he wrote 44 songs and 18 melodies that are complete.
  • Period: 1135 to 1201

    Leonin (Leoninus)

    Was the Master of Organum perum at the Cathedral of Norte Dame, Paris
  • Period: 1170 to 1230

    Walther von der Vogelweide

    Born in 1170 and died in 1230. Was a famous poet and minnesinger. He was one of the first to write the longest surviving minnesinger melody. was the leading composer and poet of minnesinger.
  • Period: 1180 to 1238


    Perotin wrote 3 and 4 voiced organum. he was a master at the organ in the church/cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.
  • 1245

    Adam de la Halle

    this composer wrote mostly in polyphony and studied in pairs, they were famous for musical plays, chansons, and 7 motetes.
  • Period: 1291 to 1361

    Philippe de Vitry

    Was a French composer, theorist, and poet. born in 1291 and died in 1361. Was the author of the Ars Nova treatise. Was known as the inventor of new art because he established a new tradition of mensural notation.
  • Period: 1300 to 1377

    Guillaume de Machaut

    was born in 1300 and dies in 1377. Was the leading composer and poet of Ars Nova. wrote over 400 poems, 23 motets, 19 lais, 42 ballades, 33 virelais, 22 rondeaux. Mass of notre dame
  • Period: 1325 to 1397

    Francesco Landini

    was born in 1325 and died in 1397. Was best known for his cadences. He was a very good organist and was blind early in his life. he made instruments and was very well known and celebrated.
  • Period: 1390 to 1453

    John Dunstaple

    was born in 1390 and died in 1445. Was one of the composers that was a pioneer in renaissance style music, he is one of the composers who led us to this style. Created a new consonant style of 3rds and 6ths that became renaissance. Many of his works were destroyed during the English reformation.
  • Period: 1397 to 1474

    Guillaume Du Fay

    Was born in 1397 and died in 1474. Was a flamenco-flemish composer and music theorist. Was the first very important renaissance composer. He wrote 7 masses, 28 mass sections, 90 motets, 15 antiphons, 27 hymns, 87 chansons, 22 motets.
  • Period: 1410 to 1497

    Johnannes Ockeghem

    A bass singer that was born in northeastern France he was very famous for serving the three kinds with his music and was very respected. he was a teacher and theorist and wrote 13 masses, 5 motets, 21 chansons.
  • Period: 1430 to

    The Renaissance

    The word renaissance means "rebirth." During this time period, secular music became more popular and spread very widely. Polyphony was the primary texture that was used in renaissance styled music. in the 1500s of this time period is when homophony started making an appearance. The type of music written in this time period were masses, and motets. Shakespeare and Michael Angelo wrote plays and influenced the renaissance period as well
  • 1440

    Printing press

    The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. The renaissance printing press could produce 3,600 pages per workday. This was very innovative for writers, poets, and musicians because it speeds up the time in which things could be produced and how information could be spread.
  • 1450

    Josquin des Prez

    was born in 1450 and died in 1521. He was a very important french composer of the renaissance. He was considered by Martin Luther to be the "best of the composers of our time." He wrote 18 masses, 50+ motets, 65 chansons.
  • Period: 1483 to 1546

    Martin Luther

    Was a german theologian and composer. He was very famous for founding the Lutheran Church and was very present in the reformation period. he wrote German hymns and writings.
  • Period: 1525 to

    Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    was an Italian Renaissance composer and wrote a lot of sacred music. His style was mostly roman and he tended to the requests of the Catholic church and was able to reform their style of music. he wrote over 104 masses, 375 motets,
  • 1532

    English Reformation

    This event took place in the 16th century when the church of England broke away from the pope and the Roman Catholic Church. This was also influencing the protestant reformation which was a political movement that affected the practice of Christianity in western Europe.
  • Period: 1538 to

    William Byrd

    Was born in 1538 and died in 1612, was known to be one of the greatest composers of the renaissance and a great British composer. He wrote sacred music and secular polyphony. He wrote music for the protestant church and catholic church.
  • Period: 1561 to

    Carlos Gesualdo

    was born in 1561 and died in 1613 he was very famous for the way his music was very chromatic. he was a very famous composer in the madrigals wrote 6 books of madrigals 2 of motets, 1 of responsories. his music was very expressive and intense.
  • 1564

    William Shakespeare

    was born in 1564 and died in 1616. He was an English playwright, poet, actor and was one of the greatest writers in the English language. He invented the Shakespearean sonnet and many books, films, fictional stories are made in the inspiration of him and his plays.