The Daily Book of Classical Music

DAY 1

CLASSICAL MUSIC PERIODS

Medieval Music (400–1400)

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Medieval Music is music written in Europe in the Middle Ages—a time period that started with the fall of the Roman Empire and ended in the middle of the 15th century.

Because the creation of lasting manuscripts in the Middle Ages was quite an expensive endeavor (including the need for rare parchment and the use of scribes), there are very few surviving scores left from the Medieval time period, and the scores that do exist are from wealthy families and organizations—consequently not at all indicative of the common music of the day.

Medieval music, for example, ...