Medieval Music: Origins of Notation, (part 2)
Pope Gregory I lived from 540 to 604. He was the son of a Roman senator. His family lived in Italy shortly after it was retaken by the Eastern Roman empire. Europe was experiencing political upheaval and religious reform during the 6th century, and while Goth and Frankish rulers vied for dominance over the struggling Western Roman Empire, Christianity continued to reorganize its practices. Gregorius, born in Rome at the emergence of the middle-ages and a world traveler, leader, and scholar, would make a lasting impact on the world of music.
While Gregorian Chant is typically associated with Gregory I, he was not responsible for its creation. Gregorian Chant is a variation of plainsong, the monophonic vocal music used to recite religious liturgy. Plainsong is traced back to the earliest Christian service and prayer of the Armenian regions around the 3rd century and is believed to originate from Jewish traditions of Hebrew practices. (Kennedy, 2007) The use of symbols to indicate phrasing or inflections above the text allowed the singer to reproduce earlier melodic traditions as early as the 4th century. While considered a form of early notation, it was subject to interpretation and didn’t evolve into a practice of specific intervallic or contour until around the 9th and 10th centuries. Gregory I was heavily involved with the monastic life, and during the 6th century and beyond included dedication to scriptoriums. Gregory was responsible for writing hundreds of standardized religious practices for the singing of the Canonical and communicating stability to a populace that was often traumatized by war, famine, and unrest. This practice was still transmitted orally, but by the 800s, Frankish Kings like Charlemagne in addition to Papal figures of his reign would look to use his writings and put them to neumes. This would be essential to unifying the kingdoms of Europe.
Gregorian Chant is considered the Westernized standardization of plainchant and is attributed to Pope Gregory I. The earliest attribution is thought to be John the Deacon’s 873 biography of the Pope, some three centuries after his death. He writes of the chant that bears Gregory’s name, “is the result of the fusion of Roman and Frankish elements which took place in the Franco-German empire under Pepin, Charlemagne and their successors”. (Murray, p3-4). The musical elements of religious practices came further and further into the driving forces that unified people, brought peace and solace, and allowed them a connection to the spiritual questions that arose from the constant threat of plague, sword, and starvation. The reign of Pepin, Charlemagne’s father, saw the abolishment of Gallican Rites in favor of Roman chants to strengthen ties to Rome (Apel, p79) These types of homogenization of early Christian practices continued with the Chrodegang of Metz and his compilation of the core liturgy of the Roman Mass, promoting its use in Francia and throughout Gaul.
Gregory I was the first Pope with a monastic background. He also served as the Prefect of Rome at the age of 33. His skill as an administrator set him apart from his predecessors and he was the first to instigate a large-scale mission to convert pagans in the Anglo-Saxons in England to Christianity. The Gregorian mission was successful, and he saw Franks, Lombards, and Visigoths align themselves with Rome during his Papacy. His leadership and writings helped shape medieval Europe and his charity improved the welfare and people of Rome. He is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers. While it is certain that the Gregorian Chant of his namesake would have only minor resemblance to the singing practices of his period and it is definitively known that the familiar notation system used for writing plainchant had not been established, the impact Gregory I made on the liturgical practices made the lore surrounding him sufficient to attribute its authorship.
Neumes were an early form of notation that signified the “sign” or the “breath” through which the singer was meant to emulate, as the etymology of the word traces back to the Greek phrases of these descriptions. The use of neumes typically consisted of a symbol above the text with no specifications about rhythm or duration, often relying on the syllabic functions of the language to supply melodic context. By the 9th century, this would include a single line, or ‘staff’, that allowed the reader to interpret pitch. The addition of a four-line staff would make Gregorian Chant much more standardized. The Roman religious ceremony and its impact of consolidating the spiritual lives of the European populace now had a system by which it could bring a uniform message.
Pope Gregory I has many honorable attributes to his clergy. His contributions to literacy, welfare, and public order cause John Calvin, the protestant reformer to proclaim him “the last good Pope.” (F.L. Cross). One of the most popular attributes of Pope Gregory I was his practice of alms and donations, from which he saw little difference. A letter he wrote to a subordinate in Sicily reads, "I asked you most of all to take care of the poor. And if you knew of people in poverty, you should have pointed them out ... I desire that you give the woman, Pateria, forty solidi for the children's shoes and forty bushels of grain ...."(Ambrosini & Willis (1996) pages 66–67). He replaced administrators that supported his policies and he believed firmly in balancing the churches income with its distributions. He used the church lands to import food, wine, and supplies to the city of Rome as it suffered famine and he was granted sainthood shortly after his death. While he may not be the true author of Gregorian Chant, or responsible for the practice of music notation from which it owes its legacy, his ability to unify populations through his writing and arrangements of the sacrament was an important aspect of medieval life that his predecessors sought to capture. As it would happen, solidifying the system of religious songs would be an incredibly effective way to continue his gift.
Enjoy the listening example of Gregorian Hymns by the Nuns of St. Cecilia's Abbey.
References:
· Gregory Murray, Gregorian Chant According to the Manuscripts, (Cary & Co. 1963) pp3-4
· Apel, Willi (1990). Gregorian Chant. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-20601-4.
· "St. Gregory the Great". Web site of Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
· F.L. Cross, ed. (1515). "Institutes of the Christian Religion Book IV". Institutes of the Christian Religion Book IV. New York: Oxford University Press.
· Ambrosini & Willis (1996) pages 66–67.