POLS 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Musical Notation, Sacred Tradition, Johannes Gutenberg
19 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Europeans came up with the idea of putting sound to paper- the concept of musical notation, which has defined the development of western music and allowed for its astonishing variety, diffusion, and staying power. Notation allows us to think of a song or other musical work as a product or commodity to be preserved, taught and learned, bought and sold. Making music is a social activity that allows individuals to feel closely connected to a group, and to express their feelings both recreationally and spiritually. Music notation was invented to further the goals of christian worship, and social music-making was essential to the early christian church. Much of the music we still have from the middle ages and the renaissance was intended for sacred purposes: sounds designed to inspired the faithful to worship. Despite the predominance of sacred music, more and more through this period we have evidence of secular music, social music-making for entertainment and personal expression.
