Medieval

This is the first period where we can begin to be fairly certain as to how a great deal of the music which has survived actually sounded. The earliest written secular music dates from the 12th century troubadours (in the form of virelais, estampies, ballades, etc.), but most notated manuscripts emanate from places of learning usually connected with the church, and therefore inevitably have a religious basis.

Gregorian chant and plainsong which are monodic (i.e. written as one musical line) gradually developed during the 11th to 13th centuries into organum (i.e. two or three lines moving simultaneously but independently, therefore almost inadvertently representing the beginnings of harmony). Organum was, however, initially rather stifled by rigid rules governing melody and rhythm, which led ultimately to the so-called Ars Nova period of the 14th century, principally represented by the composers de Vitry, Machaut, and Landini.

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Album Title Catalogue No.
A TO Z OF CLASSICAL MUSIC (The) (2nd Expanded Edition, 2000) 8.555319-20
ADAM DE LA HALLE: Jeu de Robin et de Marion (Le) 8.557337
ADOLF FREDRIK GIRLS CHOIR: I'm Here! And You? SCD1135
ADORATE DEUM - MYSTIC CHANTS OF THE MIDDLE AGES 8.571092
AFFRESCO MUSICALE DEL RINASCIMENTO A BOLOGNA TC450002
AFGHANISTAN - Zohreh Jooya: Afghan Music EUCD2310
AFTONPSALM OCH JULESANG (Hagegard) PRCD9004
ALDA, Frances: Victor Recordings 1909-1915 (Complete) 81034-2
ALEOTTI, V.: Sacrae cantiones (Le Monache di San Vito) (Cappella Artemisia, Smith) TC570101
ALFONSO X (EL SABIO): Ay, Santa Maria / O que en coita / Rosa das rosa (El Camino de Santiago - 12th and 14th Century Spanish Manuscripts) S2026
ALFONSO X: Cantigas de Santa Maria 8.553133
ALLELUJA NATIVITAS - Canti di Natale (Christmas Songs) TC900002
AMARCORD: Book of Madrigals (The) (NTSC) ACC-20304
ANGLAR (Angels) 8.503096
Anima mea - Sacred Music of the Middle Ages (Ensemble Cosmedin) 8.572632
ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (THE) - 30 CDs to Celebrate 30 Years of Naxos (30-CD Box Set) 8.503293
ARGENTUM ET AURUM (Ensemble Leones, Lewon) 8.573346
ARNESEN, K.A.: Infinity / Choral Works (Kantorei, Rinsema) 8.573788
Around The World In 80 Minutes 8.223003
Art and Music: Da Vinci - Music of His Time 8.558057
Art and Music: Vermeer - Music of His Time 8.558159
ART OF BELCANTO (The) - Aliberti, Lucia / Bruson, Renato / Kraus, Alfredo C7035
ARTISTRY OF CLAS PEHRSSON (THE) BIS-CD-135
AVE MARIA - SACRED ARIAS AND CHORUSES 8.570064
AVE MARIA (SACRED ARIAS AND CHORUSES) 8.553751