Talk:Music appreciation and history

Does commons have samples that people can listen to?--Rayc 06:47, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Please Proofread This Page

Too many typos, grammar mistakes, repeated words and other minor mistakes. Somebody knowledgeable in this field should review and possibly edit this page. (The preceding unsigned comment was added by 85.59.229.150 (talk • contribs) 11 September 2007)

Gregorian Chant

Here is a proposed edit of the section on chant: This is the official liturgical music of the medieval Church. It consists of sacred Latin texts set to melody, and is sung without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella). Gregorian chants convey the calm, meditative atmosphere of the church prayers. The chants are now usually sung in a free-flowing style with notes of equal length, because scholars are unsure if the notation was meant to indicate rhythmic values. Gregorian chant is named after Pope Gregory I. He is known for reorganizing and standardizing the liturgy during the period from 590 to 604. Most of these chants were created between 600 and 1300 CE. The composers of Gregorian chant, like the sculptors who decorated early medieval churches, remain completely anonymous.

Dark Ages

“The period of European History between 450 and 1400 A.D. is often called the Middle Ages. The beginning of this era was considered a "dark age" by many Europeans, due to the many migrations, wars, and upheavals therein. The later period of Middle Ages is known for much more cultural growth.”

The statement concerning the “dark ages” reflects a very clear secularist folklore which has no basis in truth. One can look into the Wikipedia page “Dark Ages” whose first paragraph, concerning “Dark Ages”, ends with these two sentences:

“Today it is frequently applied only to the earlier part of the era, the Early Middle Ages. However, most modern scholars who study the era tend to avoid the term altogether for its negative connotations, finding it misleading and inaccurate for any part of the Middle Ages.”

It is a term created by people who had a pointed interest in bashing early Christianity while highlighting the glory and benefits of the slave state, the Roman Empire. The “Dark Ages” are a propaganda, not an historical fact. That some people still use this term is a reflection of a lack of understanding and or continued propaganda - it should here be updated to either reflect the misuse or dropped all together.