Profane music and its characteristics

Many think that art is incomplete when it is never received by someone else. After all, art is also a form of communication and therefore possesses not only a transmitter but also a receiver. If we take this into account, we can conclude that art will be influenced not only by the creator, author or composer, but also by the public for whom it is directed.

In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about what is profane music and its characteristics to be able to realize the differences that existed for this music aimed at the delight of a specific audience.

In earlier times, especially referring to the Middle Ages (from the year 476 to the year 1450), religion was of great relevance and power, coming to have under his mercy the development of most artistic activities within the academic and formal context, including music among them. However, this did not prevent the music from developing in other areas.

The concept of profane, secular, secular or worldly music is coined at this time and refers to all that music that

it does not belong to the liturgical or religious context. Although by definition any music that is not religious in nature can be called that, we tend to refer more frequently as profane music to music belonging to the Middle Ages.

While religious music was created and spread in its own respective circle, for its part, profane music it was perceived as the music of the town, encompassing all kinds of forms and genres such as folk music, carols and dances such as ballata, stampies and saltarellos.

In the beginning, especially in the early stages of the Middle Ages when the church still held most of the power, the dissemination of secular music was in charge of the so-called "Menestrelli" (or minstrels), what were they troubadours and minstrels. The troubadours and playing them were traveling artists that served as part of the entertainment during parties and banquets, performing works of a lyrical and narrative nature. His songs can be defined as a form of poetry with verses of varied themes that deal with issues such as politics, morals, legends, epic stories and love stories among others.

When the power of The bourgeoisie became more relevant, I took a crucial role in taking care of the artistic diffusion. Music reached a new breadth of public and therefore of musical genres and forms. Forms such as the symphony, concerts, chamber music and forms of spectacle such as the Opera, the ballet, the Operetta, the musical comedy and the singspiel, among many others.

• The term is coined in Europe during the Middle Ages (from the year 476 to the year 1450), but it can be applied to any type of music without religious character.
• Much of the profane music is songsIn other words, they are not only instrumental works but also have a text that is sung.
• While most religious music had Latin texts, secular music used vulgar languages, the language that the town used according to the area.
• Due to the illiteracy of the town, much of the profane music was transmitted orally. This is one reason why there are no written accounts of much of the works of secular music.
• Has themes of everyday life, folkloric and cultural identity themes, politics, romance, morality, epic stories, feats and legends.
• The menestrelli they used to interpret solo music, accompanying his own voice with an instrument. Due to this monodic melody, when polyphony took off, minstrels and troubadours lost relevance.
• Because they traveled constantly, the instruments used by the menestrlli had to be small and easily transportable.
• Some instruments originally used by menestrelli were the rabel, the dulcimer, the fidula, the lute, the guiterna, the lyre, the psaltery and the monochord for stringed instruments. As for wind instruments, the platerspiel, the shawm, the cleat, the añafil, the flute and the cornet were used.
• Some forms of profane music They are the rondeau, the vierlai, the ballade, the Christmas carols, the madrigal, the caccia, the symphony, chamber music, opera and operetta, ballet, zarzuela and musical comedy.
• Some profane music forms of dance They are the ballet, ballata, stampies, saltarellos, tango, pasacalle, fandango, zzarabanda and the chacona.

Since art reflects our ideas and visions, we can expect that in music there is as much diversity as there are ways of life. Thanks to this, we have such a wide and rich spectrum.