The Development of Songs

1. >1000 B.C.

1.1. Exodus 15:1–3

2. 100 B.C.

2.1. Seikilos Epitaph was written in 100 B.C. and is the oldest completed song ever found in the world. Although there are some older melodies that exist, Seikilos Epitaph was the only one that is with a complete melody and texts. The above picture is the original musical score. It was found in the ancient Greek town of Tralles, which is in Turkey in modern times. The song was written by Seikolos. We have found his signature in the score and he dedicated this composition to his wife, Euterpe.

2.2. Seikilos epitaph

3. 300 A.D.

3.1. Gregorian chant was the earliest church music and the Catholic Church now considers it their intangible property and treasure. The earliest Gregorian chant melodies, such as Pater Noster, already existed as early as the 4th Century. It is said that the Gregorian chant was named after Pope Gregory the Great, to acknowledge his contribution in collecting, revising, and publishing the songs. However, scholars now believe that it was actually Pope Gregory the Second who made the contribution. Gregorian chant was in monophonic texture, sung without accompaniment.

3.2. Pater noster

4. 1100 A.D.

4.1. A troubadour was a poet, musician, and performance. The troubadour song was popular during the late medieval period to the early Renaissance period. This was a very important Occitan culture (Southen France).

4.2. Peire Cardenal's Tartarassa ni voutor

5. 1400 A.D.

5.1. Madrigal flourished during the Renaissance to the early Baoroque period. There were many different kinds of madrigal: Italian madrigal: sung in Italian and was written for multiple parts in polyphonic texture without instrumental accompaniment. The texts were erotic very often. English madrigal: sung in English and may be written for multiple parts or a solo voice with lute accompaniment. A "fa-la'la" refrain may have found in some English madrigal.

5.2. John Dowland's "Flow my tears"

6. 1750 A.D.

6.1. Opera continued to flourish in the classical period. New form of opera emerged, including the Singspiel, in which the recitative was replaced by dialogue.

6.2. Mozart's The Magic Flute

7. 1600 A.D.

7.1. Aria became increasingly popular since the opera started to florish in the early Baroque period. Monteverdi's L'Orfeo was the first famous opera in history.

7.2. Monteverdi's L'Orfeo

8. 1800 A.D.

8.1. German Lied was a new musical genre distinctive in the Romantic period. Sung in German, the Lied was written for a solo vocalist with the piano. Rather than considering the piano as the accompaniment, the piano and the voice are in equal parternship.

8.2. Schubert's Der Erlkonig

8.3. Song Cycle is a set of lieder composed for the same theme/topic, or based on a poem set.

9. 2000 A.D.

9.1. Pop Songs / Movie film songs