medieval mode
- noun
- /ˌmɛdɪˈivəl moʊd/
- Specialized
:
modo medieval
- The choir's performance featured several pieces that utilized medieval modes for an authentic Gregorian chant experience.
Examples
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Many composers experimented with medieval modes to evoke the spiritual essence of ancient music.
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In my notation, I'm resorting to unusual key signatures, reflecting the fact that many Native American scales are not Pythagorean—that is, they are not based on the Greek "tetrachords" and do not fit any of the medieval modes.
Academic text (1998) -
In the gradual shift from medieval modes of picture-making to those of the Renaissance, two trends emerged that should be emphasized at the outset of this study.
Academic text (1998) -
In Western music history, medieval modes played a crucial role in the development of harmony and melody.
Synonyms
A musical scale used in old church singing that gives chants a special sound
A pattern of notes that church singers use in medieval chant
A pattern of musical notes used in old church music that gives a melody its own sound
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'medieval' (relating to the Middle Ages) modifies 'mode' (a musical scale/form), so the meaning 'a musical mode from the medieval period' is directly derivable from the parts. The construction follows normal compositional patterns found across languages, so a learner who knows both constituent meanings will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Medieval mode comes from old music ideas used by Greek musicians and kept in church singing during the Middle Ages. A mode is like a pattern of notes with names like 'Dorian' or 'Phrygian', so the phrase means one of those old musical patterns used before our modern scales.
