1. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) is an important figure from the medieval period. She produced a large and highly original body of music. There are two principal collections: Symphonia armonie celesitum revelationum” (“Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations”) and Ordo virtutum (“Play of the Virtues”). This latter work is a liturgical drama, or morality play, consisting of 82 monophonic songs. A very good video, titled Hildegard, is available from Gateway films. It gives valuable insight into this remarkable woman and it only runs about 50 minutes in length.
2. Guillame de Machaut (c.1300-1377) was the most significant French composer of the ars nova. In addition to the Messe de Nostre Dame, his polyphonic chansons are important contributions to secular music. Structurally they are formes fixes, the virelai, ballade, and rondeau, all well-known poetic structures of the era.
3. Monophonic songs created by troubadours and trouvères were similar in nature but differed in dialect. The troubadour, generally of the noble class, came from southern France and wrote in what today is called ProvenÇal. His (or her) northern counterpart, the trouvère, wrote in medieval French. Some 2,100 trouvère songs extant (both text and music), but of 2,500 troubadour texts, only about 250 have musical settings. The subject matter of most of these songs is courtly love. There are also laments, pastorals, and dialogues. Most are set strophically.
4. The motet began as a sacred composition. As secular texts began creeping in, though, it evolved into a secular work. Eventually the motet came to be one of the most popular forms of the medieval era. The preferred texture through most of the era was three voices, each having its own text.