The history of the classical music

The sound of Gregorian chant

Tractus: Domine, audivi
Nova Schola Gregoriana / Alberto Turco
Naxos 8.550952 (Gregorian Chant for Good Friday)
The sound of Gregorian chant, the oldest music we have in the Western world.

There was music long before, of course. The walls of Jericho were brought down by trumpets, Orpheus played the lyre and the Romans used the organ to provide suitable background music while Christians were fed to the lions. But exactly what that music was we don't know. It was not until music was first written down in about the year 600 that we begin to have any idea of what it sounded like, and even then, there's some dispute. Early notation, in the form of signs or neumes written above the words, simply tells us whether one note was pitched higher or lower than its preceding note. They were reminders to singers who already knew the tune. We have no idea of relative values, of pitch, of time, of key. Indeed, there were not then the major or minor keys as we understand them. Instead, in those early days there were modes, the most famous of which is probably the Phrygian mode.

The Phrygian mode
The idea of using lines, the lines of the stave in the form of a ladder, was certainly in use by the middle of the ninth century but with one line representing one pitch rather than, as now, every other pitch. It was Guido of Arezzo in about 1030 who suggested that adjacent pitches should be represented on adjacent lines, and spaces between the lines. He also built on earlier practice by suggesting that there should be a red line for F and a yellow line for C or that a letter should be put at the beginning of one of the lines, a C or an F. These letters form the basis of the modern clef used today. The system of writing music on lines clarified in this way meant that anyone could sing at sight music so written.

But first let us go back to the year 800 AD, for it was then that the history of Western music really starts. In that year Charlemagne became the Holy Roman Emperor. Vast tracts of Europe were united for the first time and Christian culture became the guiding force of Western civilisation. In art, architecture, literature, philosophy, music and intellectual life, Christianity was to provide the inspiration, so it's appropriate that the history of Western music should begin with the church.

Church music in the ninth century consisted, as it had done since the earliest days of Christianity, of plainsong or plainchant. This was based on the chants of the Jewish lectors, and was used for parts of the Christian liturgy, especially psalms, largely because the chanted word carried further and could be more easily understood than the spoken word. Chanting also helped raise the words onto a higher, more spiritual plane, and so those parts of the mass which were chanted became a special part of Christian ritual.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe in the fourth century, each new region produced its own variety of chant. There were originally five main forms of plainchant, similar, in a way, to local dialects. In France there was the Gallican rite, in Spain the Visigothic rite, in Celtic regions the Celtic, in Milan the Ambrosian rite, and in Rome the Roman. There were also subdivisions with important churches such as those in Milan, Metz and Toledo developing their own style, while in Salisbury, the Sarum rite was renowned. There was so much music around that it was thought necessary it should be edited and codified. In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great decided to reform the Roman school, probably by blending the Roman and Gallican styles, although exactly what he did is not clear. When, in 800, Charlemagne tried to restore cultural unity to the former Roman Empire, it was this rite, known after its founder as Gregorian chant, that became the standard form.

Genral examination proficent test 2

a going-away party　惜別派對=a farewell party
farewell n. 再見It is up to sb to V...　有待某人來決定……例:It's up to you to decide where to go.(應當到哪兒去，有待你來做決定。)
grab a bite (to eat)　　匆匆吃一口飯
run the red light　闖紅燈 (非某一高中課本所稱的run through the red light)a lovely restaurant　很漂亮/講究的餐廳
be supposed to V　　應當……例:Everyone is supposed to finish work before leaving.(大家應當把工作做完才能離開。)
in the second quarter　第二季quarter n.　一季
cut our staff in half　將員工減半
Currently there is a balance of NT$2. 你目前只剩下兩塊錢新台幣的餘額hassle n. 麻煩; 麻煩的事
It's a hassle to V...　從事……是很麻煩的事。
make it to + 地方　　趕到某地例:Did they finally make it to the station?(他們最後趕到車站了嗎？)
It's pointless Ving...　從事……是無用的。=It's pointless to V...例:It's pointless learning things without thinking.=It's no use learning things without thinking.=There's no use in learning things without thinking.=There's no point in learning things without thinking.(學而不思則罔。)
It really looks good on you.　你的髮型真的很好看。
the prime rib　頂級肋骨排
Could I please have it on the side?=Could I please have the butter on the side?=Could I please have the butter put on another dish? 可不可以麻煩你將奶油另外放在一個碟子上？
drip with sweat　
汗水滴下have it on　
將冷氣機保持在開的位置=have the air conditioner onin the first place　
從一開始=from the beginningI knew in the first place that he was not the man we could trust.
(我從一開始就知道他不是個可以信賴的人。)
practically every morning this week.=...almost every morning this week.……這個星期以來幾乎每天早上。
be in one's best interest　對某人極有利例:It would be in your best interest to stay overnight here. It's rainning hard outside.(待在這兒過夜對你最好。外頭正下著大雨。)
seal off...　　封鎖……
seal off all entrances and exits to the store　　封鎖百貨公司所有的出入口
have on + 衣物　　穿著……=wear + 衣物your grades have slipped...　　
你的成績不斷地下滑……beat the summer heat　　
擊退暑氣; 消暑=ward off the summer heat
We are now flying high about the Grand Canyon.=We are now flying high around the Grand Canyon.我們正翱翔於大峽谷的高空上。
take a closer look at...　　細看……
First and foremost,...　　首先也是最重要的,……
例:There are many ways to stay healthy. First and foremost, you should eat healthily.(有許多保持健康的方法。首先也是最重要的一點，就是你必須吃得健康。)
a bunch of teens　　一群青少年=a few teenagers

Genral examination proficent test 1

be expecting a baby soon　即將生產
be getting used to N/Ving　漸漸習慣於……
a check-up　身體檢查=a physical check-up=a physical例:You should have a physical on a regular basis.(你要定期檢查身體。)
take some private lessons　私下請教練授課
in the rush hour　上下班交通顛峰時間=during the rush hour例:Cars usually move bumper to bumper during the rush hour.(在交通顛峰時間，汽車一輛挨著一輛徐徐前進。)
I'd like to report a lost Nokia cell-phone.　我想要掛失一只諾其亞手機。
That shirt looks great on you.=You really look great in that shirt.(那件襯衫穿在你身上很好看。)
In one's opinion,...　依某人看法,……=In one's view,...=One is of the opinion that...例:In my opinion, John is a man of his word.=I'm of the opinion that John is a man of his word.(依我個人看法，約翰是個言而有信的人。)
perform surgery on a patient　對某病人做手術=perform an operation on a patient
let sb down　使某人失望例:Hey, Jim, don't let me down.=Hey, Jim, don't dissappoint me.(嘿，吉姆，不要讓我失望。)
disgruntled a. 不高興的例:Several disgruntled employees yelled at the company's president during his speech.(若干不滿的職員在該公司董事長演講時對他大罵。)
that is such a letdown
I guess we have the same taste.　我想我們有相同的品味。
be in good taste　有品味
be in bad taste　品味差
cash register n. 收款機..., you sure are lucky I came along then.=..., you sure are lucky that I came along that time.……我當時正巧過來, 你真是走運。
bundle n. 一捆
a bundle of fire wood　一捆乾柴
a bundle of money　一疊錢
單獨使用bundle時, 則等於a lot of money。例:That car cost me a bundle.=That car cost me a lot of money.=That car cost me an arm and a leg.(那部車花了我不少錢。)
renovation n. 整修renovate vt. 整修例:The museum is being renovated and will be closed until the end of next year.(這間博物館目前正在整修，而且要到明年底才會再開放。)
workout n. 健身運動
starve vi 挨餓例:I'm starving to death.(我餓得半死。)I'm so starving that I could eat a horse.(我餓得可以把一匹馬吃掉。)
chill vt. 將……冷藏chill the food in the refrigerator　將這食物放到冰箱冷藏注意:chill可當名詞, 表感冒, 尤用於下列片語中:catch a chill　感冒=catch a cold
be bored with...　對……厭煩=be fed up with=be sick/tired of例:I'm bored with having to do the same work again and again.(做同樣的工作，我都做煩了。)
get to V　能夠……例:By traveling around, I get to know more about the beauty of the nature.(藉著到處旅遊，我能更了解大自然的美。)
all day long　一天到晚