| Year |
World Events |
Significant Musical Events |
Composer Births & Deaths |
|
1225 |
Magna Carta reissued for third time in definitive form |
Summer Is Icumen In: earliest known English round |
|
|
1260 |
The Florentine Ghibellines defeat the Guelphs at Montaperti |
The first Meistersinger School is founded in Mainz |
|
|
1265 |
Pope Clement IV ascends to Papacy. |
Franco of Cologne and Pierre de la Croix develop the motet form |
|
|
1322 |
Louis of Bavaria defeats Frederick of Austria in Battle of Muhldorf |
Pope John XXII forbids the use of counterpoint in church music |
|
|
1325 |
Aztecs found Mexico City |
· Organ pedals gain acceptance
· The Tournai Mass becomes the first polyphonic mass |
|
|
1340 |
English and French armies fight 100 Years War |
|
Guillaume de Machaut born |
|
1350 |
John II succeeds Philip VI on French throne |
Notre Dame Mass by Guillaume de Machaut is granted 'repertoire' status by the church |
|
|
1360 |
· Treaty of Calais
· France coins first franc |
Clavichord and cembalo are developed |
|
|
1364 |
Hapsburg and Luxembourg dynasties sign pact of succession |
Mass for 4 Voices by Guillaume de Machaut is composed for coronation of Charles V at Rheims |
|
|
1369 |
Hungary invades Italy and is defeated |
|
John Dunstable born |
|
1377 |
Richard II ascends to English throne |
Rome becomes music center of the world upon the return of Pope Gregory XI and church musicians to Rome. |
Guillaume de Machaut died |
|
1399 |
· Richard II deposed
· Henry IV becomes King |
|
Guillaume Dufay born |
|
1400 |
The Medici family rises to prominence |
First recorded mention of the dulcimer |
|
|
1426 |
|
Holland becomes European center of music |
|
|
1430 |
Joan of Arc captured at Compeigne |
Guillaume Dufay co-founds first Dutch school of music |
· Jakob Obrecht born
· Johannes Okegham born |
|
1437 |
|
John Dunstable develops counterpoint notation |
|
|
1450 |
Francesco Sforza becomes Duke of Milan by force |
|
· Josquin des Prez born
· Heinrich Isaak born |
|
1453 |
· End of 100 Years War
· Byzantine Empire ends upon death of Contantine XI by Turks |
Conrad Paumann, a blind German organist, publishes Fundamentum Organisandi, a collection of organ pieces. |
John Dunstable died |
|
1465 |
|
First printed music |
|
|
1471 |
Edward IV consolidates his hold over the English throne by murdering infant king Henry VI in the Tower of London |
St. Matthew Passion by Jakob Obrecht |
|
|
1474 |
William Caxton prints the first book in English |
|
Guillaume Dufay died |
|
1485 |
· Richard III killed in battle
· Henry VII starts Tudor dynasty |
Ave Maria by Josquin des Prez |
|
|
1492 |
Christopher Columbus sails from Spain in search of new trade routes to the Far East -- ends up 'discovering' America |
Roman philosopher Boethius publishes "Opera," an examination of music |
|
|
1494 |
Spain and Portugal sign Treaty of Tordesillas, which divides the New World between them |
The first scientific study of musical instruments is published by Jean Mauburnus |
Johannes Okeghem died |
|
1495 |
· Portugal expels Jews upon pain of death
· Leonardo da Vinci paints "The Last Supper" |
Josquin des Prez appointed choirmaster/organist at Cambrai Cathedral (France) |
|
|
1496 |
Columbus completes 2nd New World voyage |
Franchino Gafori publishes Practica Musica |
|
|
1499 |
The ongoing Spanish Inquisition institutes forced mass conversion of Moors |
Oxford becomes first university to bestow degrees in music |
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