Classical Music Centuries In Sound

From plainchant to Boléro, France has a rich musical heritage, explains

- Sandra Haurant

The roots of early classical music in France are intertwined with the sacred chants in the Catholic church.

Within the stone walls of churches and abbeys, one-voice or monophonic chants dominated, and were gradually joined by multi-voice or polyphonic chants. Over time, these distinctive musical styles spread into secular music.

Around the 12th century, a number of musical schools took shape, including one based around Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. Although the composers are for the most part unknown, the school produced the earliest repertory of polyphonic or multi-part music to reach international renown.

In the 15th century, a group of composers maintained by the powerful Dukes of Burgundy helped to develop several new styles. This musical Renaissance in Europe was helped by the advent of printing, which changed the ways in which musicians accessed compositions.