Ahmed III Leoncio Alkamel D. Abella

Professor Martha Schulenburg

MUSIC 101

12/12/2019

 

Ordo Virtutum

Medieval Ages were the times where Music had just started to pop out of existence. As this music consisted of songs, instrumental pieces, and liturgic music from about 500 A.D. to 1400. Medieval music is an era Western music at this time period were considered sacred and it is mostly played on churches. This sacred music is solely Gregorian and choral music, which are sung by Monks during church masses. The Masses are usually the reenactment of Jesus Christ’s Last supper. There is also secular music during this time period which is for people who are non-religious. Ordo Virtutum was composed in this time period by Hildegard Bingen this is an allegorical morality play or a sacred music drama. This paper will focus in informing the reader about The Middle Ages music specifically The Ordo Virtutum by Hildegard Bingen. As this research topic will be summarized and presented clearly for the reader.

 

The Composer of Ordo Virtutum Hildegard Bingen is a German Benedictine abbess, visionary, writer and composer. As she is also known for her literary, musical and scientific works, and for her religious and diplomatic activities. Her oeuvre includes recorded visions, medical and scientific works, hagiography and letters; also, lyrical and dramatic poetry, which has survived with monophonic music. Recorded visions, medical and scientific works, hagiography and letters; also, lyrical and dramatic poetry, which has survived with monophonic music. Hildegard was born into the free nobility of Rheinhessen. When she was eight years old her parents, Hildebert and Mechthild of Bermersheim, promised her to the Church, and when she was 14 bound her over to the newly constructed Benedictine monastery at nearby Disibodenberg. She entered a stone cell and married with a guy named Jutta von Spanheim, which came from another powerful and wealthy family from the town. As Their vows were received by a named Bishop Otto of Bamberg on All Saints’ Day, November,1, 1112. Jutta instructed Hildegard in the Psalter, reading Latin and strict religious practices. When her Husband died in 1136, she started to compose more. After years had past Hildegard created a morality play, Ordo virtutum, in dramatic verse. This contains 82 melodies, many more nearly syllabic in setting than the liturgical songs. The earliest morality play by more than a century, it presents the battle for the human soul, Anima, between 16 personified Virtues and the Devil.

 

Ordo Virtutum portrays the struggle between Good and Evil in an eternal level. As this conflict will persist universally into the hearts of the people and it also increases the expansion of freedom through personal level. Ordo Virtutum is expressed by the conflict of 35 dramatic dialogues between virtues and vice, that is continuously battling over the soul of a human. As the struggles that every man experience, between virtues and vice will always renew for eternity. As Hildegard proposes that human nature prepares people to face these challenges because of what humans possess the intuitive sense of good and evil. She also calls this subconscious knowledge of vice and virtue “bona et mala Scientia”. As the title, Ordo Virtutum, presents some variation in the modern world translation. For the Latin word  “Virtus” is generally translated into “virtue” in English. However, there is also a related term “Vis” which implies power and strength in Latin. The Latin word “Ordo” would be generally translated to “play or dance”, but with the rules of order. Thus, the title of Ordo Virtutum has a dual meaning which can be interpreted as the “Rules by which the world works”. As for Hildegard, virtues represented both divine powers and human attitudes. And with this the theme of combining divine power with human effort will appear throughout her work. As Ordo Virtutum will present the forces of virtue as human allegories, singing the visions of the divine order.

 

The presentation of these dramatic ceremonies and  plays were essentially all of a piece with their nature and purpose, hence it is liturgical. they imply a type of dramatic experience that may be quite alien to the liturgical or near-liturgical occasion. At the same time one must beware thinking that all liturgical plays were the same and that the kind of dramatic mimesis involved was consistent and unchangeable. The play parts will be presented below:

1. Part I: The Prologue is where the Virtues were first introduced to the Patriarchs and the Prophets who would marvel at these Virtues
2. Part II: The complaints of souls that are imprisoned to the human bodies will be heard. The good Soul enters and the voice contrasts with the unhappy souls. However, these souls are too eager to skip life and would go straight to Heaven. These Virtues would will live, but the Devil would seduce it and turn it into Vices.
3. Part III: As the Virtues take its turns identifying and describing themselves while the Devil would occasionally interrupt and turns them slowly to opposing views and insults. Part 3 will be the longest section of the play which is also considered its climax as the drama or plot would start to devoid, which makes the musical elements stand out.
4. Part IV: The soul Would return and repented. Once these Vices turned into Virtues again, it would be accepted and will turn onto the Devil which would be imprisoned by the Virtues. As the Virtues finish conquering the Devil, they will return to God, and He would be Praised.
5. Part V: There will be a procession of all the characters that has been introduced in the play.

 

In Conclusion, The Ordo Virtutum Is a battle between good and evil in a human mind. This paper properly introduced on how Hildegard made Ordo Virtutum. Over all the Message of the play is focused into each human being since people are always thinking about whats good and bad for themselves. This paper was overall great since it gave the readers information on how the Middle ages music was, and people can still learn from it even till this day that music can help people realize that you got a lot to learn from it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cited Pages:

Hildegard’s Autobiography:

Bent, I., & Pfau, M.  (2001). Hildegard of Bingen. Grove Music Online. Retrieved 12 Dec. 2019, from https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000013016.

 

Medieval (Middle Ages) Music:

Stevens, J., Rastall, R., Klauser, D., & Sage, J.  (2001). Medieval drama. Grove Music Online. Retrieved 12 Dec. 2019, from https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000041996.

 

https://healthyhildegard.com/ordo-virtutum/

 

WIKIPEDIA WAS USED FOR DEFINING WORDS:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_music

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordo_Virtutum