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To contextualize the music of the Middle Ages, it is essential to understand its socio-cultural climate. The era was characterized by a lack of stability due to pervasive wars, plagues, and widespread poverty. The Roman Catholic Church emerged as the dominant power during this time, exercising significant control over cultural expressions, particularly music.
Musical notation underwent significant advancements during this period, evolving from non-existent forms into a primitive system that laid the groundwork for what we recognize today as sheet music. The initial melodies were monophonic, consisting of a single melodic line, but eventually evolved into more complex structures as composers began to explore polyphony—a technique involving multiple independent melodies sung simultaneously.