Gregorian Chant

Timeline

1. 400–700Rome · RomeA monophonic singing tradition gradually took shape in Latin church liturgy; Pope Gregory I is traditionally regarded as its compiler; local liturgical singing styles coexisted and were not yet fully unified.
2. 800–1000the Frankish Kingdom and Rome · Île-de-FranceCharlemagne promoted unifying Frankish church liturgy on the model of Roman liturgical singing; the chant repertory and performance practices tended toward standardization; notation gradually developed, laying the foundation for later Gregorian chant manuscripts.
3. 1111–1120Abbey of Cluny · ClunyIn the early 12th century, monasteries and cathedrals flourished with daily chant services of the seven canonical hours, and illuminated chant manuscripts thrived; Gregorian chant, as the standard of liturgical music, was continuously transmitted and subtly adjusted across the network of Western European monasteries.
4. 1100–1300Notre-Dame de Paris · ParisNeume notation was gradually perfected, allowing chant melodies to be accurately transmitted; from the 12th century, places such as Paris saw the practice of layering multiple voices over chant melodies, opening the path for the development of Western polyphony.