Gregorian Chant Tradition

Timeline

1. c. 780–900Aachen · AachenCharlemagne's empire promoted the standardization of liturgical music; monastery scriptoria systematically preserved the chant repertory, and neume notation gradually developed, laying the foundation for the fixation of the Gregorian chant repertoire for later ages.
2. 1101–1400Cluny · ClunyMonasteries of the Benedictine and Cistercian orders and cathedrals everywhere maintained the chanting of the Office and the Mass; the chant repertory formed regional variants in local liturgical practice while also transitioning toward polyphony.
3. 1461–1470Rome · RomeIn the 1460s Catholic liturgy still centered on Gregorian chant for the Office and the Mass; the papacy and monasteries continued oral and scribal transmission, and on the eve of printing, the spread of music remained chiefly by manuscript.