Hildegard's 'Play Of Virtue'

The “Play of Virtues” is a music excerpt written during the Middle Ages in

1150 A.D. composed by Hildegard von Bingen, a nun in western Germany. The

plainchants are the earliest music of Christian worship in the Medieval churches. During that era nuns and monks attended church services not just once a week but usually

nine times a day. Hildegard was in the center of controversy when church officials

forbade nuns from singing in the church but could only be allowed to speak the words of the services. Hildegard therefore defended the practice of music in a lengthy letter to

church authorities. In her letter she quoted “Let every spirit praise the Lord with psaltery

of strings and sounds.” (Psalm 150: 3-6 and Psalm 32:1). Church

authorities later
allowed Hildegard’s convent to resume their singing.

The “Play of Virtues” is one of the many chants Hildegard wrote for worshipping services. It is about the morality between good and evil. There are three elements of music in this composition that is of particular interest. First, is the monophonic texture. The second element is its melody using steps and leaps of tones with the note D and its medieval modes. Finally, its genre is plainchant. Basic elements of music such as these have later shaped the many music compositions that we hear today.

The first musical element that is related to Hildegard von Bingen’s “Play of Virtues” is a monophonic texture. It is the earliest and simplest texture in any type of music with no instrument accompaniment. The text could be heard with great clarity. It is made up of one sound, one melody alone by one singer or by a group of singers in unison. The character, Satan, the “devil” never sings but shouts his lines in spoken words. The monophonic textures in this piece were sung by the single voice (The Soul, Penitent) and a group of singers in unison (The

Virtues).
Hildegard’s “Play of Virtues” flowing melodies uses steps and leaps of tones to produce a memorable tune. The melodic motion leaps upward and then it gradually descends. The plainchant sounds different from other kinds of music because of the scales (modes) on which the melodies were based. In the Middle Ages, each scale (D,E,F,G,A,C) was given a Greek name. This excerpt was based on the Dorian mode (D), beginning and cadences (ending phrase) on the same note D. Today, we have two modes (major and minor) and medieval composers had four additional modes.
Genre in music also gives us a preset mind and expectations of the period during which the musical composition was written, its style, the instruments used, the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the composer.

The genre of Hildegard’s piece is Plainchant/ Gregorian chant, the oldest written music during 800 to 1500 A.D. It was named after Pope Gregory I, but he did not invent the chant. Many faiths use chants in their sacred rituals such as the Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic Jewish, and even Native Americans. Hildegard uses plainchant in “Play of Virtues” to enhance the emotional feelings of the forces of good against

evil.
Plainchants like Hildegard von Bingen’s “Play of Virtues” from the Middle Ages with its basic monophonic texture and melodies have given rise to our music today of it now being more diverse. Over time composers started to experiment with pure melody by adding notes, pitches, and rhythm to make music sound even better and different. Just listen to Hildegard’s-“Play of Virtues”, The Beach Boys-“Good Vibrations” and Lady Gaga- “Paparazzi” and you can hear the different melodies, textures, harmony, and genre. These elements have paved the way for other later musicians and composers to add or change music the way they view as aesthetic and enjoyable for themselves and everyone.