Which development contributed to early polyphony around 1000 AD?

• A. Development of organum
• B. Introduction of opera
• C. Use of electronic instruments
• D. Monophonic mass

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how early polyphony began when composers started adding a second melodic line to a chant, a practice called organum. Around 1000 AD, this approach gave rise to the first clearly polyphonic textures, with a chant sung by one voice (often in the tenor) and a second voice moving above it, sometimes in parallel motion and sometimes with more rhythmic lead. This marks a shift from simple, single-line singing to multiple independent lines intertwined, laying the groundwork for later medieval polyphony developed at the Notre Dame school and beyond. Other options don’t fit this period or practice—opera would come much later, electronic instruments are modern, and a monophonic mass remains a single melodic line. Organum is the development that introduced early polyphony.