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Music in The Renaissance
(1450-1600)
Music before 1750
Dr. AmanteCommunity College of Rhode Island
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Renaissance time line
1450-1500
Josquin Desprez:Ave MariaVirgo Serena (c. 1475)
Arts and letters: Botticelli,La Primavera(1477)
Historical events: Fall of Constantinople (1453)
Gutenberg Bible (1456)
Columbus reaches America (1492)
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Renaissance time line
1500-1600 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina:
Pope Marcellus Mass (1563) Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa(c. 1503) Michelangelo, David(1504)
Raphael, School of Athens
(1505) Titan, Venus and the Lute Player
(c. 1570)
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Renaissance time line
1500-1600
Thomas Weelkes:As Vesta Was
Descending (1601) Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet(1596)
Martin Luthers ninety-five theses, start of theReformation (1517)
Council of Trent (1545-63)
Elizabeth I, queen of England (1558-1603)
Spanish Armada defeated (1588)
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The Renaissance
Rebirth, or renaissance of human creativity
Period of exploration and adventure (Columbus,Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan)
Curiosity and individualism (Raphael, Leonardoda Vinci). Interest in realism
Humanism
Catholic Church is less powerful than duringMiddle Ages Martin Luthers ProtestantReformation
More books are printed in Europe
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Music in the Renaissance
1450-1600
Every educated person is expected to betrained in music
Renaissance town musicians: higher payand status
Flemish composers: parts of the
Netherlands, Belgium, and northernFrance. Germany, England and Spain other countries with a vibrant musical life
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Characteristics of
Renaissance music
Words and music
Vocal music is more important thaninstrumental
Music enhances the meaning and emotion ofthe text. Word painting: musical
representation of specific poetic images Moderate, balanced way of expression: noextreme contrasts of dynamics, tone color orrhythm
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Characteristics of
Renaissance music
Texture Chiefly polyphonic. 4, 5 or 6 voice parts
with equal melodic interest Imitation is common
Homophonic texture is also used
Fuller sound than medieval: bass
register Mild and relaxed: consonant chords.
Golden age of a cappella
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Characteristics of
Renaissance music
Rhythm and melody
Rhythm is a gentle flow: Each melodic linehas great rhythmic independence
Melody usually moves along a scale withfew large leaps
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Sacred music in the Renaissance
2 main forms: Motet and Mass
Motet polyphonic choral work set to sacredLatin text other than the ordinary of the mass
Mass polyphonic choral work with 5 sections: Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
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Josquin Desprez (1440-1521)
and the Motet
A Flemish composer from Belgium,contemporary of Leonardo Da Vinci
and ColumbusAve Mariavirgo serena: 4-voice
motet
Texture is varied: polyphonic andhomophonic
Duple/triple meter change
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Palestrina (1525-1594)
and the Mass
Italian Renaissance composer
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
104 masses and some 450 othersacred works
For centuries, his masses areregarded as models of church music
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Palestrinas Pope Marcellus Mass
A capella choir SATTBB
Kyrie 1stsection of the mass:
Kyrie EleisonChriste Eleison
Kyrie Eleison
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Secular music
Vocal music: groups of solo voices with theaccompaniment. Word painting was common
Madrigal a piece for several solo voices set to ashort poem, usually about love. Combines
homophonic and polyphonic textures. Moreunusual harmonies
Originated in Italy around 1520. Became popularin England. English madrigals are lighter andmore humorous than Italian
As Vesta Was Descendingby Thomas Weelkes(1575-1623), and organist and church composer
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The Renaissance Ballet (Fa-La)
A simpler type of secular vocal music
A dance-like song for several voices
Mostly homophonic in structure. Fa-la
syllables are used as refrain
Now Is the Month of Maying (1595) byThomas Morley (1557-1603), English
composer Each stanza:
AA refrain BB - refrain
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Instrumental music
Instrumental music becomes more independent
Most music is for dance: Pavane or passamezzoduple meter
Galliard triple meter
Harpsichord, organ, lute, recorder, trumpet,
cornett, sackbut (early trombone), viol, regal(small organ with reed pipes), shawm (ancestorof the oboe)
Instrumental form of theme and variations
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The Venetian School:
from Renaissance to Baroque
16thcentury Venice a center ofinstrumental and vocal music
Venetian School music directorsand organists of St. Marks Cathedraland their colleagues
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Giovanni Gabrieli (1555-1612)
and the polychoral motet
The most important Venetian composer ofthe late Renaissance before Monteverdi
Polychoral motets motets for 2 or more
choirs, often with instrumentalists Plaudite(Clap Your Hands), 1597. Written
for a large vocal and instrumentalensemble of 12 voice parts divided into 3
choirs: low, middle and high registerchoirs The homophonic structure of this piece
brings it closer to Baroque style
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