Renaissance 1750 Course

5/22/2018 Renaissance 1750 Course

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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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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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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

Documents

Renaissance 1750 Course