Popular Songs And Dances Of The Renaissance Period

A Cappella

Religious Music• Religious music was still very

important.  • Choral music of the

Renaissance was an extension of the Gregorian chant.  It was sung a cappella and sung in Latin. 

• Motets were popular during this time. 

• A motet is a polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing one religious text.

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Giovanni Palestrina• Giovanni Palestrina was

one the Renaissance period's most important composers. 

• He was Italian.   He wrote mostly religious works. 

• He is considered one of the great masters of Renaissance music.  He wrote motets, madrigals, and masses.

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Musical Mass• The musical mass was an

important part of the Catholic Church's religious service. Each part of the celebration would have a different musical number.  The mass would be sung in Latin.  Here is the order in which the music would be performed: 

• Kyrie means God.  This is the first piece in a musical mass.  

• Gloria means Glory and follows the Kyrie.

• Credo means Creed of Belief.  It follows the Gloria.

• Sanctus means Holy.  It follows credo.  

• Benedicts means Blessed. It follows Sanctus. 

• Dei Angus Dei means Lamb of God.  It follows Benedict.

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Dances• Dancing was a favorite

pastime during the Renaissance. 

• Educated people were expected to know how to dance. 

• There were simple dances that were usually danced in chains or circles. 

• There were also more difficult dances that required lots of practice. 

• Dancing encouraged new forms of instrumental compositions.  Many songs were written just for dancing.

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Popular Dance moves• Here are some popular

Renaissance dances:• Branle: In this quick French

dance the performers swing from side to side.  It's preformed in a circle or a chain. 

• Pavane: This was a slow dance in an even meter where couples would walk in pairs. 

• Galliard: This dance follows the Pavane.  It's in an odd meter and is lively and complicated.  It can also be danced in couples.

• Allemande :This is a simple dance in an even meter that can be danced in a group moving forward or backward.  Daily life in The Renaissance

By: Jeffrey l. Singman

Dancing• Dancing was important in the

Renaissance. • Dancing was an elegant form

of exercise and an expected social skill for the noble.

• There were basically two types of social dances in the Renaissance.

The Middle Ages

By: H.R. Loyn

Dance of Renaissance• Dancing in the Renaissance

also brought about some new instrumental compositions written primarily for dancing.

• The dance music of the Renaissance was written for instruments such as the sackbut, lute, viol, pipe and the tabor.

• Some of the music was still improvised, but a good portion of the dance pieces were published in collections by Pierre Attaingnant.

• Encyclopedia of the Renaissance By: David Rundle

instruments• There was a growth in

instrumental music, especially the lute and keyboard. 

• The most popular instrument of the Renaissance was the lute.

• It was during this period that families of instruments started to develop. 

• These families were called consorts.  This is where we get the word concert comes from.

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Work Citied Page• Loyn, h r. The middle ages. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print• rundle, David. Encyclopedia of the renaissance. N.p.: n.p., n.d.

Print. • singman, Jeffrey L. Daily life in Medieval Europe. N.p.: n.p., n.d.

Print• http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/

renaissance/renaissa.htm The middle ages. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009.

• http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/renaissance/renaissa.htm N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009.

• http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/renaissance/renaissa.htm#A%20Capella:%20The%20Golden%20Age%20of%20Singing N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009.