Renaissance

Renaissance1450-1600

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In the history of music, the period from 1450 – 1600 is

known as the “Renaissance”. The word Renaissance literally means “rebirth”.

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The humanism movement

surfaced during the Renaissance period. This movement focused on

man and his accomplishments. Christianity and Catholic Church were rocked by the

Protestant Reformer, Martin

Luther (1483 –1546).

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Perio

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In the renaissance period, a

training in music is considered a must for

an educated person. • Everywhere, musicians worked in

towns, courts, and churches.

• The size of church choirs

multiplied. The choirs were predominantly

male.

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Although the church remained a patron of music, the court became the center of musical activity. • Composers were in demand by kings, dukes and princesses. • The status of musicians was elevated and they were paid higher. • The leading composers came from the Netherlands. • Italy was the leading music center of the Renaissance.

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The Renaissance period is sometimes referred to

as “The Golden Age of Polyphony”, because vocal polyphony

culminated to perfection.

IMPORTANT EVENTS THATHAPPENED DURING THE

RENAISSANCE

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Literally meaning “rebirth”, the Renaissance became a

rebirth of classical learning. • The writings of ancient

Greeks and Romans were rediscovered and reevaluated.

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The chaotic feudal system of

the Middle Ages was replaced by

the hierarchal state led by the

urban bourgeois or despotic nobles.

• European view of the world was

expanded by the conquest of

Christopher Columbus and

Ferdinand Magellan.

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There was a change in the views of

the Earth and the cosmos as evidenced

by the astronomical studies of Nicolas

Copernicus and later, Galileo

Galilei. • The technology of printing

permitted the wider distribution of the work of

musical composers and enabled

the public to take a closer look at their

musicality.

MUSICAL CONTEXT OF THE

RENAISSANCE PERIOD

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There has been no increase in

patronage of music greater

than in the Renaissance period. • Music was supported to a

degree not previously seen by the civic

government and the rich courts.

Religious institutions also supported music.

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There was an exchange of music between the conquered

and the conqueror. The Renaissance period experienced territorial

expansions by Europeans and increased wealth to European nations.

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Colonial expansion resulted in the flowing of great wealth

in European cities. An international musical style was created due to

travel and trade of people to different European countries.

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Due to the increased interest in humanist learning, music

became an experience art. Because of the development of the

printing press, music and its literature became available to the people.

THE DISTINGUISHINGCHARACTERISTICS OFRENAISSANCE MUSIC

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The repertoire of instrumental

music expanded and the invention of new musical instruments abound.

The instruments of the period

were enhanced. • Secular music was rising and was

more civilized, but spiritual music

still occupied a dominant position

during the period.

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Musical harmony was more expressive and unrestrained during

the Renaissance as compared with the medieval period.

Poly

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Tech

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An important polyphonic technique,

imitation, surfaced. Imitation occurs

when one musical line shares or

imitates the sung musical theme of

the preceding line. This gives the

listeners the ability to decipher the musical

composition’s structure. The

Renaissance period between Joaquin

Deprez and Palestrina was known as

the “golden age of the polyphony”.

Voca

l Po

lyph

ony

Vocal polyphony culminated to a high

degree of perfection with equal

importance given to four or more

voices. The main forms of spiritual

polyphony are the masses and the

motets. Motets, madrigals, and songs

usually accompanied by a lute or a

small orchestra were the secular

vocal forms. Short polyphonics or dancing

music were the instrumental works of

the Renaissance period.

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The use of church modes or

modality still predominates

sacred and secular music. • There is the prevalence in

musical compositions of clarity, balance

and euphony in moderation. There

are no extreme contracts in rhythm and

tone color.

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Musical literature flourished

due to the innovation of printing

press. • Acapella  singing in the church music

developed. It is singing without accompaniment or chorus

without instrumental backup.

THE VOCAL FORMS DURING

THE RENAISSANCE

Mote

t

It is one of the most important forms of

polyphonic music form in circa 1250 –

1750. • A motet is an unaccompanied choral

accompaniment based on a Latin sacred

text and designed to be performed in the

Catholic service, chiefly at vespers.

• The renaissance motet is a unified piece

with all voices singing the same text. It

is serious and primarily designed for

worship services

Mass

Mass is a music for the Catholic church

worship. The leading Italian composer of

the Renaissance period was Giovanni

Pierluigu da Palestrina (1525 – 1594). He

wrote music for the Catholic church which

were highly regarded as models of church

music because of their serenity.

• One of Palestrina’s best masses was Pope

Marcellus Mass written for an acapella

choir of a soprano, alto, two tenors, and

two bases. The six voices imitate each

other and blend well.

Madr

igal

The madrigal is an important

secular vocal music of the Renaissance

period. It is a musical composition for solo

voices. Its subject is sentiment and

love. It is sung at social gatherings in the court and

meetings of artistic and learned societies,

unlike the motets which are sung in

church. It is accompanied by a lute or a

harpsichord.

Madr

igal

“April is in My Mistress’ Face” by Thomas Morley is a

well – known English Madrigal. • The madrigal began in

Italy and swept England.

THE BASIC INSTRUMENTOF THE RENAISSANCE

Inst

rum

ents The singing of secular

music is accompanied by instruments.

Lute

One of the most popular instrumentals of the Renaissance is the lute which is played by plucking. • It has a pear – shaped body, frets and a varying number of strings. Its peg is slanted back sharply from the rest of the instrument.

Giov

anni

Da

Pale

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Palestrina (1525 – 1594), an Italian, considered as the prolific writer of sacred vocal polyphony, wrote masses, motels, hymns, and other sacred works for the Catholic Church.

Orl

ando

di L

asso

Di Lasso (1532 – 1594), a Flemish composer, wrote musical compositions of sacred and secular nature.

He is subjective and passionate in his creations.

Di Lasso wrote Italian madrigals, Latin masses and motets, and German lieder. •

The Penitential Psalms of David is a Lasso creation.

Clau

dio

Mon

teve

rdi

Monteverdi (1567 – 1643), an Italian composer, composed

music for operas utilizing chordal accompaniment. Among

his works are the Return of Ulysses and The Coronation of Poppea.

Revie

w

Renaissance Period is from 1450 –

1600. • Renaissance means “rebirth”.

• Vocal forms are motet, mass, and

madrigal. • The lute is the basic instrument of the

Renaissance period. • The composers are Giovanni da

Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso and

Claudio Monteverdi.

Quiz

1.This term literally means rebirth.

2.This is the basic instrument of the

Renaissance period. 3.Other term for the Renaissance

period; This was named so because vocal polyphony

culminated to perfection during

Renaissance. 4.He was considered as the prolific

writer of sacred vocal polyphony. He wrote

masses, motels, hymns, and other sacred works

for the Catholic Church. 5.Leading music center of Renaissance.