The Renaissance (1450-1600) “rebirth” of human creativity
› Exploration and adventure Christopher Columbus (1492)
› Curiosity and individualism Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist and musician
Humanism – dominant intellectual movement focusing on human life and accomplishments.› Not concerned with afterlife› Christians focused on the cultures of ancient Greece and
Rome› Influenced art – artists attracted to mythology as subjects
Middle ages – more religious symbolism with a flat surface Renaissance – realism with linear perspective
The Renaissance continued Catholic church far less powerful
› Due to Protestant Reformation by Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Church did not control education› Aristocrats considered education a status
symbol› 1450 printing invented assisted with
educational advancement
Music of the Renaissance Printing greatly assisted with the spread of music Every educated individual was expected to be musically
trained Even Shakespeare saw the importance of music
› Called for it over 300 times Church choirs grew
› Still all male Musical activity became a greater part of royal life (courts)
› Women were aloud to sing in Italian courts› 1 court may have as many as 60 musicians› Musicians traveled with nobility
Town musicians› Played for processions, weddings and religious services
Musicians gained social status during the Renaissance› Composers sought recognition
Characteristics of Renaissance Music Vocal music more important than instrumental
› Words and music have a close relation› Music wrote to enhance meaning of text
Medieval composers did not do this› Word painting – musical depiction of specific words
Renaissance music – polyphonic› Choral pieces contained 4-6 parts equal to the melody› Imitation was common – each presents the same melodic idea› Homophonic texture used with chordal successions
Dances› Greater amount of texture compared to Renaissance music› Bass register used› Sound was stable with the use of consonant chords› No need for instrumental accompaniment
Golden age A capella – unaccompanied voices When instruments were used they duplicated the melody
Instruments were rarely used in Renaissance choral music
Gentle flowing rhythms with a defined beat› Melody moved generally in steps with few leaps
Sacred Music in the Renaissance
Two main forms› Motet – polyphonic choral work set to sacred
Latin text› Mass – longer composition that is a polyphonic
choral compositions made up for the five sections of the mass
Josquin Desprez and the Renaissance Motet
Josquin Desprez (about 1440-1521) Master of Renaissance music International career Born in Belgium
› Spent most of his life in Italy Served in duke’s private chapels Louis XII of France was in patron later in life Works – masses, motets, secular vocal
pieces Praised by music lovers
Ave Maria…virgo serena(Hail Mary…serene virgin; c. 1475by- Josquin Desprez
Four-voice motet Latin prayer to the Virgin Mary Polyphonic imitation Varies texture – amount of voices heard
at once Changes from duple to triple to duple
meter Tempo moves between calm to
animated to calm
Palenstrina and the Renaissance Mass
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (about 1525-1594)› Devoted his work to the Catholic Church› Rome› Music director at St. Peter’s› 104 masses and 450 other sacred works› Wrote during the Counter-Reformation
Council of Trent (1545-1563) Felt church music had lost its purity
Some wanted return to monophonic texture Council ruled – music to composed “to give empty pleasure
to the ear,” but to inspire religious contemplation
› Palestrina’s works followed these constraints
Pope Marcellus Mass (1562-1563)by- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Most famous mass› Thought to convince Catholic leaders to keep polyphonic works in
the church We know this not true, but this mass was an example to what the
church desired› Dedicated to Pope Marcellus II – reigned in 1555
Written for a cappella choir› 6 parts
Kyrie› Rich polyphonic texture› Imitation within parts› Curved melodies› Upward leaps with downward steps› Short text› Starts with a thin texture and with added voices thickens› 3rd section is faster and louder
Secular Music in the Renaissance
Secular vocal music very popular Music set to poems in various languages Music printing assisted with the spread of
music Music written for solo voices or solo voices
with the accompaniment of one or more instruments
Rapid shifts of mood
Secular Music in the Renaissance
Renaissance Madrigal› Madrigal – piece for several solo voices set to a short
poem Typically about love
› Homophonic and polyphonic textures› More word painting and unusual harmonies› Originated in Italy around 1520› Famous composers – Luca Marenzio and Carlo
Gesualdo› During Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeares
time many were published Golden age of English music and literature English madrigal much lighter mood than Italian model
As Vesta Was Descending (1601)by Thomas Weelkes
Thomas Weelkes (about 1575-1623)› English Madrigalist, organist and church
composer 6 voices Represents Vesta – Roman goddess of the
hearth, Diana – Roman goddess of chasity, hunting and the moon, and Oriana the maiden queen (Queen Elizabeth)
Light mood Word painting
Secular Music in the Renaissance
The Renaissance Lute Song› Solo song for voice and lute
Lute – a plucked strong instrument with a body shaped like a half pear› Versatile
Popular in England from the late 1590s – 1620s
Homophonic in texture
Flow My Tears (about 1600)by John Dowland (1563-1626)
Popular during Shakespeare’s time Represents someone’s happiness that
has been suddenly shattered Poem written by Dowland 3 sections A, B, and C
› Immediately repeated AA, BB, CC Slow tempo, minor key, descending 4
note melodic pattern
Secular Music in the Renaissance
Instrumental music – became somewhat more important during the Renaissance› Accompanied vocalist› 16th century brought the emancipated from
vocal music More instrumental forms Instruments only used in specific purposes Instrumental music intended for dancing
Secular Music in the Renaissance
Musicians separated instruments into different classifications by how loud or soft they were.
Instruments now are much louder with a brighter sound today
Important instruments of the time: recorders, shawms, cornetts, sackbuts, lutes, viols, organs, regals, and harpsichord.
Composers did not specify instruments› Todays standardized ensembles did not exist
Passamezzo and Galliard by Pierre Fancisque Caroubel from Terpsichore (1612)by Michael Praetorius
Pairing contrasting court dances in duple and triple meter
Terpsichore – collection of over 300 dance tunes› Greek Goddess of the dance
Dances originated in Italy › Popular in the 16th and early 17th centuries
Passamezzo› Stately dance, duple meter
Guilliard› Quick dance, triple meter
The Venetian School: From Renaissance to Baroque
16th century Venice was a center of instrumental and vocal music
St. Mark’s Cathedral› Colorful and wealthy› Employed up to twenty instrumentalists
and thirty singers› Music directors were some of the finest
during the era Venetian school – Adrian Willaert, Andrea
Gabrieli, and Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli and the Polychoral Motet
Giovanni Gabrieli (about 1555-1612)› Native of Venice
Most important Venetian composer of the late Renaissance› Works: organ and instrumental ensemble works and
polychoral motets Polychoral motets – motets for two or more choirs
and instruments› Sonata pian e forte (1597) first instrumental ensemble
piece with dynamics and instrumentation given by the composer
› 2-5 choirs Large amount of performers
› Wide range of register, sonority, and tone color