Renaissance1300 – 1600
RenaissanceRenaissance means rebirth or revival.
Strong influence of the ancient Greek and Roman styles.
RenaissanceVocal music was more important than
instrumental music.
Sacred music was more important than secular music.
Music continued to develop in a polyphonic style.
Two vocal parts were more likely to sing independently of each other.
Two melodies completely independent of each other is called counterpoint.
Composers began to write for three or more voice parts.
Each voice sang its own melody. No voice was more or less important than
the others.
Vocal Forms“The golden age of the a cappella style”
A cappella – vocal music without instrumental accompaniment
Smoothly gliding melodiesPolyphony – multiple voicesContinuous imitation
Motives are exchanged between vocal lines – imitating each other
RenaissanceThe sequence of events
in a Catholic church service is called the Mass.
Composers began to focus on the Mass as a main form for vocal music.
They also wrote motets, an unaccompanied vocal work based on a sacred Latin text.
Gregorian ChantOrganized and “approved” melodies for
use at Mass and other liturgical celebrations
MonophonicDriven by the textNo implied meterConjunct motion
RenaissanceInstruments of the
Renaissance were essentially the same as the Medieval era.
Some instruments were introduced in the mass.
Usually, instruments would double the voice, meaning they would play the same thing the voice part was singing.
RenaissanceThe written notation
of neumes developed into today’s musical staff, clefs, and notes.
This system allowed composers to write music that was more complicated.
RenaissanceGreat cathedrals
were built in Europe, and organs were built in them.
The organ became the primary keyboard instrument.
RenaissanceAnother primary
keyboard instrument was the harpsichord.
This instrument is like a piano, but has strings that are plucked , and it does not have the dynamic range of a piano.
Virginal
Clavichord
Viola de gamba
European royalty hired musicians to entertain at special events.
Traveling musicians continued to perform secular music for average citizens.
Rise of the Merchant ClassNew group of music
patronsEmergence of the
amateur musicianPrinted music books
become availableMusical literacy spread
dramatically
Both professionals and amateurs took
part in music making.
Music was considered part
of a proper upbringing for a
young girl.
RenaissanceThe primary secular
music from the Renaissance was the madrigal.
This was a type of secular vocal music set to a poem.
Sacred music, however, was still the dominant type of music during this era.
Josquin des Prez
FAMOUS COMPOSERSPalestrina
Thomas Morley
FAMOUS COMPOSERSJohn Dowland
