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Music of the Renaissance

Discover the music of the Renaissance period (1450-1600) with a particular focus on prominent composers and key musical genres. Learn about the transition from Medieval to Renaissance music, the influence of Greek ideals on compositions, and the development of sacred and secular music. (Word count: 153)

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Music of the Renaissance

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  1. Music of the Renaissance

  2. Renaissance Timeline

  3. “The Renaissance” (1450-1600) • Assigned Reading: pp.80-93 (Part II/Section 2) • Listening: • Ave Maria…Virgo Serena by JosquinDesprez (c. 1450-1521) • MOTET https://youtu.be/XaT3tcXZg0c • Kyrie (“Pope Marcellus Mass”), by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594) • MASS https://youtu.be/QdZ_7dFbl1A • Duo Seraphim by Caterina Assandra (c. 1590-1618) • https://youtu.be/os-LPn8nkd8 • Morir non puòilmiocuore by Maddalena Casulana (c. 1544 – c. 1590) • https://youtu.be/H2lrraO2YVs • As Vesta Was Descending by Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623) • MADRIGAL https://youtu.be/95DJ7oqTWK8 • El GrilloJosquinDesprez (c. 1450-1521) • MADRIGAL https://youtu.be/SyubnX3s0VM

  4. The Renaissance • The Renaissance has differing dates, depending upon the specific discipline • Generally speaking: ca. 1300-1600 • Began in Italy, particularly Florence • later spread throughout Western Europe • Rediscovery, the “rebirth” of Classical Greek ideals: • philosophy • art & music • sciences

  5. Renaissance: https://youtu.be/fI1OeMmwYjU

  6. Musicologists have traced the beginning of Renaissance music back as far as 1300 to as late as the 1470s and ending in the year 1600. • We tend use 1450-1600 • The primary musical texture of the period was polyphonic. Polyphonic music has two or more independent, separate melodic lines sounding simultaneously. • The development of printing gave more people access to written music • Renaissance music was much more varied than Medieval music Music in the Renaissance

  7. Word Paintingwas common • The rediscovery of treatises on music by Aristotle, Quintilian, and others sparked an interest in music theory’s link to Ancient Greece and Rome • Humanism inspired composers and performers to excel, making virtuosity commonplace • Pythagorean tuning systems were modified to make intervals such as the 3rd and 6th (imperfect consonances) more pleasing to the ear. This dramatically changed their approach to harmonic writing. Music in the Renaissance

  8. Sacred Music in the Renaissance • The two main sacred genres were the massand the motet • Mass • Musical setting of the Liturgy of the Eucharist • “Ordinary” of the Mass • generally Catholic, Lutheran or Anglican • Five main – and consistent – parts: • Kyrie • Gloria • Credo • Sanctus (with Benedictus) • Agnus Dei Guillaume Dufay, MissaL’hommearmé (Mass on “The Armed Man”), “Kyrie I,” ca. 1450 https://www.youtube.com/v/fLwMEBlBBB4

  9. Sacred Music in the Renaissance • Motet • polyphonic musical setting • sacred Latin text • not connected to the Liturgy of the Eucharist • “Proper” of the Mass • Other genres popular • Spiritual Madrigals • Lauda • Both are non-liturgical, religious songs. • As in the Middle Ages, the Church still disapproved of musical instruments being used for the performance of sacred music

  10. Considered to be the most important composer of the Franco-Flemish School • Wrote over 374 works which includes masses, chansons (French secular songs), and motets • He is best known for his motets • Worked mainly in the North but spent time in Italy in the service of the Sforza family as well as being a singer in the Papal Choir in the Vatican • Often said to be the “first true master” of the Polyphonic style of the High Renaissance • Ave Marie is an excellent example of his style. It is a motet with text from a Latin prayer to the Virgin Mary for 4 voices in an imitative, polyphonic texture Josquin des Prez (ca. 1450s-1521) Josquin- Ave Marie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUAgAF4Khmg&feature=related

  11. Secular Vocal Music • Many different types of songs were written: • chansons ballades rondeaus • secular motets lute songs various,etc. • The madrigal was one of the most popular • originates in Italy around 1522 (Italian) • very popular in England after 1588 (English) • National styles were more pronounced in secular music than sacred music

  12. Secular Vocal Music • Secular music flourished in all European courts under the noble patronage • Music often set to poems in various languages (Latin, French, German, English, Italian and Dutch were most common) • Printing press helped spread popular music • All educated people were expected to sing or play an instrument Dowland“Come Again”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMDURI-mumI

  13. Secular Vocal Music • Madrigal • Composition for several solo voices • Normally four to five parts • Men and women could sing together • Sung a cappella • Performed by amateur musicians • Text a secular, non-Latin, love poem • Vivid imagery of text and music • “word painting” • Resulted in different moods and styles

  14. El Grillo – Josquin de Prezhttps://youtu.be/SyubnX3s0VM The cricket is a good singer Who can hold a long note Of drinking the cricket sings The cricket is a good singer But he doesn’t do what birds do, After they’ve sung a bit, They go somewhere else, The cricket always stays put And when the weather is hottest He sings solely for love The cricket is a good singer Who can hold a long note Of drinking the cricket sings The cricket is a good singer

  15. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594) • Has been called the “Prince of Music” • Italian composer who worked around the time of the Counter-Reformation • The climate of the Counter-Reformation and the Council of Trent led him to write in a fairly conservative style • Said to have “saved polyphony” from banning by the Council of Trent with the Pope Marcellus Mass (1567) • Known for his sacred music, especially his masses • His musical style is often seen as the culmination of Renaissance polyphony • Worked almost entirely in Rome • Wrote 104 masses, 250 sacred motets, 50 spiritual madrigals, etc… • Today, it is his style that is taught to music students as the model of “perfect” 16th century polyphony Palestrina - “Gloria from the Pope Marcellus Mass”: https://youtu.be/5k3bfqQ1SpU

  16. Palestrina’s Pope Marcellus Mass • Acapella choir SATTBB https://youtu.be/QdZ_7dFbl1A

  17. Musical Characteristics • Literature grew humanistic interest in music • Music was to enhance the meaning of text • Word Painting - represents poetic image • “descending from heaven …” • “running…” • “alone…”

  18. Word Painting A musical technique in which music metaphorically (or literally) imitates the text • sad harmonies accompanying lyrics about death • ascending scales to accompany lyrics about ascending into Heaven) Exercise: In the melody above, try to find as many examples of word painting as you can. Even if you do not read music it is possible if you remember that the higher the note on the musical staff the higher the pitch and visa versa. Comfort Ye ... Every Valley from Handel's Messiah https://youtu.be/CnRcuCAqFfI?t=3m39s

  19. Instrumental Music in the Renaissance • Still considered to be less important than vocal music but was becoming more and more respected • Instruments were originally used only for simple dance music or to accompany singers • In the Renaissance, instrumental music became as polyphonic and sophisticated as vocal music

  20. Instrumental Music in the Renaissance • Instrumental musical genres or forms can be divided into a number of general types • Improvisatory or free-form (Ex: Fantasia) • Arrangements of vocal music (Entabulations) • Newly composed dances based on popular dance forms, • Variations on famous melodies (Ex: Diferencias) • composed with a well-known repeated chord progression (Ex: Folias) • The Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Instruments is an excellence resource for learning about early instruments - http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html https://youtu.be/WZjCth-aK7A

  21. Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) • First great composer of the Baroque era to be attacked for being too radical. • Called “the last great madrigalistand the first great opera composer” • Wrote his first opera; Orfeo (1607) while working at St. Mark’s. • Orfeo is considered the first masterpiece of Opera. • Monteverdi became the choirmaster at St. Mark’s which was considered the most prestigious musical position in Europe.

  22. Recitative vs. Aria • Recitative is dialogue, often gets across mostly plot information in the opera • While the Aria communicates the character’s emotions Recitative: https://youtu.be/IDq4KqP7Pxs Aria : https://youtu.be/_ovcNw8xr64 (NessunDorma)

  23. Opera : Carmen • French composer Georges Bizet • The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and LudovicHalévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée • 1st performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875 • Carmen has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas

  24. Pentatonix – Evolution of Music • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExW80sXsHs

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