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Medieval & Renaissance

Medieval & Renaissance. Medieval Church Music 800 – 1400. Plainchant/Plainsong The earliest written down music, sung in churches by monks & priests Monophonic texture Latin text Irregular rhythms, freely following text Often melismatic Modal. Modal.

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Medieval & Renaissance

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  1. Medieval & Renaissance

  2. Medieval Church Music800 – 1400 • Plainchant/Plainsong The earliest written down music, sung in churches by monks & priests • Monophonic texture • Latin text • Irregular rhythms, freely following text • Often melismatic • Modal

  3. Modal • Modes came before major and minor system of tonality • They have NO sharps or flats • All medieval compositions are based on plainchant which in turn are based on modes. • The Dorian mode was very common. • Try creating a chant-like melody using this mode

  4. Developing into Choral composition • Music began to be written with 2 then 3 lines of plainchant, first in unison, then interweaving • These compositions were sacred and formed the basis of church worship. Every part of the service was sung. • Often 2 choirs would sing opposite each other and the music would imitate between the 2 groups creating ANTIPHONY, like an echo.

  5. MASS • The mass is what the Christian Church originally called (and still do in the Catholic and Anglican Church) the service, where you worship God’s WORD and receive his Body & Blood in COMMUNION. • Music was written for each part of this service.

  6. MASS • The text was in LATIN and divided into these sections: • Kyrie • Gloria • Credo • Sanctus & Benedictus • Agnus Dei • There are normally many voices (SATB) singing in imitation

  7. Motet • A Motet is a small scale, vocal work performed in church, separate from the mass. The voices are layered on top of each other, creating a polyphonic texture, with lots of IMITATION. • It can be Sacred and later secular. It sometimes has accompaniment • It has LATIN text • Later, composers mixed religious text with everyday vocabulary, which annoyed the Church

  8. The Reformation & Musical Development • By the renaissance, the Mass and Motet were still the most popular compositions, but more parts were written and there was more Chromaticism (adding accidentals to the modes) • Composers started to merge secular music with sacred • The Reformation meant that Protestants required music written in their own language rather than Latin Musicians were performing in taverns Which lead to the development of secular Songs and dances

  9. Renaissance Sacred Music - Anthem • A religious small scale vocal work, performed in the Protestant church • Equivalent to a motet but the text is in ENGLISH • Mainly A Cappella • Imitative and Polyphonic texture

  10. Renaissance Secular Music • Queen Elizabeth 1st is now on the thrown • Composers were writing songs for music in the court or at home • These are called madrigals and can have up to 4 different vocal parts, but only one voice on each part

  11. MadrigalThere are 3 types of Madrigal • Madrigal (proper) • Ballett • Ayre • A Madrigal proper is very IMITATIVE • Very POLYPHONIC • Uses word painting to highlight the ENGLISH words

  12. Madrigal – Ballett • This is the most common type of madrigal played in the exam. And the easiest to recognise! • It is Strophic (each verse is the same) • It has a refrain (other name for a chorus) which always includes ‘FA LA LA’ • Mainly homophonic • Dance-like rhythms • Lighter style

  13. Madrigal –Ayre • Solo voice with Lute/Viol accompaniment • Very expressive and often melancholy • Subject often covers love

  14. Instruments

  15. Consort • A consort is a group of Same Instrument playing Together. Most common In Renaissance, were Different sizes of VIOLS VIOLS – early form of cello without A spike on the bottom. They Came in varying sizes

  16. RenaissanceDances

  17. Dances • Pavane – Slow and Stately • Galliard – more lively with 3 beats in the bar • Dances were Grouped in Pairs and later Made up a suite

  18. Main Characteristics • Most important music was Sacred Choral music – the oldest, written in the form of plainchant • All compositions were based on modes, but this slowly changed throughout the Renaissance as composers added more chromaticism • Later, secular music evolved with the Madrigal and dances

  19. Plainchant Mode/Modal Mass Motet Anthem Madrigal Ballett Ayre Pavane Galliard Suite Consort Polyphonic Monophonic Word Setting A Cappella Antiphony/ Antiphonal Lute/Viol Test on concepts below

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