Chapter 6 The Renaissance

1. Chapter 6The Renaissance The “High Renaissance” Style

2. Key Terms • High Renaissance • Imitative counterpoint • Homophony • a cappella • Point of imitation • Mass

3. The Mass • Longest, most important worship service of the Catholic church • In Middle Ages, Mass sung in plainchant • Invention of organum added some polyphonic music to Mass • Renaissance composers added even more polyphonic music • Favored sung portions of Ordinary (unchanging texts) • They also sought to unify Mass musically

4. Introit Proper, sung Kyrie Ordinary, sung Gloria Ordinary, sung Collect Proper, recited Epistle Proper, recited Gradual Proper, sung Alleluia or Tract Proper, sung Sequence Proper, sung Gospel Proper, recited Homily Spoken Credo Ordinary, sung Liturgy of the Word

5. Offertory Proper, sung Secret Proper, recited Preface Proper, recited Sanctus Ordinary, sung Canon Ordinary, recited Pater noster Ordinary, recited Agnus Dei Ordinary, sung Communion Proper, sung Postcommunion Prayer Proper, recited Ite, missa est Ordinary, recited Response Ordinary, recited Liturgy of the Eucharist

6. Imitation Type of polyphonic texture Voices enter one after another Each voice genuinely melodic Same motive and words for each voice (but on different pitches) Voices take turns vying for attention Creates beautiful balance between parts “High Renaissance” Style

7. “High Renaissance” Style • Homophony • A simpler texture that reflects influence of secular music • Top voice dominates • Lower voices follow rhythm of top voice, supporting melody with rich chords • Creates “block chord” feel • Provides effective contrast to imitation

8. “High Renaissance” Style • Tone color–a cappella sound • Scale, key & mode–medieval modes • Pitch & melody–medium register, smooth motion, ups and downs carefully balanced • Harmony–consonant chords with occasional, mild dissonance • Texture–alternation between imitation and homophony • Rhythm–fluid; metric, but without strong accents

9. Josquin, Pange lingua Mass • Unified Mass—each movement based on same plainsong hymn, “Pange lingua” • Recurring use of familiar, beloved hymn tune turned Mass into profound artistic experience • Used the five standard movements for Renaissance Mass • Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei

10. Josquin, Pange lingua Mass • Kyrie I • This section is a point of imitation—a short passage of imitative polyphony based on a single motive • The Kyrie I motive is a paraphrase of the chant hymn’s first phrase

11. Josquin, Pange lingua Mass • Kyrie I • Voices enter one by one • Tenor, bass – soprano, alto – bass, tenor, soprano • Final soprano entrance paraphrases second phrase of chant hymn • Crescendo of activity approaching cadence

12. Josquin, Pange lingua Mass • Christe • Two successive points of imitation • First one based on phrase 3 of the plainchant hymn • Kyrie II • Begins with point of imitation • Ends with free materials—descending sequence, powerful oscillating passage, and extended final cadence

13. Josquin, Pange lingua Mass • From the Gloria • Alternates between imitation and homophony • Eight points of imitation • Four homophonic sections • Josquin mostly uses imitation, reserves homophony for emphasis • Music offers urgent, almost dramatic plea for mercy (miserere nobis)

14. Qui tollis peccata mundi, MISERERE NOBIS. Qui tollis peccata mundi, SUSCIPE DEPRECATIONEM NOSTRAM. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. You who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy upon us You who take away the sins of the world, Hear our prayer. You who sit at the right hand of the Father, Have mercy upon us. Pange lingua Mass, Gloria

15. Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, TU SOLUS ALTISSIMUS, JESU CHRISTE, Cum sancto spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. AMEN. (Capital letters indicate phrases sung in homophony.) For you alone are holy, you alone are the Lord, You alone are the most high, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Pange lingua Mass, Gloria