The Renaissance-youtube

The Renaissance

The Renaissance Ballet

• A simpler type of secular vocal music than the madrigal was the ballet, a dancelike song for several voices.
• In contrast to much of Renaissance music, the ballet was mostly homophonic in texture, with the melody in the highest voice.
• Like the madrigal, the Renaissance ballet originated in Italy. It was cultivated in England from 1595 to the 1620's.

Instruments

Theorbo

Instrumental Music during the Renaissance

• Among the important Renaissance instruments were:
• Recorders
• Shawms
• Cornetts(wooden instruments with cup-shaped mouthpiece)
• Sackbuts(early trombones)
• lutes
• Viols(bowed string instruments)
• Harpsichord

Thomas Weelkes (c.1575-1623)

Review

Pictures of Instruments

• Instrumental music became more important during the Renaissance, but vocal music was still considered more Superior.
• Instruments were often used to accompany the voice or to play the vocal part on the instrument.
• Instrumental music was intended for dancing, popular pass-time during the Renaissance.

Recorder

Sackbuts

Cornetts

Shawms

• Most famous for his madrigals.
• Strong use of word-painting in his compositions.
• Was both a poet and musician.
• Most famous piece is the As Vesta Was.

Viols

Lute

Harpsichord

Listening guide

• Instrumental Dance, "Danserye"
• Composer: Tylman Susato
• Style Renaissance
• Naxos Catalog No. HCD12194

Continued

Secular Music during the Renaissance

• Popular dance pieces written for instrument - Pavana and Galliard.
• Dance music was performed by a group of people or by a soloist.
• Instruments were often distinguished by volume: Loud instruments, trumpet or shawm and Soft instruments, Lute or recorder.

Listening Guide

• Vocal - Madrigal
• Instrumental - Dance music, etc...

• Madrigal, "As Vesta Was"
• Composer: Thomas Weelkes
• Naxos Catalog No. CR-8807

Guillaumme Du Fay (c.1397-1474)

• Associated with the Bugundian court.
• Trained at the Cathedral of Cambrai in Northern France.
• Served as a chapel musician in Italy and Savoy.
• His travels exposed him to a wide variety of music, from France, Italy, England. Absorbed many stylistic traits into his own compositions.
• Blending of national styles can be traced in his Chansons, song.

Madrigal

• Originated in Italy, later English Madrigals began to appear.
• The English adapted the Madrigal to their taste with a less serious style than the Italians.
• Consists mostly of Polyphonic texture with some Homophonic passages.
• Often featured Word Painting.
• Secular in nature, often refers to Greek and Roman mythology. Tells a story of some kind.
• At times would feature non-sense words like "fa-la-la-la-la."(Ballett)

Music During the Renaissance

Music Example Sheet Music

• Imitation

• Expanded vocal range, so the music does not sound as cluttered.
• Most Renaissance composers were trained at choir schools and usually had other jobs outside of music.
• Many musicians were hired by patrons, including royalty, ruling families and religious figures.

The Renaissance (1450-1600)

Word Painting

New Compositional Method

• French for rebirth
• Time for rediscover, advances in science and technology
• Invention of the printing press allowed new knowledge to spread
• Advances in ship building allowed for exploration
• The study of Humanities, things pertaining human knowledge

• During the second half of the fifteenth century, composers moved away from structural voices and toward greater equality of voices.
• Voices imitate a motive or phrase in another voice.

Listening Guide

Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina (1525-1594)

Motet

• Composers would often us Word Painting, musical representation of specific poetic images.
• For instance, the words descending from heaven might be set to a descending melodic line.

• Ave Maria... Virgo Serena
• Composer: Josquin Des Prez
• Style: Renaissance
• Naxos Catalog No. 8.553428

Continued

• Is polyphonic choral work based on sacred text.
• Motets were first developed in the late middle ages, but flourished during the Renaissance.
• Renaissance motets are smooth-sounding and imitative
• Similar to a Mass, without the five prayers from the Mass Ordinary.
• Usually sung A Cappella.

• Because composers served patrons in a variety of geographical locations, they were exposed to a variety of musical styles.
• International musical style developed, and in the sixteenth century, new national song styles emerged.

• The leading Italian composer of church music during the 16th century.
• Spent most of his career in Rome as a church musician.
• Was renowned for his masses, motets, and secular madrigals.
• Ordered by the Council of Trent to revise the official book of chants, which was used well into the 20th century.

Josquin Des Prez (c.1440-1521)

• Humanists sought to revive ancient learning, emphasizing the study of grammar, poetry, history and philosophy from Rome and Greece.
• Visual art became more realistic.
• The Catholic Church began to have less power compared to the Middle Ages.

Mass

• Mass is still the most significant sacred genre in the Renaissance.
• Masses started to use imitation, expanded in length and range.
• The Mass became more smooth, controlled and expressive than the Mass in the Middle Ages.
• Ex. The Machaut Mass.
• Palestrina became the most popular in composing the Mass.

Listening Guide

• Pope Marcellus Mass, Kyrie
• Composer: Giovanni Palestrina
• Style: Renaissance
• Naxos Catalog No. 8.558170-71

Leonardo da Vinci

• Held series of prestigious position at courts and churches in France and Italy.
• 1538, Martin Luther proclaimed that "Josquin is the master of the notes. They must do as he wills..."
• Much of his work was published and performed a century after his death.
• Composed masses, motets and secular vocal pieces.

Mona Lisa 1503

Texture

Printing Music

• Printing music allowed wider distribution of music at a lower cost with greater accuracy and less time spent recopying by hand, creating the first true market for music as a commodity.

• The texture during the Renaissance is still mostly Polyphonic
• Homophonic texture is being composed predominantly in instrumental music, such as dance music.
• Choral music is still played without instrumental accompaniment - A Cappella