1. Music History: Renaissance

2. Renaissance Means “Reborn” Roughly 1400-1600 Cultural Movement
Effects Art, Music, Science, Philosophy, Religion
Starts in Italy, Moves through Europe
Characterized by Humanism
Humanism – importance placed on humans, their needs, and rational thoughts
Moves away from the church and focus more on science

3. Important Figures Art Politics Writing Science Religion Discovery
Leonardo Da Vinci (Mona Lisa)
Michaelango (Statue of David, Sistine Chapel)
Raphael
Donatello
Politics
Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
Writing
William Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet)
Science
Nicholas Copernicus (Sun center of the solar system)
Galileo (Telescope)
Johannes Kelper (Planetary Motion)
Religion
Martin Luther (Protestant Religion)
Discovery
Christopher Columbus
Ferdinand Magellan
Invention
Printing Press

4. Characteristics Vocal music > instrumental music
Golden age of a cappella
Italian for “In the manner of the church” or “In the manner of the chapel”
Means no instruments, voices only
Fuller sound than medieval: bass register created
Music enhances the meaning and emotion of the text
Word painting: musical representation of specific poetic images
Moderate, balanced way of expression: no extreme contrasts of dynamics, tone color or rhythm
Greater Polyphony: 4, 5 or 6 voice parts with equal melodic interest
Imitation is common
Homophonic texture is also used
Different music lines move together

6. Motets
Polyphonic choral work set to sacred Latin text other than the ordinary of the mass
Sacred choral works performed in worship services
Josquin des Prez (c )
Ave Maria – 4 Voice Motet
Moderate balanced expression
Little accent or emphasis on words
Expression in the music is much more cultured and polite to fit the sacred settings;
Harmonies tend to be very smooth and predictable
Different voices never really overpower each other
All singers echo and overlap one another to create more texture, while maintaining the identity of their singular voice in the music

7. Masses Mass – polyphonic choral work with 5 sections: Kyrie Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
20-30 Minutes Long
Very ambitious piece of work
Utilizes the canon
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina c
104 masses and some 450 other sacred works
For centuries, his masses are regarded as models of church music
Guillaume Dufay c
Composed Motets & Madrigals as well

8. Madrigals New Italian polyphonic, secular, a capella vocal genre
Late Renaissance’s entertainment music
Motets & Madrigals are similar
Secular topics of love, humor, and scenery presented at home or social gatherings
May also depict topics of hate, grief, fear or shock
May actually include dissonance (if a musical piece demands negative emotional expression)

9. Madrigals Word paintings Thomas Morley (c. 1557-1602)
illustrate, emphasize, and interpret the special meaning of a word to make it clearer and more obvious than the words around it.
A change in the tone, texture, volume, or range
Expressive methods while also utilizing surprising harmony and dissonance
EX: a rising scale of notes would place emphasis on the word "ascending" in a song
A more complex word painting could illustrate the idea of spying or sneakiness by lowering the tone and volume of the voice to be soft and discrete.
Main difference between Motets & Madrigals
Thomas Morley (c )
Now is the Month of Maying
Thomas Weelkes (c )
As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending

10. Instruments First body of solely instrumental
Instruments mostly doubled the vocal parts when with voices
Instruments alone used for dancing
In solely instrumental music, the instruments usually played together as families
Instrumental Families
String : viol family, lute
Woodwind : transverse flute, recorder
Double Reed : shawm (ancestor of the oboe, bassoon, English horn); crumhorn (reed in the mouthpiece)
Brass : cornets (trumpets), sackbutt (trombone)
Percussion : tambour (hand drum), tamborine, finger cymbals
Keyboard : organ, harpsichord