Post on 21-Apr-2018
Musical Analysis 101
Rhythm
• Organization of sounds and silence• Pulse – beat – tactus• Speed = tempo• Meter – grouping beats into patterns of
stress– Duple– Triple
Melody
• The tune – the line you would hum!• Types of melodic motion
– Ascending– Descending– Conjunct– Disjunct
Harmony
• More than one pitch sounding at a time• Cadence
– the end of a musical phrase– resting point in the music
Texture
• Monophonic - “one sound”– Single line melody– Gregorian Chant
• Polyphonic– two or more independent lines
• Homophonic– all parts sing the same rhythm
Form
• The use of repetition, variation and/or contrast to structure a work
• Strophic – music material repeats• Binary – simple 2 part form
– Verse and chorus• Through composed
– No internal repetitions
But, Before the Renaissance...
Gregorian Chant• Organized and “approved” melodies for use at
Mass and other liturgical celebrations• Monophonic• Driven by the text• No implied meter• Conjunct motion
The Monotone MonkBrings Us……
Organum The addition of a
second voice
Which develops into the early motet and ushers in…..
Renaissance Music
Musicians in Society• 16th C Musicians
supported by the chief institutions of their society:– Church– City– State– Royal and
aristocratic courts
• Employment as:– Choirmasters– Singers– Organists– Instrumentalists– Copyists– Composers– Teachers– Instrument builders– Music
printers/publishers
Rise of the Merchant Class
• New group of music patrons
• Emergence of the amateur musician
• Printed music books become available
• Musical literacy spread dramatically
Frans Floris, The Van Berchem Family
General Characteristics ofMusical Style
• Lyrical melodies• Conjunct motion• Imitation• Modal harmonies• Tactus• Counterpoint – Polyphony• Contenance Angloise
Vocal Forms“The golden age of the a cappella style”
• A cappella – vocal music without instrumental accompaniment
• Smoothly gliding melodies• Polyphony – multiple voices• Continuous imitation
– Motives are exchanged between vocal lines –imitating each other
• Church Music – a cappella• Secular music – some a cappella, some
with instruments to support the vocals• Growth of solo instrumental music• Lute• Keyboard instruments• Turn from 5ths and octaves to 3rds and
6ths• Word painting – making music reflect the
meaning of the words• Cantus firmus
Sacred Music
• Music played a prominent part in the ritual of the church
• Gregorian chant as well as polyphonic settings of the Mass, motets and hymns
• Sung by professional singers, trained from childhood in cathedral schools
• The motet became a sacred form with a single Latin text for use in Mass and other religious services
• Motets in praise of the Virgin Mary were extremely popular
Josquin Des Prez and the Motet
• Classical virtues of balance and moderation
• Harmonious proportion• Clear form
• Exerted a powerful influence on generations of composers to follow
• Served in several courts and the papal choir
• Found inspiration in the art of Raphael
Prolific Writer
• More than 100 motets• 20 Masses• Numerous secular pieces including 70
French Chansons
• Listening Example – Ave Maria
Other Early Renaissance Composers of Note
John Dunstable
Guillame DuFay
Johannes Ockeghem
The Renaissance Mass• Proper – prayers that
change daily• Ordinary – always
the same – consists of:– Kyrie– Gloria– Credo– Sanctus– Agnus Dei
High Renaissance
• Religious Reform• National styles• Mannerism• Printing technology• Rise of instrumental
music
The Reformation• Luther – emphasis on congregational
singing in the vernacular• Chorale
– Stepwise, simple melody– Contrafacta
• Based on pre-existing tunes
• Listening Example – “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” – Jahann Walter
And in the Church of England…
• The Anthem– Sacred song with
English texts– Like a Latin motet
– contrapuntal and a cappella
• Psalter– Rhymed, metrical
translations of the psalms
Council of Trent• Counter-reformation• Included work with the poor, founding of
Jesuits, and Council of Trent• Council attempted to regulate every
aspect of religious discipline, including music
• Favored a pure vocal style that would respect the integrity of the sacred texts
• Master of reformed church music was……
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
• Organist and choirmaster at various churches, including St. Peter’s
• Appointed to the Sistine Chapel Choir
• Wrote over 100 Masses
• His manner of writing focused on the beauty and capacity of the human voice– Pure– Serene– celestial
Our wisest mortals have decided that music should
give zest to divine worship. If people take great pains to
compose beautiful music for profane songs, they should
devote at least as much thought to the sacred song,
nay, even more than to mere worldly matters.
Renaissance Secular Music
“Come sing to me a bawdy
song, make me merry.”
– Falstaff, in William
Shakespeare’s Henry IV
Early Secular Vocal Music• French Chanson
– “Formes fixes” – set patterns• Ballade• Virelai• rondeau
• German Leid– Based on German poetry– Tenorlied – melody in tenor part
• Italian Frottola– Tended to be rhythmic – repeating, dance-like
patterns
• Listening Example – “El Grillo”
Both professionals and amateurs took part in
music making.
Music was considered part of a proper upbringing for a young girl.
From the union of poetry and music arose three important secular genres:
French ChansonItalian MadrigalEnglish Madrigal
Chanson
• Favored genre at the courts of the Dukes of Burgundy and the King of France
• Usually written for 3 voices• Whimsical texts – light airy style• Lower parts meant to be played on
instruments– Homophonic– Emphasis on chords and vertical sonorities
• Ockeghem, Binchois, Du Fay, de Lassus
The Italian Madrigal• Aristocratic form of poetry and music• Short poem of reflective character• Often included emotional words of weeping,
sighing, trembling, dying– Word Painting
• Could be strophic of through composed• Popular topics
– Love and unsatisfied desire– Humor and satire– Political themes– Scenes and incidents of city and country life
The English Madrigal• Freely adapted the Italian style• Often included a “fa, la, la” refrain• Tended to be strophic rather than through
composed• Listening Example• Composers of note
– Morley– Weelkes– Wilbye– Dowland
• Listening Example – “Now is the Month of Maying” “Fair Phyllis”
Instrumental Music
Keyboards
• Organs–Positive–Portative
Virginal
Clavichord
Viola de gamba
There were many interesting and unusual wind instruments.
Check out
Musica Antiqua’sIllustrated Guide to Medieval and
Renaissance Instruments
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html
Instrumental Music Genres• Early renaissance based on vocal forms• Ricercar
– “to search”– Imitative – voices trying to find each other
• Toccata– “to touch”– Keyboard works with elaborate fingerings
• Fantasia– Free form– Composer explores limits of musical fantasies
Renaissance Dance Music
• Tended to be repetitive• Used for social dances which used specific
patterns of steps which repeated• Often binary form• Pavanne• Passamezzo• Bouree• Saltarello• Galliarde• Volta• Branle• Moresca• Rondo
The End