Renaissance1450-1600
Renais
sance
In the history of music,
the period from 1450 – 1600 is known as the “Renaissance”.
The word Renaissance literally
means “rebirth”.
Renais
sance
The humanism movement
surfaced during the Renaissance period. This movement focused on
man and his accomplishments. Christianity and Catholic
Church were rocked by the
Protestant Reformer,
Martin Luther (1483 –
1546).
Renais
sance
Pe
riod
In the renaissance period, a
training in music is considered a must
for an educated person. • Everywhere, musicians worked
in towns, courts, and churches.
• The size of church choirs
multiplied. The choirs were predominantly
male.
Duri
ng t
he
Renais
sance
peri
od…
Although the church remained a patron of
music, the court became the center of
musical activity.
•
Composers were in demand by kings, dukes
and princesses.
•
The status of musicians was elevated and
they were paid higher.
•
The leading composers came from the
Netherlands.
•
Italy was the leading music center of the
Renaissance.
Renais
sance
The Renaissance period is sometimes referred to
as “The Golden Age of Polyphony”, because
vocal polyphony culminated to perfection.
IMPORTANT EVENTS THATHAPPENED DURING THE
RENAISSANCE
Events
duri
ng t
he
Renais
sance
Peri
od
Literally meaning “rebirth”, the Renaissance became a
rebirth of classical learning. • The writings of ancient
Greeks and Romans were rediscovered and
reevaluated.
Events
duri
ng t
he
Renais
sance
Peri
od
The chaotic feudal system of
the Middle Ages was replaced by
the hierarchal state led by the
urban bourgeois or despotic nobles.
• European view of the world was
expanded by the conquest of
Christopher Columbus and
Ferdinand Magellan.
Events
duri
ng t
he
Renais
sance
Peri
od
There was a change in the views of
the Earth and the cosmos as evidenced
by the astronomical studies of Nicolas
Copernicus and later, Galileo Galilei.
• The technology of printing
permitted the wider distribution of the work of
musical composers and enabled the
public to take a closer look at their
musicality.
MUSICAL CONTEXT OF THE
RENAISSANCE PERIOD
Musi
cal C
once
pt
of
Renais
sance
There has been no increase in
patronage of music greater
than in the Renaissance period.
• Music was supported to a
degree not previously seen by the civic
government and the rich
courts. Religious institutions also
supported music.
Musi
cal C
once
pt
of
Renais
sance
There was an exchange
of music between the conquered
and the conqueror. The Renaissance period
experienced territorial
expansions by Europeans and increased wealth
to European nations.
Musi
cal C
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pt
of
Renais
sance
Colonial expansion resulted in the flowing of great wealth
in European cities. An international
musical style was created due to travel and trade
of people to different
European countries.
Musi
cal C
once
pt
of
Renais
sance
Due to the increased
interest in humanist learning, music became an
experience art. Because
of the development of the printing press, music and its literature
became available to the people.
THE DISTINGUISHINGCHARACTERISTICS OFRENAISSANCE MUSIC
Chara
cteri
stic
s of
Renais
sance
Musi
c
The repertoire of instrumental
music expanded and the invention
of new musical instruments abound.
The instruments of the period
were enhanced. • Secular music was rising and was
more civilized, but spiritual music
still occupied a dominant position
during the period.
Chara
cteri
stic
s of
Renais
sance
Musi
c
Musical harmony was
more expressive and unrestrained during
the Renaissance as compared with the medieval period.
Poly
phonic
Te
chniq
ue
An important polyphonic technique,
imitation, surfaced. Imitation occurs
when one musical line shares or
imitates the sung musical theme of
the preceding line. This gives the
listeners the ability to decipher the musical
composition’s structure. The
Renaissance period between Joaquin
Deprez and Palestrina was known as
the “golden age of the polyphony”.
Voca
l P
oly
phony
Vocal polyphony culminated to a high
degree of perfection with equal
importance given to four or more
voices. The main forms of spiritual
polyphony are the masses and the
motets. Motets, madrigals, and songs
usually accompanied by a lute or a
small orchestra were the secular
vocal forms. Short polyphonics or dancing
music were the instrumental works of
the Renaissance period.
Chara
cteri
stic
s of
Renais
sance
Musi
c
The use of church modes or
modality still predominates
sacred and secular music. • There is the prevalence in
musical compositions of clarity, balance
and euphony in moderation. There
are no extreme contracts in rhythm
and tone color.
Chara
cteri
stic
s of
Renais
sance
Musi
c
Musical literature flourished
due to the innovation of printing
press. • Acapella singing in the church music
developed. It is singing
without accompaniment or chorus
without instrumental backup.
THE VOCAL FORMS DURING
THE RENAISSANCE
Mote
t
It is one of the most important forms of
polyphonic music form in circa 1250 –
1750. • A motet is an unaccompanied choral
accompaniment based on a Latin sacred
text and designed to be performed in the
Catholic service, chiefly at vespers.
• The renaissance motet is a unified piece
with all voices singing the same text. It
is serious and primarily designed for
worship services
Mass
Mass is a music for the Catholic church
worship. The leading Italian composer of
the Renaissance period was Giovanni
Pierluigu da Palestrina (1525 – 1594). He
wrote music for the Catholic church which
were highly regarded as models of church
music because of their serenity.
• One of Palestrina’s best masses was Pope
Marcellus Mass written for an acapella
choir of a soprano, alto, two tenors, and
two bases. The six voices imitate each
other and blend well.
Madri
gal
The madrigal is an important
secular vocal music of the Renaissance
period. It is a musical composition for solo
voices. Its subject is sentiment and
love. It is sung at social
gatherings in the court and
meetings of artistic and learned societies,
unlike the motets which are sung in
church. It is accompanied by a lute or a
harpsichord.
Madri
gal
“April is in My Mistress’ Face” by
Thomas Morley is a well – known English Madrigal.
• The madrigal began in
Italy and swept England.
THE BASIC INSTRUMENTOF THE RENAISSANCE
Inst
rum
ents The singing of secular
music is accompanied by instruments.
Lute
One of the most popular instrumentals
of the Renaissance is
the lute which is played by plucking. • It has a pear – shaped
body, frets and a varying number of strings. Its peg is slanted back sharply from the rest of the instrument.
Gio
vanni D
a
Pale
stri
na
Palestrina (1525 – 1594),
an Italian, considered as
the prolific writer of sacred vocal polyphony,
wrote masses, motels,
hymns, and other sacred
works for the Catholic
Church.
Orl
ando d
i Lass
o
Di Lasso (1532 – 1594), a
Flemish composer, wrote
musical compositions of
sacred and secular nature.
He is subjective and passionate in his creations.
Di Lasso wrote Italian
madrigals, Latin masses
and motets, and German
lieder. • The Penitential Psalms of
David is a Lasso creation.
Cla
udio
M
onte
verd
i
Monteverdi (1567 – 1643), an Italian composer, composed music for operas utilizing chordal accompaniment. Among
his works are the Return of Ulysses and
The Coronation of Poppea.
Revi
ew
Renaissance Period is from 1450 –
1600. • Renaissance means “rebirth”.
• Vocal forms are motet, mass, and
madrigal. • The lute is the basic instrument of the
Renaissance period.
• The composers are Giovanni da
Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso and
Claudio Monteverdi.
Quiz
1.This term literally means rebirth.
2.This is the basic instrument of the
Renaissance period.
3.Other term for the Renaissance
period; This was named so because vocal polyphony
culminated to perfection during
Renaissance. 4.He was considered as the prolific
writer of sacred vocal polyphony. He wrote
masses, motels, hymns, and other sacred works
for the Catholic Church.
5.Leading music center of Renaissance.
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