The Renaissance

1. The Renaissance Era
~1425 - 1600
 Period of recovery from the Middle Ages
(also known as the “Dark Ages”)
 Arts and sciences were revived.
 French word for “rebirth”
 Age of humanism--intellectual and cultural
movement that explored human interests
and values through science, philosophy,
literature, painting, sculpture, and music
Listen to This 2-1
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

2. Renaissance Music(1450-1600)
 Humanism-union of pagan & Christian beliefs
 Emphasis on the human & nature vs the otherworldly &
divine
 Affect on Fine Arts: Use of balance & order
 Individual achievement important
 Belief that all things were knowable with the right kind of study
Listen to This 2-2
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

3. The Renaissance Period
(1450-1600): Background
 A “rebirth” in Europe after the Plague (Italy,
1348) and the Hundred Years’ War (England vs.
France, 1337-1453)
 Interest revived in Greek and Roman arts,
philosophy, architecture, science, and
mathematics
 The age of exploration: Christopher Columbus,
Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan.
 Rebirth of science: Nicolai Copernicus and
Galileo Galilei.
Listen to This 2-3
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

4. The Renaissance Era
Background
 Economic growth, particularly in Italy and the Low
Countries (i.e., modern-day Belgium and the
Netherlands)
 New World “discovered” by Columbus in 1492.
 Kingdoms, duchies, city-states got bigger and
richer.
 Ideal “Renaissance Man”--knowledge of a variety
of arts and sciences
 Human reason and individuality became very
important values.
 Movable type invented in mid-15th century. Music
printing established by 1500.
Listen to This 2-4
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

5. Renaissance Artists
 Botticelli
 Michelangelo
 Leonardo da
Vinci
 Raphael
Listen to This 2-5
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

6. The Renaissance Era
Background
 Protestant Reformation--1517--Martin
Luther nailed his list of complaints to the
Church door; was the beginning of a large
split in the Catholic church, called the
“Reformation.”
 Counter-Reformation--attempts to hold
onto the Catholic liturgy and doctrine in the
face of Protestantism
Listen to This 2-6
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

7. The Renaissance Era
Music
 Composers brought words and music
together in unity better than ever before.
 Sound was based on polyphony--equal
voice parts.
 Most music had 3, 4, 5, or even 6 parts.
 Strong attention to text being sung, even
when polyphonic melodies were complex
Listen to This 2-7
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

8. Renaissance Music
 1450
 Beginning of today’s voice arrangement
 Superius-soprano
 Altus-alto
 Tenor
 Bassus-bass
Listen to This 2-8
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

9. Musical Compositions
(Genres) of the
Renaissance
 Masses: settings of the Ordinary of the
Mass
 Polyphonic texture
 Madrigals: secular songs, originating in
the Italian courts and spreading to other
countries
 Secular songs about romantic love or
nature
 Settings of sonnets or pious devotions
Listen to This 2-9
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

10. Musical Compositions
(Genres) of the
Renaissance
 Motets: sacred or secular pieces in
polyphonic style
 Each part had different words.
 One part in a secular motet was based on
a chant in long notes: called the cantus
firmus.
 Generally 3 parts during this period
Listen to This 2-10
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

11. Characteristics of
Renaissance Music
 Texture
 Primarily polyphonic
 Rhythm & Melody
 Each melodic line has greater rhythmic independence
 Scale with larger leaps vs. more step-wise movement
 Words & Music
 Vocal music more important than instrumental
 Word painting
Listen to This 2-11
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

12. Josquin des Prez
 ca. 1450-1521
 Born in Flanders(Belgium)
 Greatest composer of the early
Renaissance
 Contemporary of da Vinci
 Known for chansons(French
polyphonic songs) & motets
 Demanded high salary, changed
jobs often
 Hired by Duke of Ferrara to be a
composer for his court
 Other compositions:
 Missa Pange Lingua (a Mass)
 Missa La Sol Fa Re Mi (another
Mass)
 Ave Maria. . . virgo serena
Listen to This 2-12
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

13. Ave Maria…Virgo serena
(Hail Mary…Serene Virgin); 1475
 4-voice motet
 Latin prayer to the Holy
Virgin
 Uses polyphonic repetition,
overlapping of phrases
 Adapted melody from
Gregorian chant, but rest of
motet not based on chant
 Varies texture, imitation in
upper voices
 Change from triple to duple
meter
Listen to This 2-13
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

14. Josquin des Prez
• Quote from Martin Luther- “God has His Gospel
preached also through the medium of music; this may be
seen from the compositions of Josquin, all of whose works
are cheerful, gentle, mild, and lovely; they flow and move
along and are neither forced not coerced and bound by rigid
and stringent rules, but, on the contrary, are like the song of
the finch.”
Listen to This 2-14
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

15. Chaper 5: Josquin des
Prez--“The Cricket”
 Polyphonic--4 distinct voices, equally
important
 Uses word painting--(e.g., long notes on
words “hold a long line” and chirping
sounds which imitate a cricket)
 Music written to a humorous poem; an
attempt to enhance the spirit of the poetry
Listen to This 2-15
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

16. Josquin des Prez--“The
Cricket”
 Texture--4 distinct voices, equally
important
 Soprano (highest range--usually female)
 Alto (second-highest range--usually
female)
 Tenor (second-lowest range--male)
 Bass (lowest range--male)
 Voices move together rhythmically
throughout most of the piece.
Listen to This 2-16
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

17. Josquin des Prez--“The
Cricket”
 Written in a style known as counterpoint.
 Every voice is a good melody rather than
one melody with accompanying voices.
 Can be very intricate and complex.
 Comes from the Latin, contrapunctum,
meaning “note-against-note.”
 In this recording, all 4 voices are male. The
upper two voices are sung in falsetto.
 Written so it could be played on instruments
OR sung. Typical in the Renaissance
Period.
Listen to This 2-17
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

18. Josquin des Prez--“The
Cricket”
 Word painting is extensive throughout the
piece.
 Long melisma among the 4 voices when
the cricket sings of “love.”
 Form: Three parts, known as ternary form
 Described as ABA (B is a contrasting
section to A)
 Each section has clearly distinctive
music.
Listen to This 2-18
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

19. A Woodcut Image of
Josquin des Prez
Listen to This 2-19
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

20. Portrait of Martin Luther by
Lucas Cranach the Elder
 A theologian and a
composer
 Wrote “A Mighty
Fortress is Our God”
 A German monk who
nailed a list of
complaints against
the Catholic Church
on the door of a
church in Wittenberg
Listen to This 2-20
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

21. The Reformation
 1517 The Ninety-Five
Theses
 Music for Congregational
Participation
 Beginning of Lutheran
Chorale with text & tune
only
 Similar to today’s hymns
Listen to This 2-21
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

22. The Renaissance Period
(1450-1600): Background
 The power of the Catholic Church diminished,
as new denominations sprung up.
 The Catholic Church launched a
“Counterreformation” as a reaction to this.
 The most prominent composer of the
Counterreformation was Palestrina.
Listen to This 2-22
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

23. The Counter-Reformation
 Council of Trent
 Church felt threatened by Protestant Reformation
 Music under attack
 Had strayed from Chant
 Complaints about use of secular tunes
 Complicated polyphony making words hard to
understand
 Noisy instruments, bad singers
Music should be purged of “barbarism, obscurities, contrarieties, and
superfluities” so that “House of God should be house of prayer.”
Desiderius Erasmus
Listen to This 2-23
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

24. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
(1525-1594)
 Appointed Choirmaster of
Capella Giulia, Vatican by Pope
Julius III
 Published first book of Masses
 Dismissed from position after
marrying
 Published first book of motets;
104 masses, approx. 450 other
sacred works
 Returned to Vatican in 1571,
two eldest sons & wife died
 Remarried, went into fur
business, published 16
collections of music
 Died 1594
Listen to This 2-24
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

25. Pope Marcellus Mass-
Kyrie, (1562-1563)
 Most famous mass
 Was thought to convince Council of Trent that
polyphonic masses should be kept in Catholic
worship; not true, but does reflect need of
understanding text
 Dedicated to Pope Marcellus II
 Written for a capella choir
 Six voice parts
 Rich polyphonic texture, imitation
Listen to This 2-25
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

26. The Madrigal
 Most popular form of secular
music
 Originating in the Italian courts
and spreading to other countries
 Similar to and different from
motets
 Many found in the Squarcialupi
Codex, showing uses for voices
singing same text
 Written for small group of
singers, imitative entrances of
new text, singable vocal lines,
more polyphonic
 Songs about romantic love or
nature, chivalry, spinning
Listen to This 2-26
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

27. The Madrigal
 Not limited by religious traditions
 More innovative musical ideas
 English madrigals popular
 Text in English
 Composers make lines tuneful & singable
 Not taken too seriously
Listen to This 2-27
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

28. Important Differences between
Motets & Madrigals
 Vernacular languages
 Deal with sentimental/erotic love
 Have stronger & more regular rhythm, faster tempo
 Sung at social gatherings of learned, artistic societies
 Popular among higher classes
 Written down & composed
 Contain text or word painting-music depicts word
being sung
Listen to This 2-28
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

29. Thomas Weelkes
 ca. 1575-1623  A professional
 An English musician with a
composer who degree in music from
lived during the New College, Oxford
age of  Organist at Chichester
Shakespeare Cathedral-most
 During reigns musically productive
of Elizabeth I years
and James I  Also wrote sacred
 Fascinated music
with Italian  Lost his job at the
poetry and Cathedral in 1617
music, because of blasphemy
including Italian and drunkenness
madrigal
Listen to This 2-29
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

30. As Vesta Was From Latmos Hill
Descending
 The Triumphs of Oriana-anthology
of madrigals composed in honor
of Elizabeth I
 Vesta-Roman goddess of hearth
& home
 Diana-goddess of the hunt,
chastity, moon
 Text-Vesta comes down hill with
attendants(Diana’s darlings);
Oriana, “maiden queen,” climbs
hill with shepherds; Vesta’s
attendants leave to join her
Listen to This 2-30
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

31. As Vesta Was From Latmos Hill
Descending
 Major use of word painting –
 words like “ascending” &
“descending” set with scales that
move in said direction;
 as Vesta’s attendants leave to run
down hill, appropriate number of
singers mirror text- 3, 2, then 1;
 “Long” is longest note
 Rhythmic setting effective, contributes
to expressiveness
Listen to This 2-31
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

32. Instrumental Music
 Instruments often accompanied singing of secular
music
 Players simplified written parts using chords
 Lute-Most popular instrument
 Instruments used exclusively for dance music
 Pavane, Galliard, ballade, rondeau
Listen to This 2-32
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

33. Instruments of the Renaissance
 Dulcian
 Viol de gamba
 Harp/lyre
 Hirten
 Lizard
Listen to This 2-33
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

34. Instruments of the Renaissance
 Lute
 Organet
 Psaltery
 Sackbut
 Serpent
Listen to This 2-34
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

35. Instruments of the Renaissance
 Shawm
 Shofar
 Tenor viol
 Flute
 Tenor recorder
Listen to This 2-35
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458