Music: An Appreciation 9-10 th Edition by Roger Kamien Part III The Renaissance

Time-Line Renaissance (1450-1600) Fall of Constantinople (1453) Guttenberg Bible—1456 Columbus reaches America—1492 Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa—c. 1503 Michelangelo: David—1504 Raphael: School of Athens—1505 Martin Luther’s 95 theses—1517 Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet—1596

The Renaissance Rebirth of human learning and creativity Time of great explorers and adventures Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan Humanism (focused on human life) Fascination w/ ancient Greece & Rome Visual art becomes more realistic Mythology is favorite subject Nude body, as in ancient times, is shown

The Renaissance (contin.) Weakening of the Catholic Church –Less powerful than during Middle Ages Education & literacy now status symbol Result of invention of printing press More books printed Curiosity and individualism (Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci). Interest in realism

Ch. 1: Music in the Renaissance Church choirs grew in size (all male) Rise of the individual patron Musical center shifted from Church to courts Court composers wrote secular & sacred music Musicians: higher status & pay than before Composers became known for their work Every educated person is expected to play music Many composers were Franco-Flemish Worked throughout Europe, especially in Italy Italy became music capital in 16th Century Other important centers: Germany, England & Spain

Characteristics of Renaissance Music Words and Music Vocal music more important than instrumental Word painting: musical representation of specific poetic images Balanced way of expression: no extreme contrasts of dynamics, tone color or rhythm Texture Polyphonic mostly (4,5 or 6 voice parts) Homophonic is also used Primarily vocal- Golden age of “a cappella” Instruments, if present, doubled the vocal parts

Characteristics of Renaissance music (contin.) Imitation is common Fuller sound than medieval: bass register Mild and relaxed: consonant chords Rhythm and Melody Rhythm “flows” and overlaps Composers less concerned with metrical accents Smooth, stepwise melodies predominate Melodies overlap rhythmically between voices

Ch. 2: Sacred Music in the Renaissance Two main forms: Motet Short polyphonic choral work Latin text usually overlaid with vernacular text and other than the ordinary of the Mass. Often borrows lowest voice part from a chant Mass—the Catholic worship service Long work that includes 5 main parts of service Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus Agnus Dei

Josquin Desprez (1440-1521) Flemish composer from Belgium, contemporary of Columbus & Leonardo da Vinci) Leading composer of his time—famous Ave Maria…..virgo serena: 4-voice motet Texture is varied (polyphonic and homophonic) Duple/triple meter change

Listening Ave Maria…virgo serena Josquin Desprez Four voices Polyphonic imitation Overlapping voice parts

Palestrina (1525-1594) Italian Composer Worked primarily in Rome Music director at St. Peter’s Worked during and after Council of Trent Council of Trent (1545-1563) addressed: Abuses & malpractice within Church Emerging Protestantism Role of music in worship Some advocated a return to monophonic music Finally decided on non-theatrical worship music 104 masses and some 450 other sacred works His work became the model for mass composers

Listening Pope Marcellus Mass by Palestrina Kyrie- 1st section of the mass Kyrie Eleison Christe Eleison

Ch. 3: Secular Music in the Renaissance Vocal music: groups of solo voices with the accompaniment. Word painting was common Madrigal – a piece for several solo voices set to a short poem, usually about love. Combines homophonic and polyphonic textures. More unusual harmonies. Intended for amateur performers (after dinner music) Originated in Italy around 1520. Became popular in England. English madrigals are lighter and more humorous than Italian Famous composers: Marenzio and Gesualdo

Listening As Vesta was Descending (1601) by Thomas Weelkes Follow text (English) throughout song Note text painting: Pitches rise on “ascending” Pitches fall on “descending” “Running down” “Two by two,” “three by three,” “all alone”

The Renaissance Ballet (Fa-La) A simpler type of secular vocal music A dance-like song for several voices Mostly homophonic in structure. Fa-la syllables are used as refrain Now Is the Month of Maying (1595) by Thomas Morley (1557-1603), English composer Each stanza: AA – refrain – BB - refrain

Instrumental Music Still subordinate to vocal music Becomes more independent Sometimes played adapted vocal music alone Most music is intended for dance: Pavane or Passamezzo (duple meter) Galliard (triple meter) Purely instrumental music existed almost exclusively for dancing Dancing became ever more popular during the Renaissance Distinction between loud outdoor instruments and softer indoor ones Composers did not specify instrumentation

Renaissance instruments (partial list) Harpsichord Organ Lute Recorder Trumpet Cornett Sackbut Viol Regal (small organ with reed pipes) Shawm

Ch. 4 The Venetian School: from Renaissance to Baroque 16th century Venice – a center of instrumental and vocal music Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli Music directors and organists of St. Mark’s Cathedral Venetian choral music of late 16th Century contains parts specifically written for instruments Two widely separated choirs each with organ (stereophonic first attempt)

Giovanni Gabrieli (1555-1612) and the polychoral motet The most important Venetian composer of the late Renaissance before Monteverdi Polychoral motets – motets for 2 or more choirs, often with instrumentalists Giovanni’s motets are brilliant, sonorous with contrasts of register Plaudite (Clap Your Hands), 1597. Written for a large vocal and instrumental ensemble of 12 voice parts divided into 3 choirs: low, middle and high register choirs Pian e forte sonata: first to specify dynamics and exact instrumentation