Instrumental Music

Instruments Haut and bas (high and low) are also designations for loud and soft Consorts Instrument families built in sets of different sizes, covering a wide range

Wind and Percussion Instruments Recorders, transverse flutes, shawms, cornets, trumpets New instruments Sackbut (early form of trombone) Crumhorn (instrument with and enclosed double reed) Percussion instruments were more refined and diverse

String Instruments Lute Have six courses of strings and a round back The vihuela was a guitar-like Spanish instrument with a flat back that was closely related Viola de gamba (leg viol) Has frets and is bowed underhand Six strings tuned in fourths, with a M3 in the middle; tenor viol is tuned G-C-F-A-D’-G’ Violin Bowed, fretless, and tuned in 5ths First appearing in the 16th century with three strings and was used for dancing

Keyboard Instruments Organ Large church organs were installed by 1500—pedal keyboards were used only in Germany Clavichord Soft-sounding solo instrument for small rooms Tone is sustained until player releases key Player can control volume and vibrato Harpsichord Includes virginal (England), clavecin (France), and clavicembalo (Italy) Louder than clavichord but without dynamics and vibrato Strings were plucked, so the pitch wasn’t sustained

Types of Instrumental Music Dance music Social dancing was important for people of breeding Musicians improvised but composed music in the improvisational style was printed in books Each dance has a unique character, defined by meter, tempo, rhythmic pattern, and form

Dance Music continued Basse dance (low dance) Stately couple dance marked by gracefully raising and lowering the body Featured five different kinds of steps in various combos Dance pairs Often grouped in pairs or threes Favorite combo: slow duple and fast triple The two dances were often on the same theme—the second a variation of the first

English Virginalists Parthenia (1613) First published book for the virginal Contains music by William Byrd, John Bull (c. 1562-1628), and Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) Variation techniques Themes could remain intact throughout the set More commonly the theme was broken up by decorative figurations Pavana Lachrymae Composed by William Byrd (c. 1540-1623) Based on Dowland’s Flow, my tears Second of each pair of phrases is more active

Abstract Instrumental Music Introductory and improvisatory pieces Keyboard and lute players often improved the intro to a song Titles varied: prelude, fantasia ricercare Toccata Chief improv keyboard genre Ricercare Evolved into a motetlike succession of imitative sections Successive themes, each developing imitatively and overlapping Canzona Original compositions in this style appeared in 1580 They were light, fast moving, strongly rhythmic pieces Typical opening rhythmic figure was half note followed by two quarter notes

Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1555-1612) Worked for St. Marks from 1585-his death Composed for mulitiple choirs Composed the earliest substantial collections for large instrumental ensemble Polychoral motets Works for 2+ choirs Divided choirs was common Forces could be placed in the two organ lofts of St. Marks Ensemble canzonas Instrumental version of divided choirs Canzon septimi toni a 8 from Sacrae symphoniae https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS10f4c1wOI