Renaissance

Important People  Shakespeare ( )  Copernicus ( )  Magellan ( )  Leonardo da Vinci ( )

Leonardo da Vinci

Printing Music!!!  Printing from movable type  C. 1450: “Gutenberg Bible”  Ottaviani Petrucci (Venice): first to apply this concept to music  1501: 3 impressions (staff, notes, text)  1520: 1 impression

Renaissance Music  Smoother, more homogenous sound  Texture: Homophony with “points of imitation” (counterpoint)  Instrumental music gradually gains in importance (more of this music is preserved)  Gradual use of greater chromaticism  New tuning systems evolve  More expressive music and text more closely aligned

English Music in the 1400s  English music always tended towards homophony & a feeling of “sweeter” tonality  More use of 3rds and 6ths  Carol: religious poem set in popular style  Alternates between 2 and 3 voice texture  When two voices: lots of parallel 6 th

John Dunstable (c December 24, 1453)  Most important English composer of this era  His style: important influence on European composers (He worked in both France and England)  Wrote: Isorhythmic Motets, Settings of the Ordinary of the Mass, other sacred & secular compositions  Quam pulchra es: Homorhythmic and Triadic Quam pulchra es

Guillaume Dufay (c )  Most famous composer of the era  Born near Brussels  Illegitimate son of a priest & an unmarried woman  Worked in Italy & ended up as Canon of Cathedral in Cambria (NE France)  Wrote: masses, isorhythmic, motets, rondeau, ballades, secular songs

“Burgundian” Masses  Cantus Firmus Masses:  Use the same melody in the tenor of each movement of the Ordinary of the Mass  Tenor: could be chant OR the tenor of polyphonic secular song  If the tenor was from a polyphonic song, the mass would often be called by the title of the song.  Thus Mass L’ homme armeMass L’ homme arme  Tenor: would be written in relatively long note values and could receive isorhythmic treatment, except when it comes from a popular song in which case it will retain the original rhythm, often in prolonged note values  SATB  Tends towards fauxbourdon textures  Example: Ballade- Se la face ay pale; missa Sa la face ay paleSe la face ay pale

Josquin des Prez (c )  Born in N. France (near Belgium) (in land controlled by the Dukes of Burgundy)  1470s: Worked for Duke Anjou  Moved to Italy  Worked for Sforza family, rulers of Milan, in 1480s  : Member of the Papal Choir  : Worked for King Louis XII of France  1504: Provost of Church of Notre Dame in native region (Conde sur l’Escaut)

Josquin des Prez Music  Motets  Chansons (including instrumental works)  Masses  “Imitation” Mass (Imitating a pre-existing work) (“Parody Mass”)  “Paraphrase” Mass: paraphrasing (using) pre-existing melodies in all four voices  Homophonic sections alternate with imitative sections  Use of “text depiction” (word painting) and “text expression” (overall mood)

Reformation  Started with Martin Luther ( )  Monk, priest, and “Doctor of the church” (taught at University of Wittenburg)  Posted his “95 Thesis” on the door of a Church (initially, primarily opposed to the sale of “indulgences”) on October 31, 1517  Ultimately, came into conflict with the Pope and was excommunicated in 1521  This lead to the formation of the Lutheran Church and the beginning of Protestantism (“Reformation”), which spread rapidly, especially throughout Northern Europe.  Developed the Lutheran theology which departed from Catholicism in a number of ways  Translated the Bible into the vernacular  Wrote music that encouraged congregational singing

Early Lutheran Church  Retained much of Latin chant & polyphony  Some of the Latin: translated into German  German Mass: Published by Luther in 1526

Lutheran Chorale  Most important (musical) innovation of the Lutheran Church  Originally, just a text and a tune (monophonic)  Intended for congregational singing  Strophic  In German  Simple rhythms (Syllabic)  Many text & some melodies written by Luther himself  “Ein Feste Burg:” one of the most famousEin Feste Burg  Also, “Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland”Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland

Reformation Music Outside Germany  Calvin & other Protestant sects opposed Catholic liturgy, ceremony, and music much more than the Lutherans  Prohibited singing any texts or hymns  Notable musical contribution: Psalter (Psalms used as texts for hymns)

Protestant Church in England  England separates from Rome: 1534  Orlando Gibbons ( )  William Byrd (1540-July 4, 1623)

William Byrd  English composer  Remained a Catholic, wrote for both Catholic & Anglican Churches  Post with Chapel Royal  In contact with the English court: Queen Elizabeth ( ; Reigned from ): Moderate Protestant; enjoyed elaborate ritual & music  Very influential composer  Wrote 470 works  Songs, Madrigals, Masses, Anglican Church Music, Instrumental Music (Consort Music)  Students included Thomas Morley & Thomas Tomkins  Example: Sing joyfully unto GodSing joyfully unto God

Italian Madrigal  Most important genre of Italian secular music in the 16th century  Originated in Italy in the 1520s  Characteristics  Through composed  Sung at aristocratic gatherings  For mixed voices (Female and Male)  Texts were poems of serious nature (Petrarch)  In 4 and later 5 and 6 parts  Intended for performance with one on a part  Instruments could double or substitute for one or more parts

Cipriano de Rore ( )  Franco-Flemish composer who worked in Italy  Leading Madrigalist of his generation  Also wrote Masses & Motets/worked at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice  Taught by Franco-Flemish composer Jacob (Jacques) Arcadelt

Instrumental Genres  Dance Music  Arrangements of vocal music  Settings of existing melodies  Variations  Abstract instrumental works

Instrumental Usage  Instruments often used in “blended” ensembles of matching instruments of varying sizes  Notion of a “family” of instruments playing together: “Consort” of instruments  Example: used for banquets  Notion also of “loud” (“haut”) vs. soft (“bas”) instruments  Example: used for Queen Elizabeth going to sleep

Instrument Families Crumhorn Family Viola da Gamba Family Lute Family Recorder Family

Other Instruments Sackbut Vihuela Virginal

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525/ )  Probably born in Palestrina (n. Rome)  Organist & choirmaster at Cathedral in Palestrina ( )  1550: Bishop at Palestrina: elected Pope (became Pope Julius III):  Palestrina’s first & most influential patron  Brought Palestrina to Rome  1551: Appointed to Julian Chapel, Rome  1555: Admitted to Papal Chapel  1555: Next Pope: Pope Marcellus, who only reigned for 6 weeks  Palestrina ultimately dedicated one of his masses to this Pope: the “Pope Marcellus Mass” that reputedly “saved” polyphony for the churchPope Marcellus Mass  Stays in Rome for the rest of his life, positions at Julian Chapel & other churches in Rome  1580: Wife died of the plague  1581: Married a wealthy widow; continued to compose, publish his music, etc.  Commissioned to revise official chant books in line with recommendations from Council of Trent  Wrote 104 Masses, over 300 Motets, many other scared liturgical works  Early in his life, also wrote some secular madrigal

Palestrinian Style  Known as the “Stile autico” or “Stile Palestrina:” imitated, studied, and held as a model by many successive generations  Used cantus firmus for a few of his compositions  Tends towards 4 rather than 5 or 6 parts  Avoids chromaticism  Step-wise motion in voices (“chant-like”)  Flowing melodies  Dissonances resolved  Rhythmic flow: gently marked feeling of cut time or common time  Very transparent texture  Use of homorhythm/imitation  Text expression/text depiction

Council of Trent  Catholic Church’s way of dealing with Reformation  Referred to as the “Counter- Reformation”  Music had too much congregational singing, couldn’t understand the words, and there were instruments and chromaticism  Thought about going back to chanting  Palestrina’s “Pope Marcellus Mass” saved polyphonic music