More Renaissance

Josquin Desprez ( ) Franco-Flemish Composer Most of work in Italy Courts of Duke of Ferrara; Papal choir of Rome, Duke of Milan Last appointment: Collegiate church of Conde 100 motets, 17 masses, numerous secular pieces

Palestrina Palestrina became famous through his output of sacred music. He had an enormous influence on the development of Roman Catholic church music, and his work has often been seen as the culmination of Renaissance polyphony Palestrina left hundreds of compositions, including 105 masses, 68 offertories, and more than 300 motets. In addition, there are at least 72 hymns, 35 magnificats, 11 litanies, and four or five sets of lamentations. He also composed at least 140 madrigals

Renaissance secular Music Both for professionals and amateurs Music in noble courts : professionals Rise of merchant class: music in home more popular Most “middle class” homes had lute or keyboard instrument Music study proper for girls Women more prominent roles in performance of music

Secular music renaissance Professional women singers (singers of Ferrara) Dancing outlet for music Marriage of music and poetry came 2 secular genres :Chanson and Madrigal Music was used to enhance poetry:Pierre de Ronsard.Francesco Petrarch Structures of French and Italian poetry influenced the music

Chanson Favorite genre of dukes of Burgundy and kinds of France Written for 3 voices; one or both lover voices played on instruments Music set to love poetry of French renaissance Forms of poems :rondeau, ballade, virelai Established character of setting and musical repetition of sections Recurrent refrains were represented in music

Chanson Some had more simpler expression of love L’autre d’antan (The other year) by Johannes Ockeghem ( ) 16th century chanson set in 4 voices in homophonic or choral style

Madrigals (Italian, English) Most popular: Italian and English Chief form of secular music Aristocratic form of poetry and music;flourished in small Italian courts (italian) Text was short poem or lyric including emotional words for weeping,trmbling,etc… Love and lost not only topics :humor,satire,political themes, city and country life

Italian Madrigals Instruments participated, sometimes replacing voices Some only top part (melody) was sung while other lines were on instruments

Italian Madrigals 3 Periods (1st, 2nd, last) 1st :composers concern was to make performance of madrigals easy for amateurs, no virtuosic techniques 2nd: art form directed towards listener Last: extends in Baroque period; became direct expression of composers personality and feelings Description: rich chromatic harmony, vocal virtuosity, depiction of emotional words in music Two masters of late Madrigal: Luca Marenzio and Claudio Monteverdi

English Madrigal 1st collection of Italian madrigals published in England appeard in 1588 (Musica transalpina):Music from beyond the Alps Text translated into English; preferred simpler text Most known:”Fair Phyllis” by John Farmer

Farmer: Fair Phyllis Typical English madrigal :pastoral text and gay(happy) mood Repeated sections,contrapuntal imitation (counterpoint copied);overlapped and obscured meter Changes from homophonic to polyphonic texture Word painting (stole from Italians) I.E. “Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone”,set for 1 voice Madrigals gave composers new opportunities to combine music and poetry; led to opera

Renaissance instruments Winds Flutes: recorder, transverse flute Brass: trumpet, sackbut (predecessor of the trombone) Cornett (played with cupped mouthpiece and made of wood or ivory) Uncapped double reeds: shawm (predecessor of the modern oboe), curtal (predecessor of the modern bassoon), racket Capped double reeds: crumhorn, Rauschpfeif, cornemuse Plucked Strings Gut-strung: lute, vihuela, guitar, harp (arpa doppia and diatonic) Metal or wire strung: cittern, bandora (or pandora), orpharion Bowed Strings Unfretted bowed strings: fiddles (rebec, vielle, kit), lira di braccio, violin family Fretted bowed strings: viols (viola da gamba) Keyboard Organ: large church organ, positive, regals (small reed organ) Clavichord (strings struck with metal tangents) Harpsichord, virginal, spinet (strings plucked by quills) Percussion Drums: tabor (as in pipe and tabor), side drum, timpani, kettle drum (often with military uses or associations) Metallophones: cymbals, triangles, xylophone

Renaissance Instruments More info on medieval and renaissance instruments trumt.html