1. The Renaissance

2. What was the Renaissance?
Period following the middle ages ( )
“Rebirth” of classical Greece and Rome
Began in Italy
Moved to northern Europe

3. Causes of the Renaissance
Lessening of feudalism
Church disrespected
Nobility in chaos
Growth of Middle Class through trade
Fall of Constantinople
Greek scholars fled to Italy
Education
Nostalgia among the Italians to recapture the glory of the Roman empire

5. Objectives During the middle ages During the Renaissance Find God
Prove pre-conceived ideas
During the Renaissance
Find man
Promote learning

6. Northern and Late Renaissance
RELIGION/POLITICS – Reformation; much political & religious violence
IDEAS – a skeptical Humanism
ART – a realism of everyday life: PORTRAITS, LANDSCAPES; oil painting
MUSIC – conservative perfection (Palestrina) & new approaches (madrigals)

7. Renaissance
1st period to name itself and say nasty things about earlier times: “Gothic” & “Dark Ages”
Term means “Rebirth”
Looking back to Classical culture – Ancient Greece and Rome

8. Middle Ages - people were parts of a greater whole; members of a family, trade guild, nation, or Church
Renaissance - human beings first began to think of themselves as individuals

9. Timeline 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

10. Humanism Pursuit of individualism Basic culture needed for all
Recognition that humans are creative
Appreciation of art as a product of man
Basic culture needed for all
Life could be enjoyable
Love of the classical past

11. Renaissance Man Broad knowledge about many things in different fields
Deep knowledge of skill in one area
Able to link areas and create new knowledge

12. Realism
That painting is the most to be praised which agrees most exactly with the thing imitated.
- Leonardo da Vinci

13. Names! Artists known by name – 1st contemporary art historian (1550)
Individuality celebrated in this era

14. Shakespeare
Part of a general revival of theater, which we need to mention now, because OPERA is about to develop in the Baroque period.
HAMLET

15. Church is still the biggest power structure
Beginning of banking
Private fortunes & power
Starts in Italy – specifically Florence

16. Josquin Ave Maria . . . Michelangelo David Donatello David
Raphael
Leonardo
REFORMATION
Renaissance timeline
1400
1500
1600

17. Summary – Italian Renaissance
POLITICS – Italian city-states; power from money
EARLY RENAISSANCE – Florence
HIGH RENAISSANCE – Rome
ART – Classical ideals revived; BIG 3
IDEAS – Humanism returns
MUSIC – Josquin & imitative counterpoint

18. Add a third active line that goes well with the cantus firmus and the other line
The Old Way
Add a nice active line that goes well with the cantus firmus
Start with a bit of chant – a cantus firmus

19. The Emerging Way?
Still very “linear” in conception, especially in its emphasis on IMITATIVE COUNTERPOINT, but more “vertical” in organization? (Careful control of dissonance; favoring triads.)

20. Basic structure
Words dominate
Tone painting

21. Printed in part-book or opposing-sheet format
Originated in Italy
Printing
Printing
English madrigal
lighter & simpler
Printing
Printing
Intended for amateur performers (after dinner music)

22. (to the tune of the Beatles’ “Michelle”)
Josquin
(to the tune of the Beatles’ “Michelle”)
Josquin, the Man,
Wrote smooth counterpoint as no one can,
That guy Josquin.

23. Josquin Desprez
1st “Great Composer” glorified by contemporary and following generations
new approach to composition?

24. a piece by Josquin

25. Musical Notation Invented to publish books of music
Invented instruments
Instrumental arrangements appeared

26. The Reformation 1517 Martin Luther – a composer himself
Effort to reform creates new church
Sides with rulers against peasant revolts
Printing press disseminates The Word
Boost to individualism
Consequences for music: Mass gone; hymns

27. The Counter-Reformation

28. Giovanni Palestrina Adult life in Rome Reactionary period
Choirmaster, singer,/ director of music
Reactionary period
Church suppressed music that did not enhance words of the Mass
Polyphony was distracting
Works were conservative

29. Giovanni Palestrina Wrote over 100 masses Influenced later music
Gregorian chant
Mass in Honor of Pope Marcellus
Influenced later music
Buried in St. Peter’s Basilica
“The Prince of Music”

30. Palestrina
Chant a source of musical materials (revival & last gasp of cantus firmus technique)
Very refined; no text painting
Repetition avoided
“16th Century Counterpoint” still taught today – why? To teach control, focus & line
We usually celebrate innovators in history – Palestrina was a consolidator and perfecter of a soon-to-fade style

31.  Charming story, often told, but alas not true.
Palestrina – a story
The Church was about to ban polyphonic music from the church, because it obscured the sacred text.
In response, Palestrina then composed the Missa Papae Marcelli, which, depite its 6-part texture, features very clear text-setting.
The powers-that-be heard its merit & beauty and music was SAVED!
 Charming story, often told, but alas not true.

32. Secular Music New instruments Chansons favored in the court Madrigals
Courtly Love
Madrigals
Poetry and Music

33. Music at Court
Dances
Instrumentation unspecified; usually a consort (group) of a family of instruments of uniform timbre
Dances are collected into suites (Baroque) which evolve into symphonies (Classical)

34. Instrumental Music Still subordinate to vocal music
Used more often to accompany voices
Sometimes played adapted vocal music alone
Published music stated that parts could be sung or played
Dancing became ever more popular
Composers did not specify instrumentation

35. Music at Court Madrigals Origin of term obscure
A type of song for multiple voice parts
Text is a rhyming poem, usually with sections of repetition & is usually about
Love

36. Music at Court Madrigals Popular-at-court-&-wealthy-homes music
In Italy and England
Participatory, not passive music
text-painting
importance of words  homorhythmic texture 