1. The Renaissance

2. Where was Music? Church Courts Towns
Still importance, but decreasing in importance
Courts
Nobility brought their musicians when traveling to different courts
Towns
Weddings
Religious services

3. Musicians Higher status Higher pay Women as virtuoso singers
Wanted credit for their work

4. Characteristics of Music
Words and Music
Emotions
“Word painting”
Mostly polyphonic
Using more harmonies
Vocal music and instrumental music still separate

5. Sacred Music Forms Composers
Motet – a polyphonic choral work set to Latin text
Mass – a polyphonic choral work made up of the Mass Ordinary
Composers
Josquin dez Prez ( )
Works influenced other composers
Ave Maria…Virgo Serena (Hail Mary…Serene Virgin)
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina ( )
Italian
Music director for St. Peter’s church
Pope Marcellus Mass (Agnus Dei)

6. Council of Trent 1545-1563 Wants to strengthen Catholic church
Music discussion
Gregorian chant vs. Polyphony
Chose polyphony because it “inspired religious contemplation”

7. Secular Music Vocal music set to poems Music printing Word painting
Composers imitated bird calls and street sounds
Music was a mandatory part of education
An important entertainment activity

8. Secular Music, cont. Forms Madrigal
For several solo voices set to a short poem
Usually about love
Word painting
Started in Italy and moved west to England
English madrigal lighter and more humorous
Composers
Carlo Gesualdo (Italy)
Thomas Weelkes (England)
As Vesta Was Descending

9. As Vesta Was Descending
As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending
She spied a maiden queen the same ascending
Attended on by all the shepherds swain,
To whom Diana’s darlings came running down amain.
First two by two,
Then three by three together
Leaving their goddess all alone, hasted tither
And mingling with the shepherds of her train
With mirthful tunes her presence entertain.
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live fair Oriana!

10. Secular Music, cont Forms, cont. Instrumental music
Indoor instruments (harpsichord, organ, lute)
Outdoor instruments (sackbut, shawm, recorder)
Dancing
Gavotte

11. Activity Get with a partner
Read and copy the lyrics to Thomas Weelkes’ Four Arms, Two Necks, and One Wreathing
Using the concept of word painting, underline certain words (your choice) and explain what you would do to demonstrate those words through music
Each group needs a minimum of 7 underlined words