Chapter 7: The Renaissance (1400-1600)

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Chapter 7 The Renaissance(1400-1600)
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Music

• Musical Style
• A cappella music
• (vocal work without instrumental accompaniment)
• Repetition and contrast were most common
  principle of organization
• Repetition of melodic line by various voices
• Contrast of melodies within various sections of
  the text
• Word painting
• The music was written to reinforce the meaning of
  the text
• Melody moving up the scale on the word
  ascending
• More use of duple meter even in sacred music

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Music

• Josquin Desprez (c. 1440-1521)
• Noted for the expressiveness in his music
• Motet - Ave Maria . . . Virgo serena
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)
• Noted for the restrained, serene, celestial sound
  of his music - making it ideal for the catholic
  churchs counter-reformation
• Pope Marcellus Mass - Gloria
• Written possibly to satisfy the Council of Trent
  which was concerned about the use of too much
  polyphony which made the text unintelligible, as
  well as the use of popular songs and the use of
  instruments in religious services - the secular
  spirit invading sacred music

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Music

• Madrigal
• Originated in Italy - Later adopted by the
  English with a simpler, lighter style
• Weelkes - As Vesta Was Descending
• Use of word painting
• Chanson
• Favorite genre in the courts of France Burgundy
• Usually written for three or four voices to texts
  of courtly love poetry.

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Music

• Instruments
• Instrumental music developed from dances
• For solo instruments or small ensembles
  (major/minor)
• The large family of viols, recorders and the lute
  (one of the most common solo instruments) along
  with such keyboard instruments as the harpsichord
  and virginal were often used to double or
  substitute for voice parts in madrigals,
  chansons, and Lieds.
• Wind instruments, shawms, crumhorns, cornets, and
  sackbuts were more often played outdoors.

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Review

• General Characteristics
• Renaissance (literally, rebirth) continues
  development of humanism begun in Gothic period
• Patronage - church vs secular
• Italys location on the primary trade route from
  the east made it a center of cultural activity
• Florence (the Medici family), Rome, Venice, had
  wealthy patrons to support the arts
• Artists were inspired by scientific research and
  exploration

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Review

• Artists
• Andrea Mantegna
• Sandro Botticelli
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Albrecht Dürer
• Michelangelo
• Titian
• Andrea Palladio
• Pieter Brueghel

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Review

• Sculpture
• Donatello
• Michelangelo
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Architecture
• Andrea Palladio
• Michelangelo

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Review

• Musicians
• Josquin Desprez
• Palestrina
• Weelkes
• Sacred music
• Catholic Council of Trent
• Protestant Reformation
• Secular music
• Vocal
• instrumental

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• The End
• Ch. 7