IB Music/Music History/Renaissance Period

Society

 * 1) Church less powerful because of reformation
 * 2) Humanism
 * 3) Printing press spread learning
 * 4) Educated people all taught music
 * 5) Musical activity shifted to courts
 * 6) Composers sought credit for work
 * 7) Rebirth of culture of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire

Words and music

 * 1) Music to enhance meaning of text
 * 2) Word painting

Texture

 * 1) Chiefly polyphonic: 4-6 important voices
 * 2) Homophony in dances
 * 3) Bass register used: richer harmony
 * 4) Stable chords with triads
 * 5) A cappella—little accompaniment

Rhythm and melody

 * 1) Rhythm a gentle flow, not sharp beat
 * 2) Rhythmic independence between lines
 * 3) Melody moves along a scale; few large leaps

Renaissance Mass

 * 1) Less polyphonic than that of the late middle ages, so that the latin texts could be heard more easily. This was done for religious purposes.

Josquin Desprez

 * 1) Flemish composer
 * 2) Motet = polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text
 * 3) Wrote Ave Maria…Virgo Serena

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

 * 1) 16th century Italian composer, music director for St. Peter’s
 * 2) Wrote for Catholic church
 * 3) Pope Marcellus Mass convinced polyphony okay
 * 4) Famous for the Renaissance mass

Vocal music

 * 1) The Renaissance madrigal
 * 2) * Piece for several solo voices set to a short poem
 * 3) * First Italian, then English
 * 4) * Usually polyphonic with unusual harmonies
 * 5) The Renaissance ballett
 * 6) * Also called a fa-la
 * 7) * Mostly homophonic

Instrumental music

 * 1) Subordinate to vocal music
 * 2) Mostly meant for dancing
 * 3) Pavane, galliard, passamezzo some dances
 * 4) Shawm, recorder, lute, cornett, sackbut, viol, organ, regal, harpsichord some instruments

The Venetian school

 * 1) 16th century Venice became center of music, esp. St. Marco
 * 2) Characteristic: parts written esp. for instruments, not voice
 * 3) Giovanni Gabrieli
 * 4) 16th century Venetian composer, organist at St. Marco
 * 5) Wrote instrumental ensemble works and polychoral motets
 * 6) Cori spezzati