IB Music/Music History/Renaissance Period

Characteristics Society Church less powerful because of reformation Humanism Printing press spread learning Educated people all taught music Musical activity shifted to courts Composers sought credit for work Rebirth of culture of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire Words and music Music to enhance meaning of text Word painting Texture Chiefly polyphonic: 4-6 important voices Homophony in dances Bass register used: richer harmony Stable chords with triads A cappella—little accompaniment Rhythm and melody Rhythm a gentle flow, not sharp beat Rhythmic independence between lines Melody moves along a scale; few large leaps Sacred music Renaissance Mass 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 Flemish composer Motet = polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text Wrote Ave Maria…Virgo Serena Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 16th century Italian composer, music director for St. Peter’s Wrote for Catholic church Pope Marcellus Mass convinced polyphony okay Famous for the Renaissance mass Secular music Vocal music The Renaissance madrigal Piece for several solo voices set to a short poem First Italian, then English Usually polyphonic with unusual harmonies The Renaissance ballett Also called a fa-la Mostly homophonic Instrumental music Subordinate to vocal music Mostly meant for dancing Pavane, galliard, passamezzo some dances Shawm, recorder, lute, cornett, sackbut, viol, organ, regal, harpsichord some instruments The Venetian school 16th century Venice became center of music, esp. St. Marco Characteristic: parts written esp. for instruments, not voice Giovanni Gabrieli 16th century Venetian composer, organist at St. Marco Wrote instrumental ensemble works and polychoral motets Cori spezzati