Music in the Renaissance Era

1420-1600

Second Generation Renaissance Vocal Polyphony

Franco-Flemish Composers1450-1480

Part II:

In the 2nd and 3rd generation of the Renaissance, musicians trained in the North (France, Burgundy) spent all or parts of career in the South (Italy).

Jean de Ockeghem (ca. 1420-1497) composer, singer choirmaster, teacher born in Belgium served King of France for half a century most famous for masses also wrote motets and secular

chansons

Masses Missa de plus en plus

cantus firmus mass some cadences like V-I 3rds and 6ths,not @ cadences 4 equal voices

 missa cuiusvis toni (mass in any mode) 1, 3, 5, or 7

Missa prolationum 2 written parts, both w/ 2 different prolations

(mensural canon) Canon—One notated voice sung by different

parts in different ways Kyrie

Antoine Busnoys (ca. 1430—1492) Born in Northern France served at the Burgundian

Court (today central-eastern France)

most famous for secular chansons

also wrote masses and motets

 Chansons 3 or 4 voices, treble-dominated

style, formes fixes (rondeau) Dufay influence—smooth

arching melodies, syncopation, pervasive consonance, careful dissonance treatment, 3rds & 6ths

New features—more imitation, equality of voices, simple meter

1420-1450 Dunstable, Binchois, DuFay

1450-1480 Ockeghem, Busnoys

1480-1520 Obrecht, Isaac, Des Prez

Renaissance Musical Development

SECULAR

MASSES

Resveilles Vous DuFay•ballade, aabC•6/8•Landini, double-leading-tone cadences•3rds and 6ths, not @ cadences•3 voices, slow tenorMissa se la face ay pale DuFay•cantus firmus mass•3/4•Landini cadences•3rds and 6ths, not @ cadences•4 voices, cantus firmus tenor

Je ne puis vivre Busnoys•virelai, AbbaA•3/4, 6/8•not medieval cadences

•3rds and 6ths throughout

•3 equal voices, imitationMissa de plus en plus Ockeghem•cantus firmus mass•some cadences like V-I•3rds and 6ths,not @ cadences•4 equal voices

Missa ProlationumOckeghem•Canon (imitation)

Third Generation Renaissance Vocal Polyphony

Franco-Flemish Composers1480-1520

Jacob Obrecht (1457 or 8—1505)

• Masses, motets, chansons, Dutch songs, instrumental pieces

• Cantus-firmus masses• Point of imitation—passage

in a polyphonic work in which 2 or more voices enter in imitation

• Cadences• Short, clearly defined phrases• Smooth consonant

counterpoint, suspensions, passing tones, neighbor tones

Heinricus Isaac (ca. 1450 or 55 to 1517)• Worked for

– Medici in Florence (1484-1492)– Maximilian I (Holy Roman

Emperor) in Vienna & Innsbruck (1497--)

• International style• Sacred masses, Motets• Mass proper settings• Secular French, Italian, German songs• Instrumental (assumed—no words)• In Florence, heard homophonic style,

adapted to German lied, 4-part settings of popular songs, newly composed melodies– Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen

• cadences resolve to triads• clear structure

Josquin Des Prez (ca. 1450-1521)• Positions in France & Italy• Large number of manuscripts and printed anthologies• Text depiction—musical gestures reinforce images in text• Text expression—music conveys emotion• Imitation & homophony• Motets

– Freely composed (not based on previous material)– Clarity in phrasing, form, tonal organization– Fluid tuneful melodies– Ave maria…virgo serena

• Masses– Secular tune as cantus firmus

• Missa L’homme armé super voces musicales– Imitation mass—borrows from all voices of another polyphonic

work• Missa Malheur

– Paraphrase mass—all 4 voices based on monophonic work• Missa Pange lingua

– Kyrie– Credo

• Chansons– strophic, all voices sung, equal voices, no formes fixes– Mille regretz

5 Ways Vocal Polyphony Changed During the Renaissance

Medieval Renaissance

1. Metersimplecompound

tripleduple

2. Cadences

Landini Cadence

Double Leading-tone Cadence

3. Texture4 equal voices, homophony

4 equal voices, imitation

3 voices:melodic cantusslow tenorcontratenor filling in harmonies

4. Chansons

5. Masses

1420-1450 Dunstable, Binchois, DuFay

1450-1480 Ockeghem, Busnoys

1480-1520 Obrecht, Isaac, Des Prez

Renaissance Musical Development

SECULAR

MASSES

Resveilles Vous DuFay•ballade, aabC•6/8•Landini, double-leading-tone cadences•3rds and 6ths, not @ cadences•3 voices, slow tenor

Missa se la face ay pale DuFay•cantus firmus mass•3/4•Landini cadences•3rds and 6ths, not @ cadences•4 voices, cantus firmus tenor

Je ne puis vivre Busnoys•virelai, AbbaA•3/4, 6/8•not medieval cadences

•3rds and 6ths throughout

•3 equal voices, imitation

Missa de plus en plus Ockeghem•cantus firmus mass•some cadences like V-I•3rds and 6ths,not @ cadences•4 equal voices

Missa ProlationumOckeghem•Canon (imitation)

Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen Isaac•polyphonic lied•2/2•V-I cadences

•triads

•4 equal voices, homophonic

Missa Pange Lingua Des Prez•paraphrase mass •3/2; 2/2•triadic cadences, some V-I•triads throughout•4 equal voices, imitation alternating with homophonyMissa Malheur me bat Des Prez•imitation mass