Renaissance

0 Time Period: 1450 – 1600 AD0 Composers: Giovanni da Palestrina (model composer

from Italy)0 Josquin des Pres (Netherlands)0 Orlando di Lasso (Netherlands)0 William Byrd (England)0 Claudio Monteverdi (Italy)0 John Farmer (Ireland)

0 Works: Pope Marcelli’s Mass, Fair Phyllis

Renaissance (Cultural Aspects)

0 Renaissance - French for “rebirth”0 Focus on human wisdom (artistic and intellectual activity)0 Beginning of exploration0 Artistic developments (human form)0 Music in society – In Court or in Church0 Style

0 Accapella – no accompaniment0 Polyphony0 Cantus Firmus – ground base0 Word Painting – (“Up to the sky” melody goes up in pitch)

Historical Context

0Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, William Shakespeare

0Music Printing: 1500s0 Growth of many types of music0 Rise of instrumental music

0Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter Reformation0 Inspiration to many great choral works

Protestant Reformation

0Martin Luther 0 Catholic Monk0 Felt church was becoming corrupt0 Selling of indulgences (biggest complaint)0 Nailed his complaints to door of church (95 Thesis)

0Church and State – Church had control of government0Bishops and Cardinals were in control because of

their wealth, not faith0Etc.

Historical Context

0The printing press! (Johannes Gutenberg)0Counter Reformation (Catholic Church)

0 Council of Trent (1543-1563): Clean Up Crew0 Palestrina was hired to “clean up” sacred music

0Removal of ornamentation

Musical Description

0Rise of Polyphony0 “The Golden Age of Vocal Polyphony”0 Preferred performance was unaccompanied (a capella)0 4 or more voice lines that are similar and equal in

importance0Consonance: Major, happy sounding

Sacred Music

0Motet – Latin, dedicated to Virgin Mary0 Single Latin text, 3-4 voices, ornamented, sometimes

based on previous text (cantus firmus)0 Sung by professional singers (trained from childbirth)

0Masses0 Ordinary, Proper, Requiem

0Council of Trent – focus on words, no secular sounds0Anglican Church of England – King Henry VIII (Break

away from Catholic church – divorce)

Secular Music

0Fixed Forms0 ABA (Strophic)0 Dances, pavane, galliard, rondo (ABAC), allemande

0About love, lyrical, set with word painting0The Chanson (French secular music)

0 Lower voice parts played on instruments0Madrigal (Italian and English)

0 4-6 voices (instruments used)

Instruments

0Winds: Bag pipe, crumhorn, recorder, sackbut, bladder pipe

0Strings: Lute, dulcimer, hurdy gurdy, viol, gamba, harp0Percussion: Hand Drums0Keyboard: Harpsichord

Design a test question

0Design a test question for Middle Ages0 Tell me what category it would be: history, composer,

time period, instruments, etc.0 Write a fill in blank question (complete sentence)0 Tell me what should be in the blank

0Do the same for Renaissance