Renaissance1300 – 1600

RenaissanceRenaissance means rebirth or revival.

Strong influence of the ancient Greek and Roman styles.

RenaissanceVocal music was more important than

instrumental music.

Sacred music was more important than secular music.

Music continued to develop in a polyphonic style.

Two vocal parts were more likely to sing independently of each other.

Two melodies completely independent of each other is called counterpoint.

Composers began to write for three or more voice parts.

Each voice sang its own melody. No voice was more or less important than

the others.

Vocal Forms“The golden age of the a cappella style”

A cappella – vocal music without instrumental accompaniment

Smoothly gliding melodiesPolyphony – multiple voicesContinuous imitation

Motives are exchanged between vocal lines – imitating each other

RenaissanceThe sequence of events

in a Catholic church service is called the Mass.

Composers began to focus on the Mass as a main form for vocal music.

They also wrote motets, an unaccompanied vocal work based on a sacred Latin text.

Gregorian ChantOrganized and “approved” melodies for

use at Mass and other liturgical celebrations

MonophonicDriven by the textNo implied meterConjunct motion

RenaissanceInstruments of the

Renaissance were essentially the same as the Medieval era.

Some instruments were introduced in the mass.

Usually, instruments would double the voice, meaning they would play the same thing the voice part was singing.

RenaissanceThe written notation

of neumes developed into today’s musical staff, clefs, and notes.

This system allowed composers to write music that was more complicated.

RenaissanceGreat cathedrals

were built in Europe, and organs were built in them.

The organ became the primary keyboard instrument.

RenaissanceAnother primary

keyboard instrument was the harpsichord.

This instrument is like a piano, but has strings that are plucked , and it does not have the dynamic range of a piano.

Virginal

Clavichord

Strings

Lute Viol de braccia

Viola de gamba

European royalty hired musicians to entertain at special events.

Traveling musicians continued to perform secular music for average citizens.

Rise of the Merchant ClassNew group of music

patronsEmergence of the

amateur musicianPrinted music books

become availableMusical literacy spread

dramatically

Both professionals and amateurs took

part in music making.

Music was considered part

of a proper upbringing for a

young girl.

RenaissanceThe primary secular

music from the Renaissance was the madrigal.

This was a type of secular vocal music set to a poem.

Sacred music, however, was still the dominant type of music during this era.

Josquin des Prez

FAMOUS COMPOSERSPalestrina

Thomas Morley

FAMOUS COMPOSERSJohn Dowland