During the 1500’s, there were serious stresses, or perhaps you would call them interesting developments, in many aspects of the social order. For example:• The Reformation (religious reform of the Catholic

Church, leading to the development of Protestantism)• Copernican theory. Magellan’s circumnavigation of the

globe 1522. In 1543, Copernicus asserts that the sun is the center of the solar system.

• Continued rise of the middle class.

THE RENAISSANCETHE 1500’S

JOSQUIN DES PREZ

Josquin des Prez (c. 1440-1521) Born in France but spent much of his life in Italy. Composer of several volumes of Masses. Universally held in high regard by modern music critics and scholars.• Text divided up into suitable number of phrases and a

characteristic musical motive is assigned to each phrase. For each motive, and imitative section, a “point of imitation” is built up. Imitation is a structural principal, rather than a decorative device (as previously).

• Fond of employing canon.• Frequent textural changes, for example, the temporary

reduction of the texture to two voices. Also, exploitation of the contrast between contrapuntal style and the chordal style.

• Invention of musical motives designed to fit specific words or phrases of text.

• The Mass. The Cantus Firmus mass is defined by the presentation of a borrowed melody in long notes in a single voice, usually the tenor. The borrowed melody is a preexisting chant.

• The Motet. Polyphonic compositions on liturgical, biblical or other sacred texts. Uses persistent imitation, in which each phrase of text has its own melodic motive imitated in all voices.

• The Madrigal. This was the principal form of Italian secular vocal music throughout the century. Each voice was given text, and each had a meaningful melodic line.

THE RENAISSANCEPRINCIPAL VOCAL FORMS

• Carlo Gesualdo. Primarily a composer of madrigals. His style employs extremes of chromaticism.

• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Primarily a composer of sacred music. His style is thought to be the epitome of Renaissance vocal polyphony.

OTHER COMPOSERS OF THE RENAISSANCE