Early and Renaissance Music

? - 1600

Periods of Musical History

A quick guide to getting the most information from this

presentation…

• All concepts are in bold

• Important information in blue

Early and Renaissance Music

• In music, the word renaissance is used to describe music composed or performed between 1450 – 1600.

Music composed or performed earlier than 1450 may be referred to as early or medieval music.

Early and Renaissance Music

• The word renaissance literally means rebirth, the name is appropriate to the time as there was a keen interest in learning and culture.

Most of this learning was based on the ideas expressed by the ancient Greeks and the Romans.

A little perspective…

• 1492 Columbus “discovers” North America

• 1431 Joan of Arc burned at the stake

• Scotch whiskey was invented

• Psychiatric hospitals

• Printing press c.1450

• 1452-1519 Leonardo da Vinci

• 1564-1616 William Shakespeare

• The first flushing toilet c.1591

Famous composers of Early and Renaissance music

PALESTRINA MONTEVERDI BYRD

Renaissance Instruments

• Lute

• Lyre

• Sackbut

• Hurdy gurdy

Consort

• A group of instruments all from the same

family playing together.

Modes

• Early and renaissance music was composed using a system of modes, modes are an early version of the major and minor scale systems we use today. This means that the music from this period is modal.

It is easy to identify which mode a melody is

written in, all you have to do is look at the note which the melody begins and ends on, and the range of the melody.

Sacred and Secular

• Some of the greatest pieces of music from the renaissance period were sacred. This means they were composed for the church and worship.

• Although sacred music was very popular, composers began to experiment with secular music, this is non religious music, which was commonly used for entertainment and dancing.

Mass

• The mass is one of the largest forms of sacred music from this period.

It is best described as a sacred piece of choral music, which uses the six main sections of the Roman Catholic liturgy.

Six Sections of the Mass

Benedictus

Sanctus

Kyrie

Agnus Dei

Credo

Gloria

Main features of a Mass

• Here are some ways to help identify a mass from the renaissance period…

– A mass uses Latin text

– Polyphonic texture

– Sung a capella

– Plainchant Plainchant is an unaccompanied style of singing which has

no regular time signature as it follows the natural rhythm of the words.

Motet

• A motet is a sacred choral work from the renaissance period, it has very similar features to that of a mass, however it does not use religious text that is directly linked to the liturgy, so it may be used in any church service.

– Sung a capella

– Polyphonic texture

– Written for chorus

Anthem

• Besides the great many motets and masses composed for the Catholic church services, some composers wrote anthems to be sung during Protestant services.

– Sung in English NOT Latin

– Performed by a full choir

– Unaccompanied However on some occasions the anthem may have been

performed with soloists and accompanied by a consort of viols.

Madrigal

• The madrigal is a secular piece of music which became popular when a collection of Italian madrigals with English words were published in England in 1588.

– Through-composed

– Performed a capella

– Imitation

– Polyphonic texture

– Word painting

Word Painting

• There is close association between words ad music in a madrigal, and the composer would use every opportunity to introduce word painting.

This is where the music illustrates the words being sung, for example…

Word painting

• A good example of word painting is illustrated in the madrigal As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending by Thomas Weelkes, shown below:

Ballett

• The ballett was developed from the madrigal, originally it was danced as well as sung, and has a distinctive dance rhythm.

– Strophic (opposite of the madrigal)

– “Fa la la” refrain

– Homophonic

Ayre

• Another type of vocal music which developed from the madrigal was the ayre. An ayre is in strophic form could be performed in a variety of ways:

– By solo voice with a lute accompaniment

– Voices with a consort of viols

– Voices alone

Ayre

An example of ayre sheet music, the music was printed in three directions so that all performers, seated around a table, may share the same copy of the music.

Dance Music

Pavan

• Slow • Stately • 2 beats in the bar

Galliard

• Quick • Lively • 3 beats in the bar