Medieval & Renaissance

Medieval Church Music800 – 1400

Plainchant/PlainsongThe earliest written down music, sung in churches by monks & priests Monophonic texture Latin text Irregular rhythms, freely

following text Often melismatic Modal

Modal Modes came before major and

minor system of tonality They have NO sharps or

flats All medieval compositions are

based on plainchant which in turn are based on modes.

The Dorian mode was very common.

Try creating a chant-like melody using this mode

Developing into Choral composition

Music began to be written with 2 then 3 lines of plainchant, first in unison, then interweaving

These compositions were sacred and formed the basis of church worship. Every part of the service was sung.

Often 2 choirs would sing opposite each other and the music would imitate between the 2 groups creating ANTIPHONY, like an echo.

MASS

The mass is what the Christian Church originally called (and still do in the Catholic and Anglican Church) the service, where you worship God’s WORD and receive his Body & Blood in COMMUNION.

Music was written for each part of this service.

MASS The text was in LATIN and divided into these

sections: Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus & Benedictus Agnus Dei

There are normally many voices (SATB) singing in imitation

Motet

A Motet is a small scale, vocal work performed in church, separate from the mass. The voices are layered on top of each other, creating a polyphonic texture, with lots of IMITATION.

It can be Sacred and later secular.

It sometimes has accompaniment

It has LATIN text Later, composers mixed religious text with everyday

vocabulary, which annoyed the Church

The Reformation & Musical Development

By the renaissance, the Mass and Motet were still the most popular compositions, but more parts were written and there was more Chromaticism (adding accidentals to the modes)

Composers started to merge secular music with sacred

The Reformation meant that Protestants required music written in their own language rather than Latin

Musicians were performing in tavernsWhich lead to the development of secular

Songs and dances

Renaissance Sacred Music - Anthem

A religious small scale vocal work, performed in the Protestant church

Equivalent to a motet but the text is in ENGLISH

Mainly A Cappella Imitative and

Polyphonic texture

Renaissance Secular Music

Queen Elizabeth 1st is now on the thrown

Composers were writing songs for music in the court or at home

These are called madrigals and can have up to 4 different vocal parts, but only one voice on each part

MadrigalThere are 3 types of Madrigal

Madrigal (proper) Ballett Ayre

A Madrigal proper is very IMITATIVE

Very POLYPHONIC Uses word painting to

highlight the ENGLISH words

Madrigal – Ballett This is the most common type of madrigal

played in the exam. And the easiest to recognise!

It is Strophic (each verse is the same) It has a refrain (other name for a chorus)

which always includes ‘FA LA LA’ Mainly homophonic Dance-like rhythms Lighter style

Madrigal –Ayre

Solo voice with Lute/Viol accompaniment

Very expressive and often melancholy

Subject often covers love

Instruments

Consort

A consort is a group of

Same Instrument playing

Together. Most common

In Renaissance, were

Different sizes of VIOLS

VIOLS – early form of cello withoutA spike on the bottom. They

Came in varying sizes

RenaissanceDances

Dances

Pavane – Slow and Stately

Galliard – more lively with 3 beats in the bar

Dances were

Grouped in

Pairs and later

Made up a

suite

Main Characteristics

Most important music was Sacred Choral music – the oldest, written in the form of plainchant

All compositions were based on modes, but this slowly changed throughout the Renaissance as composers added more chromaticism

Later, secular music evolved with the Madrigal and dances

Test on concepts below

Plainchant Mode/Modal Mass Motet Anthem Madrigal Ballett Ayre

Pavane Galliard Suite Consort Polyphonic Monophonic Word Setting A Cappella Antiphony/ Antiphonal Lute/Viol