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Early and Renaissance Music

1450 - 1600

Periods of Musical HistoryRevision Lesson

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.

What We Will Learn Today

By the end of today’s lesson you will beconfident in identifying the followingRenaissance Period Concepts:

Modal Mass MotetAnthem Madrigal Word Painting

Ballett Ayre PavanGalliard

A little perspective…

• 1492 Columbus “discovers” North America

• 1431 Joan of Arc burned at the stake• Scotch whiskey was invented• Psychiatric hospitals• 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

Modes

• Early and renaissance music was composed using a system of modes.

• Music in the Renaissance period sound neither Major nor Minor.

• No two Scales have the same sequence of tones and semitones.

• 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

Kyrie

Gloria

Credo

Sanctus

Agnus Dei

Benedictus

Some Key Features

• 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.

Activity 1• As you listen to the musical extract, complete

the following Cloze Text question.• The word _____________ can be heard clearly

at the beginning of the extract and the text is sung in _____________.The texture of this piece of music is _____________ . The voices which can be heard are a ______________ choir. There are _____________ instruments playing in this extract, therefore the piece is _____________ also known as ____ __________.

• This type of work is called a/an _____________

Answers

• The word _____________ can be heard clearly at the beginning of the extract and the text is sung in _____________.The texture of this piece of music is _____________ . The voices which can be heard are a ______________ choir. There are _____________ instruments playing in this extract, therefore the piece is _____________ also known as ____ __________.

• This type of work is called a/an _____________

Motet

• A Motet is a sacred choral work from the Renaissance period.

• It has very similar features to that of a Mass.

• It does notdoes not use religious text that is directly linked to the liturgy, so it may be used in any church service.

• Key Features– Sung A Cappella– Polyphonic texture– Written for Chorus

Activity 2• Listen to the following excerpt and tick 3

boxes to identify what you hearMinor Homophonic TextureCounter Tenor Polyphonic TextureConsort Modal

Answers• Listen to the following excerpt and tick 3

boxes to identify what you hearMinor Homophonic TextureCounter Tenor Polyphonic TextureConsort Modal

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.

Activity 3• This piece of music uses strict imitation;

this is an example of ________________.

Sing joyfully unto God our strength. Sing loud, sing loud unto the God of Jacob. Take the song and bring forth the timbrel, The pleasant harp and the viol. Blow the trumpet in the new moon! Even in the time appointed and at our feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

Answer• This piece of music uses strict imitation;

this is an example of ________________.

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 Cappella– Imitation– Polyphonic texture– Word Painting

Thomas Campion, writing in the preface to his first book of lute songs 1601, said of it: "... where the nature of every word is precisely expressed in the note ... such childish observing of words is altogether ridiculous."

Word Painting

• There is close association between words ad music in a mMdrigal, 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:

Activity 4As Vesta was from Latmos hill descendingShe spied a maiden Queen the same ascending,Attended on by all the shepherds’ swain;To whom Diana’s darlings came running down amainFirst two by two, then three by three togetherLeaving their Goddess all alone, hasted thither;And mingling with the shepherds of her train,With mirthful tunes her presence did entertain.Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana:Long live fair Oriana!

AnswersAs Vesta was from Latmos hill descendingShe spied a maiden Queen the same ascending,Attended on by all the shepherds’ swain;To whom Diana’s darlings came running down amainFirst two by two, then three by three togetherLeaving their Goddess all alone, hasted thither;And mingling with the shepherds of her train,With mirthful tunes her presence did entertain.Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana:Long live fair Oriana!

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

Activity 5• In this excerpt there is an instrument

playing an obbligato part. What instrument do you hear?

_________________________

Answers• In this excerpt there is an instrument

playing an obbligato part. What instrument do you hear?

_________________________

Ayre

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

– By solo voice with a lute accompaniment– Voices with a consort of viols– Voices alone

AyreAn 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.

Activity 6Listen to the following excerpt and tick 1 box

in Column A and 1 box in Column B to identify what you hear.

Column A Column B

Alto LuteCounter Tenor ViolTenor Sackbut

AnswersListen to the following excerpt and tick 1 box

in Column A and 1 box in Column B to identify what you hear.

Column A Column B

Alto LuteCounter Tenor ViolTenor Sackbut

Dance MusicPavan

• Slow• Stately• 2 beats in the bar

Galliard

• Quick• Lively• 3 beats in the bar

Galliard

Activity 7How did we do?...