Renaissance Period

Society

• Church less powerful because of reformation • Humanism • Printing press spread learning • Educated people taught music • Musical activity shifted to courts • Composers sought credit for work

Words and music

• Music to enhance meaning of text • Word painting

Texture

• Chiefly polyphonic: 4-6 important voices • Homophony (in dances) • Bass register used: richer harmony • Stable chords with triads - The increasing reliance on the interval of the third as a consonance is one of the most pronounced features of early Renaissance• imitation• A cappella—little accompaniment • cantus firmus

Rhythm and melody

• Rhythm a gentle flow, not sharp beat • Rhythmic independence between lines • Melody – smooth, few large leaps

Sacred Music

The Early Renaissance Mass• Rise of polyphony• Composers concentrated on the Ordinary of the Mass

• Kyrie• Gloria• Credo• Sanctus• Agnus Dei

•Use of cantus firmus (fixed melody)

Guillaume Du Fay

The L’homme arme Mass• Use of a popular tune (L’homme arme) as its basis (long notes in tenor line)• Use of 5th and octaves as well as intervals of 3rd and 6th • Overall 4 voice polyphonic texture• Each part begins with fewer than 4 voices then adds the tenor part with the popular tune in long notes

Motet

• Became a sacred form of music• A single Latin text• Used in the Mass and other religious services• Motets in praise of Mary were very popular

Josquin des Prez

Ave Maria . . . virgo serena (Hail Mary . . . gentle virgin)• 4 voice motet• Opening of motet uses imitative voice entrances.

The Late Renaissance Mass

• The reformation• The counter reformation

• Work with the poor• Efforts to combat heresy (Jesuits)• Council of Trent

• The Council of Trent – to regulate religious discipline, including music – worried about:

• The corruption of traditional chants• Extravagant embellishments• Objected to certain instruments• Incorporating popular songs into Mass• Debated the use of polyphony

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Pope Marcellus Mass• begins with a monophonic intonation of the opening line• the remaining is polyphonic• the words are clear and audible• a cappella style

Sacred music

Josquin des Prez• Flemish composer • Motet = polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text • Wrote Ave Maria…Virgo Serena

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina• 16th century Italian composer, music director for St. Peter’s • Wrote for Catholic church • Pope Marcellus Mass convinced polyphony okay