Renaissance and Baroque Music

The Renaissance (c.1450-1600) is one of the most beautiful if misleading names in the history of
culture: beautiful because it implies an awakening of intellectual awareness, misleading because
it suggests a sudden rebirth of learning and art after the presumed stagnation of the Middle
Ages. History moves continuously rather than by leaps and bounds. The Renaissance was the
next phase in a cultural process that, under the leadership of the church, universities and
princely courts had long been under way. In the Renaissance, music became a vehicle for
personal expression. Composers found ways to make vocal music more expressive of the texts
they were setting. Secular music (non-religious music) absorbed techniques from sacred music,
and vice versa. Popular secular forms such as the chanson and madrigal spread throughout
Europe. Courts employed virtuoso performers, both singers and instrumentalists. Music also
became more self-sufficient with its availability in printed form, existing for its own sake.
Precursor versions of many familiar modern instruments (including
the violin, guitar, lute and keyboard instruments) developed into new forms during the
Renaissance. These instruments were modified to responding to the evolution of musical ideas,
and they presented new possibilities for composers and musicians to explore. Early forms of
modern woodwind and brass instruments like the bassoon and trombone also appeared;
extending the range of sonic color and increasing the sound of instrumental ensembles. During
the 15th century, the sound of full triads (three note chords) became common, and towards the
end of the 16th century the system of church modes began to break down entirely, giving way to
the functional tonality (the system in which songs and pieces are based around musical "keys"),
which would dominate Western art music for the next three centuries.
From the Renaissance era, notated secular and sacred music survives in quantity,
including vocal and instrumental works and mixed vocal/instrumental works. An enormous
diversity of musical styles and genres flourished during the Renaissance. These can be
heard on recordings made in the 20th and 21st century, including masses, motets,
madrigals, chansons, accompanied songs, instrumental dances, and many others.
Beginning in the late 20th century, numerous early music ensembles were formed. Early
music ensembles specializing in music of the Renaissance era give concert tours and make
recordings, using modern reproductions of historical instruments and using singing and
performing styles which musicologists believe were used during the era.
The main characteristics of Renaissance music are:
Music based on modes.

Richer texture, with four or more independent melodic parts being performed
simultaneously. These interweaving melodic lines, a style called polyphony, is one of the
defining features of Renaissance music.
Blending, rather than contrasting, melodic lines in the musical texture.

Harmony that placed a greater concern on the smooth flow of the music and
its progression of chords.
The development of polyphony produced the notable changes in musical instruments that
mark the Renaissance from the Middle Ages musically. Its use encouraged the use of larger
ensembles and demanded sets of instruments that would blend together across the whole
vocal range.
The Renaissance Period was a vibrant time when knowledge and fine arts flourished.
Artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Boticelli, Raphael, and Titian were painting
some of humanity's most awe-inspiring works of art, wars like the War of Roses were
fought between clashing dynasties in their arduous quests to rule, and great changes were
 made in the church during the Protestant Reformation. Generally classified as taking place
between 1400 and 1600, these two-hundred years mark an incredible transformation and
advancement in many things including music notation and composition. If it weren't for
these great Renaissance composers, whose ground-shaking, mold-breaking musical ideas
opened a flood gate of musical curiosity, the world of classical music we know today could
be drastically different.

GREAT COMPOSER OF RENAISSANCE

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Linking the Renaissance to the Baroque, Claudio

Monteverdi's revolutionary music included the first dramatic opera, Orfeo. Much of
Monteverdi's early years were spent composing madrigals; nine books in total. These
books clearly mark the change in thinking and compositional style between the two
musical periods. Book 8, Ottavo Libro, inc ludes what many consider to be the
perfected form of the madrigal, Madrigali dei guerrieri ed amorosi.
William Byrd (1543-1623) William Byrd is perhaps the greatest English composer of
all time. With hundreds of individual compositions, Byrd seemingly mastered every style of
music that existed during his lifetime, outshining Orlando de Lassus and Giovanni
Palestrina. Apart from his choral works, Byrd is considered by many to be the first "genius"
of the keyboard. Many of his piano works can be found in "My Ladye Nevells Book" and the
"Parthenia.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1526-1594) With over hundreds of
published works, Italian composer, Palestrina was the most famous representative of the
Roman School of musical composition, and greatly influenced the development of music in
the Roman Catholic Church. Because its voicing is extremely well balanced and beautifully
harmonized, Palestrina's polyphonic music is smooth, pure, and transparent in sound.

Thomas Tallis (1510-1585) an English composer, flourished as a church musician,

and is considered one of the church's best early composers. Tallis served under four
English monarchs and was treated very well. Queen Elisabeth granted him and his pupil,
William Boyd, exclusive rights to use England's printing press to publish music; a first of
its time. Although Tallis composed many styles of music, the majority of it is arranged for
choir as Latin motets and English anthems.
Josquin Des Prez (1440-1521) Widely recognized by just his first name, Josquin
Des Prez was Europe's most sought after musician during his lifetime. His popularity, no
doubt, was a result of combining many contemporary styles of music, his originality,
and his ability to unveil the meaning and emotions of a text through music. Much of
Josquin's music survives today, with his masses and chansons being the most popular.
Pierre de La Rue (1460-1518) Pierre de La Rue wrote many styles of music
(almost as much as Josquin). La Rue's repertoire consists entirely of vocal music. His
style of voicing shows that he preferred low voice types, often composing Cs and B
flats below the bass clef. His most popular work, the Requiem, and one of the
earliest surviving Requiem masses, emphasizes the lower voices. As well as low
voicing, various rhythmic patterns and long, flowing melodies are main
characteristics of La Rue's music.
From the Renaissance era, notated secular and sacred music survives in quantity,
including vocal and instrumental works and mixed vocal/instrumental works. An
enormous diversity of musical styles and genres flourished during the Renaissance.
These can be heard on recordings made in the 20th and 21st century, including
masses, motets, madrigals, chansons, accompanied songs, instrumental dances, and
 many others. Beginning in the late 20th century, numerous early music ensembles
were formed. Early music ensembles specializing in music of the Renaissance era give
concert tours and make recordings, using modern reproductions of historical
instruments and using singing and performing styles which musicologists believe were
used during the era.

Orlando de Lassus (1530-1594) Orlando de Lassus was also known for his
smooth polyphonic style. His beautiful motets combined the rich northern style of
polyphony, the superb French style text-setting, and the expressive Italian melody.
With over 2,000 written works for all styles of music, including all Latin, French,
English, and German vocal genres, Lassus easily remains one of Europe's most
versatile composers.
Giovanni Gabrieli (1553-1612) also bridges the Renaissance to the Baroque
and is most known for his mastery in the style of the Venetian School. Gabrieli
preferred composing sacred works, and using the unusual layout of the San Marco
Basilica in Venice, Italy, he was able to create stunning musical effects. Unlike those
before him, Gabrieli meticulously created and planned the use of antiphone (a choir
or group of instruments first heard on the left, followed by a response from another
group of musicians on the right).
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) is one of Britain's most famous 20th century
composers. With a handful of popular works including the War Requiem, Missa Brevis,
The Beggar's Opera, and The Prince of the Pagodas, Britten's compositions will still be
performed hundreds of year's later just as the great composers before him.
Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695) With a lifetime of only thirty-five years, Purcell
achieved musical greatness. He became considered one of Englands greatest
composers and the most original composer of his time. Purcell was extremely
talented in word-setting and composed very successful works for stage.
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) In a sea of Mozart, Beethoven, and
Bach, composers like Ralph Vaughan Williams often go without notice. I'm a big fan
of his Mass in G minor and The Lark Ascending. Vaughan Williams composed a
variety of music including religious music like the mass, operas, symphonies,
chamber music, folk songs, and film scores.
Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934)Holst, another great British composer, is best
known for his work "The Planets." This orchestral suite with seven
movements, each representing a planet except for Earth, was composed
between 1914 and 1916. Holst attended the Royal College of Music and was
even classmates with Vaughan Williams. Holst loved music and was greatly
influenced by other composers. In fact, he fell madly in love with Wagner's
music after seeing a performance of Wagner's Ring Cycle at Covent Garden.
Instruments
Many instruments originated during the Renaissance; others were variations
of, or improvements upon, instruments that had existed previously. Some
have survived to the present day; others have disappeared, only to be
recreated in order to perform music of the period on authentic instruments.
As in the modern day, instruments may be classified as brass, strings,
percussion, and woodwind.
Medieval instruments in Europe had most commonly been used singly, often
self accompanied with a drone, or occasionally in parts. From at least as early
as the 13th century through the 15th century there was a division of
instruments into haut (loud, shrill, outdoor instruments) and bas (quieter,
more intimate instruments) (Bowles 1954, 119 et passim). Only two groups of
instruments could play freely in both types of ensembles: the cornett and
sackbut, and the tabor and tambourine (Burkholder n.d.).
At the beginning of the 16th century, instruments were considered to be less
important than voices. They were used for dances and to accompany vocal
music (Fuller 2010). Instrumental music remained subordinated to vocal
music, and much of its repertory was in varying ways derived from or
dependent on vocal models (OED 2005).
BRASS
Brass instruments in the Renaissance were traditionally played by
professionals. Some of the more common brass instruments that were
played:
Slide trumpet: Similar to the trombone of today except that instead of a
section of the body sliding, only a small part of the body near the mouthpiece
and the mouthpiece itself is stationary. Also the body was an S-shape so it
was rather unwieldy, but was suitable for the slow dance music which it was
most commonly used for.
Cornett: Made of wood and was played like the recorder (will be mentioned at
greater length later on) but blown like a trumpet.
Trumpet: Early trumpets had no valves, and were limited to the tones present
in the overtone series. They were also made in different sizes.
Sackbut (sometimes sackbutt or sagbutt): A different name for the trombone
(Anon. n.d.), which replaced the slide trumpet by the middle of the 15th
century (Besseler 1950, passim).

STRINGS
As a family strings were used in many circumstances, both sacred and
secular. A few members of this family include:
Viol: This instrument, developed in the 15th century, commonly has six
strings. It was usually played with a bow. It has structural qualities similar to
the Spanish vihuela; its main separating trait is its larger size. This changed
the posture of the musician in order to rest it against the floor or between the
legs in a manner similar to the cello. Its similarities to the vihuela were sharp
waist-cuts, similar frets, a flat back, thin ribs, and identical tuning.
Lyre: Its construction is similar to a small harp, although instead of being
plucked, it is strummed with a plectrum. Its strings varied in quantity from
four, seven, and ten, depending on the era. It was played with the right hand,
while the left hand silenced the notes that were not desired. Newer lyres were
modified to be played with a bow.
Irish Harp: Also called the Clrsach in Scottish Gaelic, or the Clirseach in
Irish, during the Middle Ages it was the most popular instrument of Ireland
and Scotland. Due to its significance in Irish history it is seen even on the
Guinness label, and is Ireland's national symbol even to this day. To be played
it is usually plucked. Its size can vary greatly from a harp that can be played
in one's lap to a full-size harp that is placed on the floor
Hurdy-gurdy: (Also known as the wheel fiddle), in which the strings are
sounded by a wheel which the strings pass over. Its functionality can be
compared to that of a mechanical violin, in that its bow (wheel) is turned by a
crank. Its distinctive sound is mainly because of its "drone strings" which
provide a constant pitch similar in their sound to that of bagpipes.
Gittern and mandore: these instruments were used throughout Europe.
Forerunners of modern instruments including the mandolin and guitar.
PERCUSSION
Some Renaissance percussion instruments include the triangle, the Jew's
harp, the tambourine, the bells, the rumble-pot, and various kinds of drums.
Tambourine: The tambourine is a frame drum. The skin that surrounds the
frame is called the vellum, and produces the beat by striking the surface with
the knuckles, fingertips, or hand. It could also be played by shaking the
instrument, allowing the tambourine's jingles to "clank" and "jingle".
Jew's harp: An instrument that produces sound using shapes of the mouth
and attempting to pronounce different vowels with ones mouth. The loop at
the bent end of the tongue of the instrument is plucked in different scales of
vibration creating different tones.
WOODWINDS (AEROPHONES)
Woodwind instruments (aerophones) produce sound by means of a vibrating
column of air within the pipe. Holes along the pipe allow the player to control
the length of the column of air, and hence the pitch. There are several ways
of making the air column vibrate, and these ways define the subcategories of
woodwind instruments. A player may blow across a mouth hole, as in a flute;
into a mouthpiece with a single reed, as in a modern-day clarinet or
saxophone; or a double reed, as in an oboe or bassoon. All three of these
methods of tone production can be found in Renaissance instruments.
Shawm: A typical oriental shawm is keyless and is about a foot long with
seven finger holes and a thumb hole. The pipes were also most commonly
made of wood and many of them had carvings and decorations on them. It
was the most popular double reed instrument of the renaissance period; it
was commonly used in the streets with drums and trumpets because of its
brilliant, piercing, and often deafening sound. To play the shawm a person
puts the entire reed in their mouth, puffs out their cheeks, and blows into the
pipe whilst breathing through their nose.
Renaissance recorders
Reed pipe: Made from a single short length of cane with a mouthpiece, four or
five finger holes, and reed fashioned from it. The reed is made by cutting out
a small tongue, but leaving the base attached. It is the predecessor of the
saxophone and the clarinet.
Hornpipe: Same as reed pipe but with a bell at the end.
Bagpipe/Bladderpipe: Believe to have been invented by herdsmen who
thought to use a bag made out of sheep or goat skin and would provide air
pressure so that when its player takes a breath, the player only needs to
squeeze the bag tucked underneath their arm to continue the tone. The
mouth pipe has a simple round piece of leather hinged on to the bag end of
the pipe and acts like a non-return valve. The reed is located inside the long
metal mouthpiece, known as a bocal.
Panpipe: Designed to have sixteen wooden tubes with a stopper at one end
and open on the other. Each tube is a different size (thereby producing a
different tone), giving it a range of an octave and a half. The player can then
place their lips against the desired tube and blow across it.
Transverse flute: The transverse flute is similar to the modern flute with a
mouth hole near the stoppered end and finger holes along the body. The
player blows in the side and holds the flute to the right side.
Recorder: The recorder is a common instrument during the Renaissance
period. Rather than a reed it uses a whistle mouth piece, which is a beak
shaped mouth piece, as its main source of sound production. It is usually
made with seven finger holes and a thumb hole.
 Baroque music is a style of Western art music composed from
approximately 1600 to 1750. This era followed the Renaissance music era,
and was followed in turn by the Classical era. Baroque music forms a major
portion of the "classical music" canon, being widely studied, performed, and
listened to. Key composers of the Baroque era include Johann Sebastian Bach,
Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, Claudio Monteverdi, Domenico
Scarlatti, Alessandro Scarlatti, Henry Purcell, Georg Philipp Telemann, Jean-
Baptiste Lully, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arcangelo
Corelli, Tomaso Albinoni, Franois Couperin, Giuseppe Tartini, Heinrich Schtz,
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Dieterich Buxtehude, and Johann Pachelbel.

The Baroque period saw the creation of tonality, an approach to writing music
in which a song or piece is written in a particular key (tonality continues to be
used in almost all 2000s-era Western popular music). During the Baroque era,
professional musicians were expected to be accomplished improvisers of both
solo melodic lines and accompaniment parts. Baroque concerts were typically
accompanied by a basso continuo group which consisted of chord-playing
instrumentalists such as harpsichordists and lute players improvising chords
from a figured bass part while a group of bass instruments (viol, cello, double
bass) played the bassline. A characteristic Baroque form was the dance suite.
While the pieces in a dance suite were inspired by actual dance music, dance
suites were designed for listening, not for accompanying dancers.
The word "baroque" comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning
misshapen pearl. The use of the word with negative connotations first
occurred in 1734, in a criticism of an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau, and
later (1750) in a description by Charles de Brosses of the ornate and heavily
ornamented architecture of the Pamphili Palace in Rome. Although the term
continued to be applied to architecture and art criticism through the 19th
century, it was not until the 20th century that the term "baroque" was
adopted from Heinrich Wlfflin's art-history vocabulary as a designator for a
historical period in music.
The term "Baroque" is generally used by music historians to describe a broad
range of styles from a wide geographic region, mostly in Europe, composed
over a period of approximately 150 years.[1] Although it was long thought
that the word as a critical term was first applied to architecture, in fact it
appears earlier in reference to music, in an anonymous, satirical review of the
premire in October 1733 of Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie, printed in the
Mercure de France in May 1734. The critic implied that the novelty in this
opera was "du barocque", complaining that the music lacked coherent
melody, was filled with unremitting dissonances, constantly changed key and
meter, and speedily ran through every compositional device.

GREAT COMPOSER OF BAROQUE

o Johann Sebastian Bach -was a genius keyboardist (mastering the organ and
harpsichord) and brilliant composer. Bach brought baroque music to its culmination,
writing music for nearly every type of musical form. Popular Works: Air on a G String,
Double Violin Concerto, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, B Minor Mass, and The
Unaccompanied Cello Suites
o George Frideric Handel Born in the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach in a town fifty
miles away, George Frideric Handel, who later became a British citizen, lead a much
different life than Bach. Handel, too, composed for every musical genre of his time, even
 creating the English oratorio. Popular Works: The Messiah, Music for the Royal Fireworks,
and Water Music.
o Antonio Vivaldi - Vivaldi wrote over 500 concertos and is believed to have invented
ritornello form (a theme returning throughout the piece). However, much of Vivaldis music
lay undiscovered until the early 1930s; this newly discovered music earned Vivaldi the
title The Viennese Counterpart to Bach and Handel. Popular Works: The Four Seasons,
Gloria, and Con Alla Rustica in G .

o George Philipp Telemann -A good friend of both Bach and Handel, George Philipp
Telemann was also a distinguished musician and composer of his time. Telemanns
incorporation of unusual instrumentation in his concertos is one of the things that that
made him unique. Popular Works: Viola Concerto in G, Trio Sonata in C minor, and the Paris
Quartets.
o Arcangelo Corelli - was an Italian teacher, violinist, and composer. Corellis mastery of
the tone of the newly invented violin earned him great reviews throughout Europe. He is
coined to have been the first person to create basic violin technique. Popular Works:
Concerto Grossi, Christmas Concerto, and Sonata de camera in D minor
o Henry Purcell - Within a lifetime of only thirty-five years, Purcell achieved musical
greatness by being considered one of Englands greatest composers and the most original
composer of his time. Purcell was extremely talented in word-setting and composed very
successful works for stage. Popular Works: Dido & Aeneas, The Fairy Queen, and Sound the
Trumpet.
o Domenico Scarlatti -son of Alessandro Scarlatti (another well-known baroque composer),
wrote 555 known harpsichord sonatas, of which, over half was written in the last six years
of his life. Scarlatti made use of Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish dance rhythms
throughout many of his works.Popular Works: Essercizi per Gravicembalo (sonatas for
harpsichord)
o Jean-Philippe Rameau -A French composer, Jean-Philippe Rameaus music was known for
its bold melodic lines and harmonies. Aside from harpsichord, Rameaus greatest
contribution to music was in tragdie lyrique opera. His wide use of moods and musical
colors were beyond those of his counterparts. Popular Works: Hippolyte et Aricie and
Castor et Pollux, Trait, and Les Indes galantes
o Johann Pachelbel- taught Johann Christoph Bach (J.S. Bachs older brother) music. J.C.
Bach said that J.S. Bach greatly admired Pachelbels music. Pachelbels music is
considered by many to be stylistically related to J.S. Bachs. Popular Works: Pachelbel
Canon, Chaconne in F minor, and Toccata in C minor for organ
o Giovanni Battista Sammartini - is one of the earliest composers of the symphony
(sixty-eight of them have survived). Many believe his symphonic works and thematic
development are the precursors to Hayd and Mozart. Popular Works: Sonata No. 3,
Recorder Sonata in A minor .

o TOP 10 BAROQUE MUSIC

o Bach: 6 Suites for Unaccompanied Cello

o It is largely believed that Johann Sebastian Bach composed the six suites for cello
between 1717 and 1723. The manuscript belonging to his second wife, Anna Magdalena
Bach, was titled Suites Violoncello Solo senza Basso. These pieces are instantly
recognizable, and are, perhaps, the most famous music ever written for solo cello. The
suites are so popular, they have been transcribed for a variety of different instruments.
Listen to Yo Yo Ma perform Bachs Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello.
o Vivaldi: Four Seasons
o Without a doubt, the Four Seasons is Antonio Vivaldis most famous work. It was published
in 1725, in a set of twelve concertos entitled Il cimento dellarmonia e dellinventione (The
 Test of Harmony and Invention). The concertos are arguably the boldest program music
ever written in the baroque period (music that is composed to depict a narrative). Listen to
Joshua Bell perform Vivaldis Four Seasons.
o Corelli: 12 Concerti Grossi, Op.6
o Arcangelo Corellis twelve concerti grossi are a perfect example of the baroque periods
concerto grosso (the form of music that resembles a musical dialogue between the large
orchestra and the small group of soloists). He was the first baroque composer to write
music in that style. These 12 concerti grossi were published after his death. Listen to a
complete performance of Corellis twelve concerti grossi.
o Bach: Brandenburg Concertos
o These highly favored and celebrated concertos written by Johann Sebastian Bach were
dedicated to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721. The concertos
are among the worlds most performed; their happy and upbeat nature easily inspires and
excites listeners of all nationalities. Listen to all six of Bachs Brandenburg Concertos.
o Allergi: Miserere mei, Deus
o Gregorio Allegri composed this sacred work in the 1630s, during the papacy of Pope
Urban VIII. The piece was written for use in the Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday and
Good Friday of Holy Week. Pope Urban VIII loved the piece so much, that he forbid it to be
performed elsewhere outside of the Sistine Chapel. For 100 years, it was performed
exclusively at the church
o Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
o Henry Purcells opera, Dido and Aeneas, (read the synopsis of Dido and Aeneas) was the
English composers first opera. It was also his only completely sung dramatic work, having
written a handful of staged works prior to and after its premiere. The opera is a great
example of baroque period opera. Listen to the complete recording of Purcells Dido and
Aeneas.
o Sammartini: Symphony in D Major, J-C 14
o Giovanni Battista Sammartini is considered to be the originator of the classical symphonic
form (in particular, the sonata form), and many believe his symphonies and thematic
development are the precursors to those written by Haydn and Mozart. Listen to
Sammartinis Symphony in D Major.

o Telemann: Paris Quartets

o Georg Philipp Telemann was one of the most prolific composers of the baroque period.
Unlike other famous composers, Telemanns musical abilities were largely self-taught. His
incorporation of unusual instrumentation in his concertos is one of the things that that
made him unique. For example, his famous Paris Quartets were scored for flute, violin,
viola da gamba, and continuo. Listen to Telemanns Paris Quartets.