Chapter 5: Renaissance

Music
The better the voice is, the meeter
it is to honor and serve God
therewith: and the voice of Man is
chiefly to be employed to that end.
Since singing is so good a thing, I
wish all men would learn to sing.
William Byrd

Three Phenomena Occur

Rise of humanism
Rise of bourgeoisie (merchant class)
Religious crises (Reformation, Counter-

Reformation)

1450 -1600
Renaissance in literature and visual arts

began c. 1300
Music c. 1450 in N. Europe
Rise of imitative choral polyphony
A cappella singing is ideal
Four-part textures typical

Sacred Music in Northern Europe

Mass

Four independent voice parts

Chant melody no longer in bass voice
Frequently abandoned chant altogether
Occasionally used secular melody as one
of the voices

Motet

Similar treatment

Josquin des Prez

(c. 1450 1521)
One of most influential composers
Born in N. France or Belgium
Active in Italy Milan and Rome
Moves to France in 1501
After two years moves to Ferrara
Leaves after one year to avoid plague
Last years in Cond, France

Listening Guide
Ave Maria, Motet
Josquin des Prez
Composed in 1470s
Uses polyphonic and homophonic

textures
Four voices
Imitative at times
Duple meter, with one section in triple
meter
Latin text

Latin Text
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum, Virgo
serena.
Ave cujus conception,
Solemni plena gaudio,
Coelestia, terrestrial,
Nova replete laetitia.
Ave cujus nativitas
Nostra fuit solemnitas,
Ut Lucifer lex oriens
Verum solem
praeveniens.

Ave la humilitas
Sine viro foecunditas
Cujus annunciatio
Nostra fuit salvatio.
Ave praeclara omnibus
Angelicis virtutibus,
Vujus fuit assumption
Nostra glorification.
O mater Dei,
Memento mei, Amen.

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

(1524-1594)
Choirmaster, St. Peters, Rome
Lived and worked during Counter-

Reformation
Involved in music reforms for Catholic
church Council of Trent
Composed numerous polyphonic mass
settings

Listening Guide: Kyrie from Missa Papae

Marcelli (Pope Marcellus Mass), Palestrina
Composed in1567

Greek Text

Polyphonic, a

Kyrie, eleison (Lord,

have mercy on us)

cappella
Duple meter, but
flows much like
medieval chant
Six voices

Soprano
Alto
Two tenors
Two basses

Christe, eleison (Christ,

have mercy on us)
Kyrie eleison (Lord,
have mercy on us)

Renaissance Secular Music

Italian madrigal
French chanson
German lied

Italian Madrigal
Early type: 14th century

Poem set to music

Often 12-line poems erotic or sentimental
texts
3 voices, homophonic texture

Later type: 16th century

Elaborate setting
Mixture of polyphony and homophony
Word painting

Claudio Monteverdi
(1567-1643)
Published eight books of madrigals
Early books contain fine examples of

Renaissance madrigal
Eventually his madrigals lead away from

Renaissance practice into new style

(baroque)

English Madrigal
Lighter in style
Style first cultivated by William Byrd

(1543-1623) and Thomas Morley

(student of Byrd)
Morley composed simplified versions

Adapted from Italian balletti

Characterized by fa-la-la refrain

Listening Guide: Fair Phyllis

John Farmer
Composed in1599
Mostly polyphonic,

homophonic ending
Four voices (SATB)
Duple meter
Listen for word painting
on up and down
Homophonic texture
when two lovers kiss

Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all

alone,
Feeding her flock near to the
mountainside.
The shepherds knew not
whither she was gone,
But after her lover Amyntas
hied.
Up and down he wandered
whilst she was amissing.
When he found her, O then
they fell a-kissing.

Other Renaissance Secular Vocal Music

Chanson France
Strong accented
rhythms
Frequent repetitions
Short phrases
ending
simultaneously in all
parts
3-5 voices
Imitation alternating
with homophonic
sections
Word painting

Lied Germany
Dates from mid-15th
century
Monophonic
melodies, also 3-part
settings
Provided Lutheran
church with melodies
for chorale tunes
(hymns)
Later style more
typical of madrigal
and chanson

Renaissance Instrumental Music

Instruments used in

church, for social

occasions, theatrical
productions, in private
homes
Predominantly dance
music
Improvised on known
harmonic bass patterns
Lute most popular (14001500)

Transcriptions
Ricercari/fantasias

Various keyboards

Clavichord
Harpsichord
Organ

Consorts

Whole (family)

Viols
Recorders

Broken (different
families)
Brass and reeds were
popular for outdoors
performances

Listening Guide: Ballet des Baccanales from

Terspsichore
Michael Praetorius
Composed 1612
Polyphonic
Duple meter
Four voices (melodic lines) plus

percussion
Ternary (ABA) form
A SATB, recorders, lute, tambourine
B SATB, brass instruments and drum
A Tutti (all instruments)