The Renaissance Era
1400 – 1600
“Rebirth”
Important Developments
• Secular music is non-religious music and it was becoming
more popular during this time. There was a rise in
instrumental music and dance music, too.
• The printing press was invented during the
Renaissance. Some people consider the printing press to
be the most important contribution to civilization in the last
one thousand years! The printing press allowed music to
be printed quickly. Before the Renaissance, music had to
be copied by hand.
• One of the most famous persons from the Renaissance was
Leonardo da Vinci. He was known as a Renaissance man
because he could do many things well. He was a painter,
architect, inventor, scientist, poet, musician, and teacher.
A Rebirth of Knowledge
• Renaissance means rebirth.
• This period saw a rebirth in knowledge.
• The focus of the Renaissance was turning from
God to man.
• Science and the arts were becoming more
important.
• Christopher Columbus discovered America
• Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel.
• William Shakespeare was writing his famous
plays.
Medieval to Renaissance
Melody
Medieval
Renaissance
• Long,
• Shorter,
asymmetrical
balanced
• Texted
• Texted melodies
melodies often often syllabic
melismatic
Medieval to Renaissance
Rhythm
Medieval
Renaissance
• Restless and
active
• Smoother, more
regular
• Often tied to
rhythm of words
Medieval to Renaissance
Harmony
Medieval
Renaissance
• Based on triads
• Based on fifths and
• Dissonance less
octaves
harsh,
usually
on
• Unexpected,
weak beats
pungent dissonances
• More adventurous in
late Renaissance in
portraying emotions
Medieval to Renaissance
Tone Colour/Timbre
Medieval
Renaissance
• Voices and
instruments mixed
• Bright tone colors,
freely mixed
• Often a cappella or
purely instrumental
• Softer tone colors,
ensembles of similar
instruments
(consorts)
Medieval to Renaissance
Texture
Medieval
Renaissance
• Monophonic
and polyphonic
• Non-imitative
• Mostly
polyphonic
• Often imitative
Medieval to Renaissance
Form
Medieval
Renaissance
• Often based on
cantus firmus and
isorhythm (original
chant form)
• Vocal refrain forms
(virelai, rondeau)
• Some isorhythm,
but usually based
on text or dance
forms
• Through-composed
vocal pieces
(madrigal and
motet)
A Cappella: The Golden Age of Singing
• This was the golden age of the a cappella
style.
• That means that singers sang without
instruments.
• Vocal music was still more important
than instrumental music.
The Madrigal
•Madrigals were popular during the
Renaissance.
•These song forms were performed in groups of
four, five, or six singers.
•A madrigal is secular music. This is nonreligious music.
•Madrigals vary in terms of content, but many
are about love, but could just as likely be about
death.
•The text of the madrigal was the focus and the
music was framed around this a cappella form.
•England in particular has long been noted for
its madrigals, with numerous composers of the
form such as Thomas Morley.
• Listen to this recording of Thomas Morley’s
“Sing We and Chant it”
Sacred Renaissance Music
• Religious music was still very important. Choral music
of the Renaissance was an extension of the Gregorian
chant. It was sung a cappella and sung in Latin.
• Motets were popular during this time. A motet is a
polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing
one religious text.
• Giovanni Palestrina was one the Renaissance period's
most important composers. He was Italian. He wrote
mostly religious works. He is considered one of the
great masters of Renaissance music. He wrote motets,
madrigals, and masses.
Palestirina – Sicut Cirvus
Watch the music go by as it plays. What do you notice about the
polyphony?
The Mass
• The musical mass was an important part of
the Catholic Church's religious service.
• Each part of the celebration would have a
different musical number.
• The mass would be sung in Latin.
The Order of the Mass
Kyrie
Kyrie means God. This is the first
piece in a musical mass.
Gloria
Gloria means Glory and follows
the Kyrie.
Credo
Credo means Creed of Belief. It
follows the Gloria.
Sanctus
Sanctus means Holy.
Benedictus
Benedictus means Blessed.
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei means Lamb of God.
3 Popular Song Forms of the
Renaissance
Just remember the Three M's:
Madrigal
Motet
Mass
This is a polyphonic work, which means it has many musical lines of
equal importance. Madrigals were sung with lots of imitation,
which means the voices take turns singing the same
melody. Madrigals were performed in groups of four, five, or six
singers. They sang secular music. This is non-religious
music. Madrigals were usually love songs.
A motet is a polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing
one religious text. They are similar to madrigals, but with an
important difference: motets are religious works, while madrigals
are usually love songs.
A musical mass is like a motet, only longer. It also follows the
religious service of the Catholic Church and is sung in a very specific
order: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. It is
performed in Latin.
Instrumental Music
• There was a growth in instrumental music,
especially the lute and keyboard.
• The most popular instrument of the
Renaissance was the lute.
Instrument Families
• It was during this period that families of
instruments started to develop.
• These families were called consorts. This is
where we get the word concert.
Dance Music
• Dancing was a favorite pastime during the
Renaissance.
• Educated people were expected to know how to
dance. There were simple dances that were usually
danced in chains or circles.
• There were also more difficult dances that required
lots of practice.
• Dancing encouraged new forms of instrumental
compositions.
• Many songs were written just for dancing.
• Some popular renaissance dances were the branle,
pavane, galliard and allemande.
Samples of Renaissance Dance Forms
The Galliard
The Branle
Questions for Discussion
1. In a canon, all voices repeat the same melody. Can you name any canons you have
sung? What else are canons called?
2. A Renaissance man is someone who is good at everything he tries. What would you
need to do today to be a Renaissance person? Is there anyone living today you
would consider a Renaissance person? Why would it be harder to be Renaissance
person today than during the Renaissance?
3. How did the printing press change music history?
4. Name some important ways that the Renaissance is different from the Medieval
period.
5. Why do you think the Medieval period lasted 700 years longer than the
Renaissance?
6. What is the musical texture of most of today's music?