Music of the
Renaissance Period
(1450-1600)
What is
renaissance?
Renaissance is a french word means
“rebirth”. This was the time of rebirth in
learning, science, and the arts throughout
the Europe.
For musicians, this is an era of discovery,
innovation and exploration.
Renaissance Period is referred as “The
Golden Age of Polyphony” because vocal
polyphony was perfected during the era.
Characteristics of Renaissance Music
 mostly polyphonic
 imitation among the voices is common
 use of word painting in texts and music
 melodic lines move in a flowing manner
 melodies are easier to perform because
these move along a scale with a few large
leaps.
A cappella singing in church music was
developed during renaissance period.
A cappella is singing without instrumental
back up.
Vocal Forms during renaissance period
1. Motet is one of the most important forms of polyphonic music
form, is an unaccompanied choral accompaniment based on a
Latin sacred text. The motet is serious and primarily designed for
worship service.
2. Mass is music for the Catholic church worship. It is a form of
sacred musical composition that sets texts of the Eucharistic
liturgy into music.
3. Madrigal was sung at social gatherings in the court and in
meetings of artistic and learned societies accompanied by a lute
or a harpsichord.
It is using repeated upward melodic movement for the expression
of joy or excitement.
Instrumental Music
The principal developments in Renaissance
music took place almost entirely in vocal music until
about 1600. The Renaissance saw an awakening of
interest in instrumental music that continued to grow
until the 18th century.
Lute- is a fretted, guitar-like instrument with six strings
and a long neck and was an accompanying instrument
as well as a solo and ensemble instrument.
Tablature- a special notation that lute music used
which consists of letters or number placed on six
horizontal lines corresponding to the six strings of the
lute.
Lute
Tablature
Famous Composers during
Renaissance Period
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Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Orlando di Lasso
Claudio Monteverdi
William Byrd
Orlando Gibbons
Giovanni Pierluigi da
Palestrina
•He is said to be the greatest
master of Roman Catholic Church
music during the Renaissance
period.
•Palestrina became the most
prolific composer of the Masses
and wrote about 104 of these.
• His famous composition is “Pope
Marcellus Mass”.
Orlando di Lasso
• He is a Flemish composer,
wrote musical compositions of
sacred and secular in nature.
• He wrote Italian madrigals,
Latin masses and motets, and
German Lieder.
Claudio Monteverdi
• an Italian composer, composed
music for operas utilizing chordal
accompaniment.
• His first work was Orfeo
composed in 1607.
• In 1613, Monteverdi was
appointed as the music director of
St. Mark’s Venice.
William Byrd
• He was called the “Father of
Music”.
• Byrd used contrapuntal
patterns, but he also used
lyrical patterns.
• He also helped to introduce
Italian madrigals to England.
Orlando Gibbons
•An English composer and musicaian
born in Oxford England
• known for his church music which
consists of anthems,psalms and entire
worship services.
• His best known non-religious
composition is the madrigal “The
Silver Swan”.
• a fine keyboard performer and
composed works for two keyboard
instruments, the organ and the virginal.
Thomas Morley
• born in Norwich, East England, a son of
a brewer.
• he was a singer in a local cathedral from
his boyhood, and he became master of
choristers there in 1583.
• he was known as the most famous
composer of secular music of his time
•Famous compositions:
“Fire, Fire, My Heart”, “Sing and
Chant it”, “Fantasie”, “April is in my
Mistress Face”, and “ It was a Lover and
His Lass”.