Medieval and Renaissance
Instrumental Music
Medieval
“Music of the Middle Ages”
“Istampita
Palamento”
Medieval Dance Music
Estampie
• Stamping Dance - People stand in a circle holding
hands
• Made up of several sections, each section is played
twice, the first with an open ending and the second
with a close ending
“La Quinte Estampie Real” (The Fifth Royal Estampie)
Salterello
• A fast Italian dance in either triple time or 6/8 or
12/8 with a hopping or jumping rhythm
• In the 16th Century it was performed after the
passamezzo to create a contrasting pair
Renaissance
“Rebirth” or “Revival”
Renaissance Dance Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Basse Dance
* Pavan
* Galliard
*Passamezzo
Salterello
Branle
Volta
Byrd, Bull and
Gibbons composed
these for keyboard
Pavan
• A 16th Century Court Dance
• 2 or 4 beat time
• Slow and Majestic
2 Left single forward |
2 Right single forward |
4 Left double forward. |
2 Right single backward (or forward) |
2 Left single backward (or forward) |
4 Right double backward (or forward).|
Pavan Dance
The common
accompaniment would
be the drone – Two
notes – a fifth apart held
down or played
rhythmically
John Dowland “The Earle of Essex Galiard”
Galliard
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•
•
•
A lively spirited 16th Century court dance
Exaggerated leaps and nimble footwork
In triple or compound time
Use of the *hemiola
Beginning of Byrd’s “Galiardo, Mistress Marye Browlo”
Passamezzo
These are early ground bass. There are two versions of this dance.
(poss. Henry VIII of England, 1500's.)
Passamezzo Antico
= minor chord sequence
This chord sequence is used for the
famous tune Greensleaves
Am
G
Am
E
I
V
I
VII
C
G
Am E Am
iii
VII
i V i
Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Chorus:
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady greensleeves.
Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in captivity.
chorus
Passamezzo Moderna
This chord sequence is in the major key
C
count
1
F
2
1
C
2
G
I
IV
1 etc.
count
I
V
C
1
2
1
You will notice the first phrase ends on the dominant chord. This
helps to lead us into the next phrase.
Listen to the following passamezzo moderna.
Can you follow the chord sequence?
This chord pattern evolves over centuries into the
American 12 bar blues chord sequence
Hemiola
• A composer may make a couple of bars of music
in a 3/4 piece sound like they are in 2/4 using ties.
Look at the example below:
Tierce de Picardie ( Picardy Third)
• In some pieces in a minor key, the final tonic
chord is a major chord.
• The unexpected major 3rd in the final chord
• Listen to the end of the phrases in Coventry Carol
on the next slide as a good example
Coventry Carol
1. Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullay.
2. O sisters, too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day;
This poor Youngling for whom we sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.
3. Herod the King, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day;
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young, to slay.
4. Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
And ever mourn and say;
For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.
The highlighted
words are the
tierce de
picardie