Week 8 Lecture Notes
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The Renaissance marks the passing of European society from a
predominantly religious orientation to a more secular one…
Humanism is an approach to study, philosophy, or practice that
focuses on human values and concerns. It was a movement that
flourished in the Italian Renaissance to revive classical learning.
Renaissnace was spurred on by the invention of the compass,
introduction of printing, inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. First
came to flower in Italy. Birth of modern European spirit and of
Western society as we’ve come to know it.
Renaissance was the golden age of a cappella style (vocal work
without instrumental accompaniment)).
Polyphony was primarily imitative… musical ideas exchanged vocal
lines, so that the same phrase is heard in different registers.
Continuing from the middle ages, most sacred music was vocal while
secular was split between a cappella and vocal/instrumental… growth
of solo instrumental music as well.
Harmony became fuller, adding 3rds and 6ths instead of more hollow
open 5ths and octaves.
Word painting came into being; i.e. dissonance on the word “death,”
ascending line up to the word “heaven.”
Cantus firmus = fixed melody.
RENAISSANCE SACRED MUSIC
Motets began using one text instead of being polytextual.
Week 8 Lecture Notes
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Josquin de Prez completes the transformation from anonymous
composers of the Middle Ages to the highly individual artists of the
Renaissance. He composed sacred motets and masses as well as
secular songs, from pre-existing and original forms.
Josquin: Ave maria… virgo serena
- Rhymed strophic poem, each phrase beginning “Ave”
- SATB in varied settings, including imitative polyphony, dialogue
(high vs low voices), and homorhythm (all voices moving together).
- A cappella performance
- Expressive final text (O mater dei) set homorhythmically, in personal
plea from composer, closing hollow cadence.
- Meter change, from duple to triple and back.
Ordinary (daily) renaissance mass has five sections:
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei
Originally sung in latin, now sung in Vernacular (language of the
country where the mass is being performed).
Early polyphonic settings based on cantus firmus (fixed melody).
Served as foundation of the work while florid patterns were built on
top.
Counter-reformation was the Catholic response to the Protestant
reformation led by Martin Luther. At the Council of Trent,
recommendation was to have masses return to a cappella only.
Giovanni Pierlugi de Palestrina saved the developments in
composition by writing a six-voice mass that the Council approved.
Pope Marcellus Mass his most famous of more than 100 masses.
Originally six male voices: soprano, alto, two tenors, two basses
Week 8 Lecture Notes
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Gloria section:
- Monophonic chant opening
- Changes of density and texture set in various registers (high vs. low
voices)
- A cappella performance
- Clearly audible text set syllabically
- Alternation of homorhythmic and polyphonic textures.
- Full, consonant harmony (3rd and 6ths included)
RENAISSANCE SECULAR MUSIC
Chanson structure became freer in the renaissance than Machaut’s
rondeau.
With the advent of printing, books of instrumental music became
readily available for solo and small ensembles. Didn’t specify
instruments – was determined by the occasion. Outdoor occasions
called for loud instruments, indoors for quiet instruments.
Susato: Three Dances
- Lively, quick-paced dance tunes.
- Each dance in binary form (A-A-B-B).
- Regular phrases of 4 and 8 measures.
- Prominence of melody played by loud solo instruments.
- Occasional melodic embellishments.
- Key change between second and third dance.
- Final repeat of first dance and chord for dancers’ bow.
Madrigal was among the most important secular genres of the
Renaissance. Flourished at the Italian courts. Topics included humor,
satire, politics, city and country life as well as unrequited love. Vocal
and instrumental.
Week 8 Lecture Notes
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Monteverdi: Late Renaissance madrigal’s greatest exponent.
“Hear now, the waves murmur” a great example of word painting.
Written for five voices, set to a text about nature’s beauty.
- Careful musical pictorialization of each image of nature.
Alternation of voice groups, from low to high in playful exchange.
- Clear text demarcation and repeated phrases.
- Somber mood and slower pace in closing line, to portray “heavy
heart.”
English Madrigal: John Farmer, an example of important English
madrigal composer.
Fair Phyllis:
- Pastoral text, cheery mood.
- 4 voices, SATB, varied textures (monophonic at opening, later
polyphonic, then homorhythmic).
- Change from duple or triplet meter.
- Obvious word painting as expressive device.
Week 8 Listening:
1. Josquin de Prez Ave Maria… virgo serena
2. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass, Gloria
3. Tielman Susato Three Dances
4. Claudio Monteverdi Ecco mormorar l’onde
5. John Farmer Fair Phyllis