Medieval and Renaissance Instrumental Music

Medieval “Music of the Middle Ages”

Medieval Dance MusicEstampie

• 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)

“Istampita Palamento”

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

Pavan

• A 16th Century Court Dance• 2 or 4 beat time• Slow and Majestic

Byrd, Bull and Gibbons composed these for keyboard

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

Galliard• 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”

John Dowland “The Earle of Essex Galiard”

Passamezzo These are early ground bass. There are two versions of this dance.

Passamezzo Antico

= minor chord sequence

This chord sequence is used for the famous tune Greensleaves

Am G Am E

I VII I V

C G Am E Am

iii VII i V i

(poss. Henry VIII of England, 1500's.)

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 joyGreensleeves 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 apartBut my heart remains in captivity.

chorus

Passamezzo Moderna

This chord sequence is in the major key

C F C G I IV I V C

count 1 2 1 2 1 etc. count 1 2 1

You will notice the first phrase ends on the dominant chord. This helps to lead us into the next phrase.

This chord pattern evolves over centuries into the American 12 bar blues chord sequence

Listen to the following passamezzo moderna.

Can you follow the 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