Andrew KarrMusic 205

HumanismThe Renaissance focused strongly on Humanistic rhetoric; the ability to organize speech

and persuade listeners of a concept was a major concept in the school of thought in the era. Text set to music in the era reflected the same ideas. “Solo e Pensoso” by Luca Marenzio and Palestrina's Credo from the Pope Marcellus Mass showed this rhetoric.

“Solo e Pensoso” exemplifies the Renaissance's rhetoric through the use of word painting. The first couplet in “Solo e Pensoso” is translated to

“Alone and pensive, the deserted fieldsI measure with steps deliberate and slow:”

These two lines of words are powerful, and Marenzio used every opportunity to show it. The top voice sings this couplet with chromatic wholes notes ascending a ninth followed by descending a fifth. In comparison, half-step motion in medieval music was never more "than a few semitones in one direction." The use of extended chromatic movement builds the tension and represents the slow steps in the text by taking 24 measures to sing the two lines.The other voices are added individually through the first six measures singing "alone and pensive" in imitation to stress the loneliness of the text.

The leading voice sings "a passi" in measures 16 through 18 where the two other topmost voices join in stepwise motion representing "with steps." The following words "tardi e lenti" are sung deliberately and slowly with all voices changing from the quarter and eighth note rhythms to half and whole notes for "tardi." "Lenti" is sung with a slow cadential idea across four measures. Marenzio set this single couplet in 24 measures, but every note has intent in convincing the listener of the text's meaning.

Palestrina's Credo in the Pope Marcellus Mass shows text set in specific ways to emphasize meaning. The Credo has a large amount of text with important meaning. To keep the text understandable, Palestrina had all voices sing the text in the same rhythm, which was not standard for the style of the time. The texture throughout is homophonic except for specific moments such as "Deo verum" in measure 35 through 38. The texture change to polyphony creates a sense of the importance of the words. Palestrina was specific when using all six voices, such as in measure 44 where the text translates to "by whom all things are made." The use of all six voices at this moment solidifies the meaning of "all." These examples show how the composers exhibited the idea of Renaissance Humanism.