Renaissance MusicRenaissance music was composed in Europe during the time of the Renaissance, approximately 1400-1600. Within this time, music underwent dramatic changes from the original chant from the Middle Ages. Other countries during this time also decided to join the band wagon and start composing music, each having its own different style and text. Many events helped shape the way music was composed, examples being the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation.

Contents [hide]1. Overview

1.1 Countries1.2 Genres

2. Early Renaissance Music (1400-1467)2.1 John Dunstable2.2 Guillaume Du Fay

3. Middle Renaissance Music (1467- 1534)3.1 Franco-Flemish Composers

4. The Rise of Regional Styles4.1 Italy4.2 France4.3 England4.4 Germanic Lands4.5 Iberia

5. Late Renaissance Music (1534- 1600)5.1 The Reformation5.2 The Counter-Reformation

6. Instrumental Music6.1 Winds6.2 Strings6.3 Keyboard6.4 Percussion6.5 Styles6.6 The Venetian School

Overview

CountriesMany different countries started composing music in the Renaissance. England was composing music such as madrigals, which was the main thing English composers wrote. Italy was the biggest country music wise, having a mass amount of musical genres, such as the frottola, the lauda, and even their own

madrigals. France threw in its musical style with its chansons and voix de ville. The Germanic lands also had their own genres with some meisterlieder and quodlibet. Iberia had two principle types of music, the romance and the villancico. The Franco-Netherlands (Flemish) also contributed many of the greatest composers of the Renaissance.

GenresDuring the Renaissance, a lot of genres were presented... some shared by different countries but with that countries own musical style implemented into it. Italy had a mass amount of musical genres, beginning with the lauda which were mainly monophonic, but could also be composed as polyphonic. They were non liturgical hymns of praise and devotion intended to be sung by semiprofessionals who met regularly for devotions. The Canti Carnascialeschi, or carnival songs, were used in festivals held in Florence and consisted of masquerades (performed by masked men and boys on foot) and triumph songs (performed by costumed singers on carts). The frottola was a generic term covering various types of Italian secular songs. The Italians composed many other genres of music as well.

The French composed chansons, which were literally just songs. They were always written in the French language and had continuous polyphony with more equality among voices. The French also composed voix de ville (air de cour) and musique mesuree.

England's main composition was madrigals, not many English composers did not write madrigals. They were mainly sung unaccompanied and for solo voice. The English also composed consort songs and lute songs, or ayres.

Songs from the Germanic lands were called Lieds (songs). These were mainly polyphonic. The Germanic lands also composed Meisterlieder, odes, and quodlibets.

Iberia composed two types of musical genres, the romance and the villancico.

Early Renaissance Music (1400-1467)

John DunstableJohn Dunstable was a composer who influenced many of the French composers who followed him, especially Gulliame DuFay. Dunstable wrote in the contenance angloise, or the English style of music. This style consisted of: 1) chords that regularly include the third (except final cadences), 2) passages in block chords or of lightly ornamented homo rhythmic texture and 3) polyphonic lines primarily consonant with all other lines, constructed with carefully prepared and resolved dissonances placed on weak beats.

An example of John Dunstable's work. Quam pulchra es demonstrating his style of Declamation, a syllabic style of writing music.

Guillaume DuFayGuillaume DuFay, during his maturity, was the most famous composer in all of Europe. He was very well educated and also knew composers such as Binchois, Busnois, and Ockeghem. He wrote both sacred and secular music and his compositions are included in over 70 15 th century manuscripts. He wrote most of his secular music while he was associated with a court and when he lived in Italy. He mainly wrote his text in French, despite living in Italy. Most of DuFay's ballades are early works and only four very late works are virelais. Most of his chansons are rondeaux, mainly on subjects similar to those of the trouveres. He mainly wrote about love, but also wrote about religious symbolism and personal feelings.

An example of a chanson by DuFay titled Bonjour, bon mois, bon an.

DuFay also composed sacred music, mainly motets and Masses. He is credited with being the first composer to use fauxbourdon in a motet. Fauxbourdon uses two notated voices and forms a framework of basically parallel sixths with some octaves with those two voices.

An example of fauxbourdon by DuFay, called Ave Maris Stella.

DuFay also composed Masses, 8 of which have survived. He composed Tenor Masses that are cyclic, that is, with the same cantus firmus melody in all movements of the Mass. He also composed a motto Mass, which is a Mass that the head motive is used consistently.

Middle Renaissance Music (1467-1534)

The Early Renaissance composers dropped the ideas of the late medieval period, like isorhythm, and began composing in a completely new way.

Franco-FlemishThe Franco-Flemish composers were probably some of the most famous composers of their time. They introduced the style of writing known as familiar style, a polyphonic piece that has a homo rhythmic texture and syllabic text setting. Another style they introduced was points of imitation, a portion of a piece of music in which a single musical subject is treated imitatively. They were also writing cadences that forecast the authentic and plagal cadences and often times included the third in the final chord of the piece.

Johannes Ockeghem was one of the biggest names during his time in the world of music. He composed both secular and sacred musics, but is mainly known for his sacred music. In his secular works, he wrote them in three-voices and they were treble-dominated polyphony, but they had a range extension that extended downwards, decreasing the necessity for voice crossing. Ockeghem's sacred music was composed differently than what other composers had done. His melodies were constructed in long, flowing polyphonic lines in long-breathed phrases. One of the things Ockeghem composed was Masses. He based most of his Masses on melodies borrowed from secular songs or from chants. He also did not always abide by the cantus firmus melody nor did he always put the melody in the tenor voice. He would sometimes a) use a migrant cantus firmus, b) change the order of the phrases of the original melody or c) place the cantus firmus in two voices at the same time but without using canon or imitation or doubling the melody.

An excerpt from one of Ockeghem's sacred pieces, Alma Redemptoris Mater.

Another composer of the Franco-Flemish school is Jacob Obrecht. Much like Ockeghem, Obrecht composed in both sacred and secular forms, but was known for his sacred work. His secular works, to mention briefly, were for four voices, although six of them are for three. In Obrecht's sacred music, he composed them with melodies that are smooth and and divided into singable phrases of moderate length and were gently curved and slightly arched. His Masses are mostly for four voices and all based on borrowed melodies. He usually placed the main cantus firmus in the tenor voice. He never wrote a true parody Mass, but did use the parody technique but not as the primary constructional basis for the Mass. Obrecht also composed motets, fourteen of which are for four voices; seven for five, six for three, and one for six. Most of his motets are based on borrowed melodies and had a manipulated cantus firmus in various ways. Some of is motets were polytextual and had the writing technique of quodlibet (literally whatever you want) in them.

An except from Obrecht's Parce Domine, showing his smooth melody composing.

Josquin Desprez was considered one of the greater secular composers and was acknowledged as a master of Mass and motet composition. Martin Luther even considered Josquin to be “Master of the notes”. Josquin used a technique in his later motets known as pervading imitation, which the next generation of composers would often use. Most of Josquin's secular works are chansons, but he did write a few frottole. Only a few of his chansons follow the formes fixes. Often, he set long poems strophically. Josquin did most of his Mass composing before 1505, with only 2 of his 18 Masses being

composed after this date. Most of his Masses were based off borrowed material: five on chansons by other composers, four on popular songs, four on chant melodies, and one on a motet. He also used canon extensively. Josquin's finest compositions are his motets, which were principally 2 types: 1) four voice setting of biblical texts, mainly psalms, and 2) large scale five-voice cantus firmus type compositions usually based on melodies borrowed from chant. Josquin used a lot of word painting and text painting. Josquin's contemporaries consist of Heinrich Isaac, Pierre de La Rue and Jean Mouton.

An excerpt from Josquin's motet Miserere mei Deus, depicting his large scale, five voice cantus firmus type of writing.

The Rise of Regional Styles

ItalyDuring this time, Italy was the leading country when it came to musical styles, composing many different styles of music. The lauda was polyphonic and intended to be sung by semiprofessionals who met regularly for devotions. The canti carnascialeschi were carnival songs, one type being a masquerade where men and boys would wear masks and sing on foot. Frottolas were three to four part polyphonic songs that were predominantly homo rhythmic with simple harmonies and the main melody in the top voice. Villanella were often witty and sophisticated pieces of music intended for aristocratic audiences. The madrigal became the most significant type of Italian secular song during the Renaissance. They were divided into three types: early, classical, and late. Early madrigals were for three or four voices and had some imitation, but were predominantly chordal with clear cadences separating poetic phrases. These were the madrigals of the Early Renaissance. Classical madrigals were called madrigali spirituali, which were madrigals setting devotional texts, especially about the Virgin Mary. These were used around the Middle Renaissance. Late madrigals exhibited continuous polyphony and extended to five to six voices. This was used in the Late Renaissance. Canzonettas were light, secular Italian songs that had strophic texts and used subjects that are amorous, erotic, pastoral, and satirical. Italians also composed ballettos, which were strophic and homophonic with regular rhythmic patterns, clearly delineated phrases, and diatonic harmonies of key tonality. These were dance songs.

FranceFrench composers wrote chansons, which was literally a song. They were always written in the French

language and exhibited continuous polyphony and contained melodic figures, turns of phrase, and cadences common to the Franco-Flemish. They also wrote voix de ville, or lute songs. These songs were set strophically to music in a homophonic chordal style with the melody in the top voice. Musique mesuree was also composed in France, which were homophonic and almost totally homo rhythmic pieces in French text set to Greek and Latin verse.

EnglandAround the 1590s, most English composers composed madrigals. These madrigals were like the Italian madrigals, except simpler and in English text. These were the most popular pieces of music for the English at this time. They also composed consort songs that were exclusive to England. These songs were for one or more solo voices with a required instrumental accompaniment that was usually a consort of viols. The English also composed lute songs, which were commonly known as ayres in England. However, these did not become popular in England until the late 1590s.

Germanic LandsThe Germanic lands did not compose many different styles of music. Meisterlieder were monophonic German songs created and performed by members of the Meistersinger guilds. These were performed unaccompanied and normally with a vocal soloist and occasionally a chorus. It comprised of an odd number of stanzas and was set in aab form. Polyphonic lied was also popular in Germany, but could be called Tenorlieder by the early 16th century due to the melody being put in the tenor voice. Odes were composed in Germany as well and were set at the ends of acts in Latin plays written by German schoolmasters. A popular German style is the quodlibet, which literally means whatsoever you please. This style combines well known melodies or fragments of melodies successively and simultaneously.

IberiaIberia only had two styles of music that were popular at the time: romance (ballad) and the villancico. The romance has strophic text and was narrative. They were in three or four voices and homophonic with the main melody in the top voice. The villancico resembles a ballata and a virelai, very dance like. They were for three or four voices and were contrapuntal with the main melody in the superius.

Late Renaissance Music (1534- 1600)

The ReformationThe Reformation brought forth a change in music. At the heart of the Lutheran church was the German Choral or, called in England, the chorale. It is a German hymn comprising a text and a melody and was originally sung a capella. It is comparable with monophonic chant. In the early church, they were intended for congregational singing. Most chorales are strophic. Some sixteenth-century chorales were newly composed melodies and others were contrafacta- chants, non liturgical spiritual songs, secular melodies, or folk songs fitted with German sacred text. One of the more important composers of this time was Johann Walter, who personally knew Martin Luther. He was one of Luther's advisees when Luther was drafting the German Mass. He wrote Magnificat and Psalm settings, motets, many Tenorlieder and hymns. His greatest contribution was the printing of his Geystliches gesangk Buchleyn (Little book of sacred songs), which was a collection of Lutheran choral music and was intended to be used by young people.

A section from the beginning of Johann Walter's chorale Vater unser.

England also participated in the Reformation when Henry the VIII split from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England. Before this, three composers were very famous in England for their sacred writings: John Taverner, Christopher Tye and Thomas Tallis. Taverner's most significant works are his festal Masses, Magnificats, and votive antiphons. His Masses contained no Kyrie and some phrases were omitted from the Credo.

One of the more famous English composers after the split from the Catholic Church was William Byrd. He brought English virginal music to a high level of excellence. He was also credited with composing some of the finest Latin church music produced in England during the late 16th century as well as very fine Anglican church music, which was used even after his death. His psalm settings with simple choruses at the ends of stanzas lie at the root of the verse anthem, alternation of solo verses with choral ones. With the exception of his piece Great Service, his liturgical music became a staple in the English cathedral repertory.

The Counter ReformationDuring the Counter-Reformation, the Council of Trent decided to abolish most of the changes in music that was going on during the Protestant Reformation and to abolish instrumental accompaniment and multi-voiced polyphony. One of the great composers of this style was Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. He was proclaimed to be the “savior of church music” because of his compositions and the fact that they upheld the standard of excellence the Catholic Church wanted in their music. Palestrina composed Masses of every type being written during the sixteenth century. Most of his Masses are chant based. His motets were for four voices and were models of Renaissance polyphony. They displayed correct voice leading and intervallic construction, carefully controlled dissonance, and equilibrium of part writing.

The beginning of Palestrina's Benedicam Dominum. It portrays how most Mass settings were composed during the Counter-Reformation.

Thomas Luis de Victoria wrote many parody Masses. Most of his Masses were parodies of his own works; eight based on motets, three on Marian antiphons, and one on a psalm setting. He was also one of the first composers to base a Mass on one of his own motets; his first Mass in which he did so was Missa Dum complerentur.

Orlande de Lassus was one of the great composers of sacred music during the last half of the sixteenth century. He wrote a lot of sacred music, but unlike Palestrina, he was not ashamed to write secular music as well. He is best known for his motets, which exhibited a combination of Franco-Flemish and Italian practices. Imitation was important and voice pairing was frequent. He composed Masses as well, two of which are Requiem Masses. Most of his Masses used the parody technique; basing them primarily on motets, but he did use secular models as well. He composed some of the finest chansons written for his time.

A piece of the Kyrie of Lassus' Mass Missa Mon coeur se recommande a vous.

Instrumental Music

During the Renaissance, instrumental music was given more importance in not just the secular world, but in the sacred world as well. They were broken up into consorts, whole and broken. A whole consort was an ensemble including all instruments of the same family. A broken consort was an ensemble made up of different instrumental families. There were also tuning systems introduced for the instruments. Renaissance instruments could not use the just intonation system, tuning by pure fifths, that vocalists could use. The mean-tone system was based on a fifth slightly smaller than a perfect fifth. The problem with this system was that it was good for when only one or two accidentals were present. For more chromatic pitches, this system was not that reliable. The equal temperament system was born, which divided the octave into 12 different pitches, thus making it easier to tune chromatic notes.

Wind InstrumentsThe principle types of wind instruments were the recorder, cromorne, shawm, cornetto, trumpet, and trombone. The recorder was intended for use as an ensemble instrument, usually in sets of three or four instruments.

The cromorne, or crooked horn, is a J-shaped woodwind whose double reed is enclosed in a cap. A set of these normally contained six instruments. It was intended for ensemble performance.

A cromorne.

The shawm, a woodwind with an exposed double reed, was considered a loud instrument for ensemble performance. They were in families of six with sizes ranging from high treble to great bass.

2 sizes of shawm.

The cornetto, or little horn, was a wooden instrument with a cup-shaped mouthpiece made of ivory or bone and was made in both straight and curved models and in three sizes. It was mainly used with trombone and organ to accompany choral music.

The trumpet existed in two models, straight and curved. The straight trumpet existed from antiquity and the curved trumpet appears in 1400. Five part trumpet consorts performed in many courts during the Renaissance.

Trombones were used in the Burgundian and Franco-Flemish courts. They were used along with cornetto and organ to accompany choral music, but also played in town and court bands.

String InstrumentsThe viol, a bow stringed instrument with a fretted fingerboard, first appeared in Spain in the last third of the 15th century. It was used as both a solo and ensemble instrument. Viols came in six sizes: treble, alto, small tenor, tenor, bass, and contrabass.

The violin differs from the viol in having four strings tuned in fifths, and unfretted fingerboard, an arched back and belly, and rounded and less-sloping shoulders.

The lute was one of the most popular Renaissance instruments, most households owned at least one. It was also considered to be part of the education of a cultured lady to learn to play one. They were structured in several sizes, most of the music required a treble, tenor and bass. The 16th century lute had 11 strings arrange in 6 courses (a group of strings tuned in unison or as an octave), two strings for all but the highest course.

A typical model of a lute.

Keyboard InstrumentsThe term clavier was used for any keyboard instrument other than organ, and two types of this existed, the clavichord and harpsichord. The clavichord was a rectangular box with a keyboard set into one of its long sides. Pressing down on a key would cause a brass tangent to strike a pair of strings within the box and remain in contact until the key was released.

The harpsichord was made in various shapes and sizes and was known by different names: clavicembal, clavecin, spinet, and virginal. When a key is pressed down, a jack is activated and a plectrum plucks a string, thus sounding a pitch. It was meant as both a solo and ensemble instrument.

The positive organ came to replace the portative organ. In was incorporated into the large church organ as a rank of pipes.

The church organ was used as both a supportive and solo instrument. Some verses of a Mass, for example the Magnificat, were often performed alternately by singers and organ. Likewise, other sections of the Kyrie or Gloria could be performed alternately by organ and singers. This principle, organ polyphony alternating with vocal music, came to be known as Organ Mass. Sometimes short organ solos called versets, or verses, were substituted for chant in some portions of the Proper of both Mass and Offices.

Percussion InstrumentsVarious percussion instruments were used during the Renaissance: anvil and hammer, bells and chimes, small cymbals, side drum, dulcimer, tabor, tambourine, trapezoid-shaped triangle with jingling rings at its angles, nakers, kettledrums, and xylophone. These instruments were mainly used for religious ceremonies, civic processions, military signals and encouragement, and dance. No written music for percussion has survived to this day.

StylesInstrumental music took on many different styles, one style being borrowed from vocal models. Instrumental music was composed based off of a lot of vocal music. Instrumental music was now being composed in ricercar, imitative treatment of one or more themes that usually are not melodically or

rhythmically individualistic.

A canzona was originally denoted as an instrumental arrangement of a polyphonic chanson. Early canzonas closely resembled the melodic and rhythmic styles of chansons.

In nomine was a piece of instrumental music that was derived from a single model of vocal music: the section of the Benedictus of John Taverner's six voice Mass Gloria tibi Trinitas setting the words In nomine Domini.

Dance music was also a popular style of instrumental music. Combinations of dance music was very popular in the Renaissance. Mainly it was a pair of a slow dance, like the pavane, with an upbeat dance such as the gaillarde. However, not all dances were paired. The jig was danced in Scotland, Ireland and England and was not paired with another dance style.

Improvisational works also existed back in the Renaissance. These would require the performer to: 1) add one of more new polyphonic lines to an existing melody selected as cantus firmus, 2) embellish or paraphrase an existing melody, or 3) freely improvise without reference to a preexistent melody or harmony of one or more additional polyphonic lines.The Venetian SchoolVenice was an independent city-state whose public officials were elected to office. Musical activity increased in Venice during the last quarter of the 15th century. Two big composers were in Venice at this time, Andrea Gabrieli and Giovanni Gabrieli.

Andrea Gabrieli had made significant contributions to many musical genres while in Venice. For his madrigals, he chose light pastoral verses and tended to set his texts syllabically for verbal clarity and sometimes use word painting. Many of his motets are for eight or more voices and are all texted.

Giovanni Gabrieli received his musical training from his uncle Andrea Gabrieli. He edited many of Andrea's compositions and published them along with some of his own. His early works shows the influences he had from Andrea and Orlande de Lassus. His most characteristic works were his pieces for divided choirs. The earliest of these works, along with some of Andrea's, were published in the book Concerti.