Contenance angloise
English quality of many 3rds and 6ths. Sweet-sounding.
Renaissance
Period of art, cultural, and music history between the middles ages and baroque period, marked by humanism, a revival of ancient culture and ideas, and a new focus on the individual
Faburden
A 4th above the middle voice, and a 5th below it. Moves in parallel 3rds.
Fauxbourdon
Two voices moving in parallel 6ths and 8ths. Third voice is written a 4th below that.
Mass cycle
Cycle of polyphonic settings (kyrie, gloria, sanctus, etc)
Cantus Firmus
Fixed melody. Pre-existing chant put in tenor.
Cantus Firmus-Mass
Polyphonic settings of ordinary using one consistent melody throughout. Takes on a section of text.
Point of imitiation
Exactly the same phrase being imitated in all four voices.
Paired imitiation
2 duets that do not overlap
Imitative texture
Point of imitation and paired imitation together.
Homophonic texture
All voices move together as one in mostly the same rhythm
Polyphonic texture
Two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody
Chorale
Strophic hymn in Lutheran tradition, intended to be sung by the congregation
Metrical psalm
Metric, rhymed, strophic translations of psalms in the vernacular that were set to newly composed melodies or tunes adapted to chant.
Anthem (full vs. verse)
Full anthem is for unaccompanied choir in contrapuntal style. Verse employs 1 or more solo voices with organ or viol accompaniment, alternating between choir and instrumental parts.
Post-Josquin generation
5-6 voices were used more commmonly, chant melodies were treated more freely, and text was treated carefully
Madrigalism
Particularly evocative, or if used in a disparaging sense, thoroughly conventional instance if text depiction or word painting. One stanza of poetry with no repetition or refrain.
Musique mesuree
French style of text in chansons where stressed syllables get longer notes than unstressed
Haut vs. Bas Instruments
Loud vs. Soft. Loud= trumpet, shawm, sackbut. Soft = viola da gamba
Consort vs. broken consort
Ensemble with a family of instruments. Broken = differing instruments
Cori spezzati
Specific to church, usually refers to a divided choir which alternates antiphonally.