survey renaissance

voices imitate the motive or phrase

usually at a different pitch level

1417

one pope – in Rome

1453

Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople

1492

encounter with the new world

1545-1563

discussed the Catholic Church’s response to the Reformation

intellectual movement of the renaissance

sought to revive ancient learning

grammar, poetery, history, philosophy

centered on ancient greek and latin writings

music is a language

nudity is beautiful

perspective

depth of field

realistic treatment of light

more detail in background figures

group of salaried musicians and clerics

associated with a ruler instead of a building

began around the turn of the 15th century

King Louis IX (France) and King Edward I (England)

performers, composers, scribes

sacred and secular music

accompanied their rulers on journeys

Medici (Florence) – Isaac, Arcadelt, Donatello, Michaelangelo

Sforza (Milan) – Josquin, da Vinci

Este (Ferrara) – Josquin, Obrecht, de Rore

Gonzaga (Mantua)

1400s

exchange of national traditions and ideas

due to traveling chapels with their rulers

some composers changed their locales

English, French, and Italian

3rd and 6th are consonant, along with 5th and 8ve

strict control of dissonance

avoidance of // 5ths and 8ves

(A Book on the Art of Counterpoint)

1477

Johannes Tinctoris

VERY critical of older music

strict rules for introducing dissonances

// 5ths and 8ves now forbidden

expanded range of each voice and overall

more voices – now 4, even 5-6 

voices become more equal

music follows the text

Middle Ages

Pythagoras

4ths, 5ths, and 8ves perfectly tuned

3rds and 6ths sound out of tune

1482

Bartolome Ramis de Pareia

3rds and 6ths are in tune

one 4th, one 5th, and one 3rd are out of tune

chromatic pitches not in tune

5ths are tuned small so M3rds sound well

there were various types of temperaments

first described in late 1500s 

each semitone is exactly the same

this is the system used today

(The Twelve-Stringed Lyre)

1547

Heinrich Glareanus

adds 4 new modes to the traditional 8

(Hyper)Aeolian and (Hyper)Ionian

the use of two or more successive semitones moving in the same direction

used as an expressive device

facilitated wider distribution of music

amateurs now able to buy and play notated music

way for composers to make money

amateurs preferred to sing in their own language

local traditions developed, sacred and secular

(One Hundred Polyphonic Pieces)

1501

Ottaviano Petrucci

Venice

first collection printed entirely from moveable type

first book in a series

one volume for each part or voice

a complete set was needed to perform any piece

for use at home or in social gatherings

began as printing developed (1500 on)

(English quality)

as referred to by Martin Le Franc

frequent use of 3rds and 6ths

simple melodies, syllabic, homophonic

parallel first-inversion chords

English

rule-based and “improvised”

parallel first-inversion chords

French

two voices are written, the tenor follows the rule

form of English polyphony

freely composed, mostly homorhythmic

settings of Latin texts

principal source of English polyphony in early 1500s

consists mostly of settings of the Mass Ordinary

also motets, hymns, and sequences

form of English polyphony

derived from the medieval carole

2-3 part setting of a poem

English, Latin, or a mixture of both

many stanzas

burden: refrain between each stanza

English composer

1390-1453

isorhythmic motets, Mass Ordinary sections, chant, free settings of liturgical texts, and secular songs

uses natural rhythmic delamation of the text

a chant is elaborated in the top voice

rhythm is added and ornamented

notes are added

Josquin’s Missa Pange lingua

any sacred work with texted upper voices above a cantus firmus, whether sacred or secular

almost any polyphonic composition on a Latin text

almost any sacred polyphonic composition

in any language

ruled by independent sovereigns until 1477

capital was Dijon

Philip the Bold – very large chapel

Philip the Good – also maintained minstrels

Charles the Bold – instrumentalist and composer

any polyphonic setting of a French secular poem

fine amour

rondeau form (ABaAabAB)

syllabic

modal cadences with a Landini decoration;

Burgundian jump-through cadences

Bichois

Burgundian composer

at the court of Philip the Good

early-mid 15th century

De plus en plus

contratenor sounds a 5th below the penultimate tenor note, then leaps up an 8ve, to a 5th above the tenor’s final note

sounds like a V-I cadence to modern ears

Burgundian composer

associated with the Burgundian court

early-mid 15th century

traveled frequently

many chansons, blending national traits

Se la face ay pale

through the 15th century

began composing Ordinary as a coherent whole

at first, there were pairs of sections

simply called “mass”

Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei

all these composed by the same person as a whole

each section of the mass is based on an existing chant for that text

(kyrie used for kyrie, etc.)

use of a head-motive combined with another link

such as using the same cantus firmus (usually placed in the tenor)

uses the tenor of a polyphonic chanson and borrows elements from other voices as well

originally for three voices

contratenor voice added during this time

Du Fay’s Missa se la face ay pale

15th century

institutions or private patrons;

for special occasions or devotions

Du Fay’s Missa Se la face ay pale

France: structure and rhythmic interest

England: 3rds and 6ths, controlled dissonances

late 15th century

same time as Busnoys

served kings of France

known for his masses and chansons

Missa prolationum

late 15th century

same time as Ockeghem

served Charles the Bold and Maximilian of Hapsburg

known for his chansons

Je ne puis vivre

transitional between the old and new styles

frequent use of formes fixes

imitation

equal voices

late 15th century

Franco-Flemish composer

traveled widely

known for masses, motets, and chansons

frequent imitation

late 15th century

traveled widely

worked for the Medici family in Florence

worked for Holy Roman Emperor

known for his German Lieder

structure determined by the text

4-6 voices, nearly equal

imitative counterpoint and homophony common

bass now has harmonic foundation

full triads

less formes fixes

late 15th to early 16th century

published by Petrucci

hailed by Martin Luther after his death

known for his motets, masses, and chansons

no formes fixes

text depiction and text expression

music reflects the meaning of the text

musical gestures reinforce text images

Josquin

music reflects the meaning of the text

music conveys emotions suggested by the text

Josquin

mass that imitates another polyphonic work

borrow extensively from all voices of the model

no more indulgences

no more paying for church services

no more paying for church positions

Lutheran: Germany and Scandinavia

Calvinist: Switzerland, Low Countries, France, Britain

Anglican (Church of England): England

people have a larger role

most things in the vernacular; some Latin retained

kept much of the Catholic liturgy and music

Lutheran chorales

metric, rhymed, strophic poem and a melody in simple rhythm sung in unison, without harmonization or accompaniment

with a monophonic choir

Ein feste Burg

adaptations of Gregorian chant

existing German devotional songs

secular songs given new words (contrafactum)

new compositions

for use at home and at school

for performances by church choirs

to be sung instead of “love diddies” etc.

more elaborate settings of Lutheran chorales

some are cantus-firmus style, others imitative

used for Lutheran chorale motets

tune in the highest voice

block chords underneath

little contrapuntal figuration

continues today

centered in Geneva

everything plain and bare, including the music

no instruments or polyphony

Calvinist psalm settings

metered, rhythmic, strophic

in the vernacular

newly composed melodies or adapted from chant

published in psalters

Calvinist psalm tunes set polyphonically

for home use

for amateur singers

for 4-5 voices

tune in the tenor or superius

simple chordal, cantus-firmus, and imitation styles

;Henry VIII -;established church, catholic in doctrine

Edward VI -;adapted protestant doctrine;

Catherine – restored Catholicism

Elizabeth I – protestantism again, tolerated Catholics

;

corresponds to the Latin motet

polyphonic, in English

sung by the choir

set texts from the Bible or Book of Common Prayer

anthem for unaccompanied choir

contrapuntal

one or more solo voices

organ or viol accompaniment

alternates with passages for full choir

choir doubled by instruments

late 16th to early 17th centuries

leading English composer

Catholic, but served the Church of England

member of the royal chapel

known for his Latin masses and motets

Gradualia: 2 books of polyphonic Mass Propers

mid to late 16th century

Italian composer of church music

melodies resemble plainchant

pure, elegant, serene polyphony

Pope Marcellus Mass

rumored to have saved polyphony