Renaissance.pdf

1. General Music Cycle 7
Mr. Hamilton
Period 3A
The Renaissance Period (1400 – 1600)
Renaissance means rebirth. This period saw a rebirth in knowledge. The Renaissance was turning
from God to man. Science and the arts were becoming more important. Christopher Columbus
discovered America and Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel. William Shakespeare was
writing his famous plays.
Secular music is non-religious music and it was becoming more popular during this time. There was
a rise in instrumental music and dance music, too. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press
during the Renaissance. Some people consider the printing press to be the most important
contribution to civilization in the last one thousand years! The printing press allowed documents to be
printed quickly. Before the Renaissance, documents had to be copied by hand.
One of the most famous persons from the Renaissance was Leonardo da Vinci. He was known as a
Renaissance man because he could do many things well. He was a painter, architect, inventor,
scientist, poet, musician, and teacher.
A Cappella: The Golden Age of Singing
This was the golden age of the a cappella style. That means that singers sang without instruments.
At this point in history, vocal music was still more important than instrumental music.
Madrigals were popular during the Renaissance. These song forms were performed in groups of
four, five, or six singers. A madrigal is secular music. This is non-religious music. Madrigals were
usually love songs.
Religious music was still very important. Choral music of the Renaissance was an extension of the
Gregorian chant. It was sung a cappella and sung in Latin. Motets were popular during this time. A
motet is a polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing one religious text.
The Giovanni Palestrina was one the Renaissance period's most important composers. He wrote
mostly religious works and is considered one of the great masters of Renaissance music. He wrote
motets, madrigals, and masses. Other important composers were Josquin des Prez, Claudio
Monteverdi and Giovanni Gabrielli.

2. Texture
Texture in music refers to the layering of sounds to create a thick or thin quality. All music has
texture. The three musical textures are monophonic, polyphonic, and homophonic.
Monophonic A musical texture consisting of one melodic line. This type of texture
does not have any harmony. This type of music was popular during
the Medieval period (Gregorian Chant).
Polyphonic A musical texture consisting of two or more melodic lines. In this type
of texture, each melodic line has equal importance. The majority of
music during the Renaissance period was polyphonic
Homophonic A musical texture consisting of a melody supported by an
accompaniment (harmony). With the start of homophonic music, we
begin to see music moving in chords. This means that the music
began to move in the same rhythm. Composers began to blend
sounds because they were interested in how the notes fit together.
Renaissance song forms
The three most important song forms of the Renaissance period were the Madrigal, Motet and Mass.
Madrigal
This is a polyphonic work, which means it has many musical lines of equal
importance. Madrigals were sung with lots of imitation, which means the voices take
turns singing the same melody. Madrigals were performed in groups of four, five, or
six singers. They sang secular music. This is non-religious music. Madrigals were
usually love songs.
Motet
A motet is a polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing one religious text.
They are similar to madrigals, but with an important difference: motets are religious
works, while madrigals are usually love songs.
Mass
A musical mass is like a motet, only longer. It also follows the religious service of the
Catholic Church and is sung in a very specific order: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus,
Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. It is performed in Latin.
Instrumental Music
There was a growth in instrumental music, especially the lute and keyboard. The most popular
instrument of the Renaissance was the lute.
It was during this period that families of instruments started to develop. These families were called
consorts. This is where we get the word concert. Most instrumental music was written for singing
and dancing.