This document provides an overview of music from the Renaissance period between 1400-1600. It discusses the development of polyphony that characterized this era. Sacred music such as the motet and mass are described. Secular forms like Burgundian and Parisian chansons and Italian madrigals emerged. The document also provides biographies of two important Renaissance composers, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, known as the "Prince of Music" and Thomas Morley, an English composer who contributed to the development of the English madrigal.

1. MUSIC OF THE
RENAISSANCE
PERIOD

2. The Renaissance period covers the years 1400 to
1600. “Renaissance” literally means “rebirth”. It refers
especially to the rebirth of learning that began in Italy
spreading to England and back to Italy. The Renaissance
period saw the culmination of a vocal polyphony that has
never been surpassed. For this reason, the period is
sometimes referred to as the “Golden Age of Polyphony”

3. Martin Luther (1483-1546)
challenged and ultimately caused
the division of one of the major
institutions that had united Europe
throughout the Middle Ages- the
Church.
1. Galileo Galilei discovered some of
the moons of Jupiter.
2. Copernicus(1473-1543) attempted
to proved that the sun rather than the
earth was at the center of the
planetary system.
1. Leonardo da Vinci, Michael
Angelo and Raphael found
inspiration in the cultures of
ancient Greece and Rome.
2. Shakespearean drama was at its
height.
1. Music printing was discovered.
2. Ottaviano Petrucci of Venice
published the first printed
music
1. It was the birth of two famous
explorers: Christopher Columbus
and Ferdinand Magellan.
2. Amerigo Vespucci and Ponce de
Leon gave men a new picture of
the earth.

4. A. Sacred Music
1. The Motet, which was a piece of plain song with two or more additional parts, each with
different words in Latin and French, became a sacred form of music used in the Mass and other
religious services.
2. The Mass is a polyphonic choral composition made up of five sections.
a. Kyrie- a prayer for mercy(Lord, have mercy).
b. Gloria – it is a joyful hymn of praise omitted during Advent and Lent( Glory be to God on high.”
c. Credo – It is the confession of faith and the longest of the Mass texts.
d. Sanctus – it is a song of praise, which concludes with the “Hosanna”( Hosanna in the highest) and
the Benedictus(Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord), with the Hosanna often repeated.
e. Agnus Dei – it is sung three times, with a different text for its conclusion. “Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world.”

5. Introit – a psalm or antiphon sung or said while the priest approaches the altar for the Eucharist.
Gradual – a response sung or recited between the Epistle and Gospel in the Mass.
Alleluia or Tract – usually taken from the Scripture, but is taken very often from the Psalms.
Offertory – the offering of the bread and wine at the Eucharist.
Communion – the service of Christian workship at which bread and wine are consecrated and
shared.
B. Secular Music
1. Chansons were usually written for four voices. They were set to the country love
verses of the French Renaissance poets. The 16th century chanson was divided into two types of
secular song: the Burgundian chanson and the Parisian chanson. The Burgundian chanson was
based on fixed poetry form such as ballade( a poem in three stanzas having the same rhyme and
the same final line called the refrain), Rondeau (a poem which consists of four stanzas: the first
and the last are identical while the second half of the second stanza is a short refrain), and Virelai
(a poem that three stanzas, each preceded and followed by a refrain). The Parisian chanson, on
the other hand, has a freer lyric.

6. 2. Italian Madrigals – the Italian Renaissance composers found one of their chief secular forms
for music- the madrigal, which covered many Italian poetic forms. It was a type of music- the
madrigal, which covered many Italian poetic forms. It was type of secular composition that
was popular because of its expensive relationship between text and music. It is considered as
the most important secular genre of the sixteenth century. The word “madrigal” is thought to
have derived from mandriali ( a short pastoral poem) or from Matricale ( a rustic song or
poem in the mother tongue), or perhaps Madriale ( a hymn to the Virgin Mary).
The English madrigals tended to be less serious and lighter in topic, and used simpler
texts. These simpler texts and humor led English composers to add nonsense words like “ fa-
la-la,” as in the Christmas carol, “Deck the Halls.”

7. Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina
Born: February 3, 1525, Palestrina, Italy
Died: February 2, 1594, Rome, Italy
He is considered by many as the “greatest composer of liturgical music of all time.” Palestrina
got his name from the place of his birth. He is known as the “Prince of Music,” Savior of Church Music,”
and was given the nickname, “II Prenestino.”

8. Thomas Morley
Born: 1557, Norwich, United Kingdom
Died: October 1602, London, United Kingdom
Morley contributed significantly to the development of the English madrigal, which was based
on Italian models. His woks in this genre had remained in the repertory to the present day, and show a
wider variety of emotional color, form, and technique than anything by other composers of the period.
Usually his madrigals are light, quick-moving, and easy to sing.

9. Thank you