The Renaissance was a period between 1450-1600 that saw a rebirth of interest in arts, science, and humanism. It began in Italy and spread throughout Europe. Significant events included advances in art by figures like Da Vinci and Michelangelo, the invention of the printing press, and the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther challenging the Catholic Church. Music developed increasingly complex polyphony, or multiple interweaving melodic lines, as well as a greater focus on setting religious and secular texts clearly.

1. The Renaissance
(c. 1450-1600)

2. Renaissance= “rebirth”
centered in Italy
increased interest in
science, arts, and literature
questioning of blind faith
focus on humanity and life
interest in cultures of learned civilizations

3. Humanism
People have the capacity to
shape their own world
Independence from tradition and religion
Drew inspiration from Ancient Rome &
Greece
Spread through the arts

4. Significant Events & People
Artists that portray “realism” and significant advancements in art:
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raffaelo, Donatello, Botticelli
Galileo, the remarkable yet controversial scientist who discovered that
planets revolved around the sun.
Invention of printing press (c. 1433) by Johannes Gutenberg
Great literary figures: Cervantes (Spain), Shakespeare (England)
Great explorers Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci

5. Important Composers
Guillaume Dufay, John Farmer, William Byrd, Claudio Monteverdi
Josquin des Prez (c. 1450-1521) most influential composer of early Renaissance
Career centered in Papal chapel (Italy) and in native France
Master of the motet (80+) and over 20 polyphonic masses plus secular genres such
as chansons
uses imitative counterpoint (usually up to 4 voices imitating melodies)
use of homorhythm and high concentration of harmonic structure
often combines polyphony and homophony in same piece for musical variety.
Giovanni Piergluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)
Served at St. Peter’s (Rome), and several churches in Vatican City
Master of late Renaissance music (100+ masses, madrigals, motets)
Master of counterpoint

6. Important Musical events:
1. Composers start writing in score form
2. Increase in published music and literacy.
3. Increase in number of musicians among upper and middle class.
4. Use of meter and notation system advance
5. Two dominant textures; imitative counterpoint (polyphony) and
homophony
6. Music gained importance in the aristoctratic courts, city/state, as
well as in church.

7. Dominant Sacred Genres
A Cappella is still the performance method
Mass -
polyphonic settings
Attention towards text declamation (rhythm of text in melody matches natural speech
patterns)
New attention to word painting (music matches meaning of words)
MOTETS (once considered sacred/secular) are focused in the Mass and other
religious services.
usually 3-4 voices, sung in Latin
usually based on Gregorian chant (cantus firmus=fixed melody)
composers focus on the Ordinary Mass
Ordinary (fixed text)-Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
Proper (varied text)- Introit, Gradual, Alleluia(or Tract), Offertory, Communion

8. Protestant Reformation
Oct. 31, 1517 - Martin Luther, an obscure,
Augustian Catholic monk nailed 95 thesis
(complaints about Roman Catholic Church)
to the door of his castle church and was soon
excommunicated
increased wealth and worldliness,
selling of indulgences (exchanging grace
for money)
abuse of power

9. c. 1526 - Martin Luther wrote a new church liturgy (in German and Latin) based
on Catholicism
launched the Protestant movement - felt mostly in Germany, Switzerland,
England, France, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and the low countries.
opened doors for new compositions and shook the foundation of the Roman
Catholic Church
Martin Luther was also a musician who wrote new music for this new religion

10. Counter Reformation
1545 - Pope Marcellus led the Catholic
response to Protestant reform movement
Council of Trent- a group of cardinals and
bishops had several sessions to organize
the “new” rules of the Catholic church
1 session was dedicated to church music

11. Council of Trent’s
musical focus
Problems
1. too much polyphony obscured the texts.
2. church composers weren’t paying enough attention to text declamation
3. secular influences were “invading” church music
4. concern with behavior of choir and in proper text pronunciation
Solutions
1. Composers should focus more on text declamation & choir’s clear pronunciation
2. Ban on secular music/styles in church
3. Return to use of chant

12. Pope Marcellus Mass
Giovanni Piergluigi da Palestrina
Palestrina’s masterpiece was a commissioned
response to the Council of Trent that used the
new rules without sacrificing the use of counter
point.
for full choir: SATTBB
6 part polyphony mixed with moments of
monophonic chant and homophony
upper parts sung by boy sopranos or adult
males with high voices
frequent changes in texture and register
strict attention to text declamation

13. Dominant Secular Genres
vocal
Chansons - Started in late Middle Ages (ex: Guillaume de Machaut)
favored in French courts
increased to 3 and 4 part love songs
with instrumental accompaniment
freer poetic structures often resulted in abandoning music form- no set
repetition
through-composed: no repeated sections, all new music and text
throughout piece

14. Madrigals- new type of song becomes most popular genre in vocal music
originated in Italy
for 4-6 “a cappella” voices
through-composed
meter may change
heavy use of word-painting
short poems (often times=one stanza)
cadences (ends of melodic phrases) match end of sentences
Topics: love, unsatisfied desire, use of humor and satire
ENGLAND adapted the madrigal into their native tongue and reflected the
culture of the Elizabethan age (time during the reign of Elizabeth I from 1558-
1603)

15. Instrumental secular music
Dances remain most popular form
pavane, rondo, galliard, saltarello (Italian), jig (Irish)
Duple meter gains popularity
Instrumentalists start using embellishments on repeated
sections of music to provide variety and satisfy personal
expression
New forms emerge
binary and ternary forms
regular 4 and 8 bar measures become the standard
Instruments still categorized as soft (bas) or loud (haut)

16. Instruments
New instruments were developed
cornetto - hybrid brass/woodwind
instrument
sackbut - Renaissance trombone
harpsichord - dominant keyboard
instrument, plucks strings
lute - dominant string instrument
tabor- drum

17. Many historians
agree that the
death of Queen
Elizabeth I in 1603
marked the end of
both the
Elizabethan era
and the
Renaissance.