During the Renaissance period from 1450-1600, there was a rebirth of learning, science, and the arts throughout Europe. Key developments included the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman writings, the invention of the printing press, and Copernicus' discovery that the Earth revolves around the sun. Music during this time saw an increased vocal range, richer textures with multiple parts, and the development of polychoral styles with multiple choirs. Important composers included Josquin des Prez, who helped establish the Renaissance style of polyphonic vocal music, and Giovanni da Palestrina, who influenced sacred music through a purer and more restrained style. The madrigal became a new popular genre, especially in Italy and England

1. The Renaissance
1450–1600

2. • A time of rebirth in learning, science, and the arts
throughout Europe.
• The rediscovery of the writings of ancient Greece and
Rome led to a renewed interest in learning in general.
• The invention of the printing press.
• The invention of the compass.
• Copernicus' discovery of the actual position of the earth
in the solar system.
• Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation, the Catholic
Church lost its grip on society and a humanist spirit was
born.
• Paintings and sculptures of Michelangelo.
• The plays of Shakespeare

3. Important characteristics of
the Renaissance Music:
• The interval of the third began considered as a consonance.
• A greatly increased vocal range in music.
• Richer texture in four or more parts.
• Harmony with a greater concern with the flow and
progression of chords.
• An impressive polychoral style was developed (multiple choirs
of singers).
• A golden age of a capella music.
• A capella – singing without the instrumental accompaniment
• Madrigal – a new genre.
• Word painting – the meaning of words corresponded to the
character of the composition.

4. Instruments
• Haut—loud, outdoor instruments.
• Bas—quieter, more intimate instruments, for the
indoor use.
• Instruments were considered to be less
important than voices.
• Instruments were used for dances and to
accompany vocal music.
• Instrumental music remained subordinated to
vocal music.

5. Brass Instruments
Cornett
Sackbutt
Trumpet
Please watch segments 5–7:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/
PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=926&psid=0&sid=0
&State=&title=Brass%20Instruments&IsSearch
=N&parentSeriesID=

6. Bowed Strings—Viol
Please watch segments 5–8:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=924&p
sid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Bowed%20Instruments&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=

7. Bowed strings—Lyra da Braccio

8. Plucked Strings—Lute
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp
3/Musica_Antiqua_ISU_lute_Fayne_would
_i_flee.mpg
Please watch segments 5–8:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2
048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=923&psid=
0&sid=0&State=&title=Plucked%20Instrum
ents&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=

9. Woodwinds Shawm
Recorder
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/r_record.htm
From top to bottom: bass, tenor, treble (alto), descant
(soprano) and sopranino recorders.
Please watch segments 4–7:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/Porta
lViewVideo.aspx?xtid=921&psid=0&sid=0&State=&ti
tle=Reed%20Instruments&IsSearch=N&parentSeries
ID=

10. Woodwinds—Crumhorn
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/b_krum.mp3

11. Clavichord
Please watch segments 5 – 7:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=9
25&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Keyboard%20and%20Percussion&IsSearch=
N&parentSeriesID=#

12. Regal

13. Josquin des Prez
c. 1450/1455–1521
• The first master of the high
Renaissance style of polyphonic
vocal music.
• Composed more than 370 works,
sacred and secular.
• Masses
• Motets
• Ave Maria
• Chansons
• Instrumental compositions.
Watch segment 4:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:204
8/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=717&psid=0&si
d=0&State=&title=The%20Renaissance&IsSe
arch=N&parentSeriesID=#

14. Giovanni da Palestrina, 1525–1594
• Served as a church organist and a
choir master.
• Influenced sacred music.
• Composed in a purer, more
restrained style.
• 105 masses
• Sanctus from Missa Aeterna
Christi munera
• 68 offertories
• at least 140 madrigals
• more than 300 motets
• at least 72 hymns
• 35 magnificats
• 11 litanies
• four or five sets of lamentations
Watch segment 7:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=717&psid=0&sid=
0&State=&title=The%20Renaissance&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#

15. Jacques Arcadelt c. 1507–1568
• Made influence on the development of the early Italian madrigal.
• Italian Madrigal, watch segment 2:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=7
18&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20Golden%20Age&IsSearch=N&parent
SeriesID=#
• Worked as a singer and a composer at the Sistine Chapel.
• 24 motets
• 125 French chansons
• Approximately 250 madrigals
• Melodious and simple in structure
• Usually completely diatonic
• Alternates homophonic and diatonic structures
• Word-painting
• Ornamentation
• Virtuosity
• Accessible to amateur singers
• Il bianco d dolce cigno

16. John Farmer c. 1570–c. 1601
• A composer of the English Madrigal School.
• Was under the patronage of the Earl of Oxford and later
became a church organist and master of children choir.
• Published only collection of four-part madrigals in 1599.
• Fair Phyllis
• Polyphonic music
• Word painting

17. Tielman Susato c. 1510/15–
after 1570
• Composer, instrumentalist, and publisher of music
in Netherlands.
• Several books of masses and motets.
• Two books of chansons.
• Instrumental music: one book of dances.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFi74mdGETU
Renaissance Dance, please watch segment 11:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/Por
talViewVideo.aspx?xtid=717&psid=0&sid=0&State
=&title=The%20Renaissance&IsSearch=N&parentS
eriesID=#

18. Required Readings
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_music
• http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/ren/index.html
Optional video assignments:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=717&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20Renaissanc
e&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=718&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20Golden%20
Age&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=#