The Renaissance period saw developments in music composition and instrumentation. Composers gained more artistic freedom and styles such as polyphonic music became prominent. Sacred music like masses and motets remained important, while secular forms like the chanson and madrigal also grew in popularity. A variety of instruments were used, including strings, woodwinds, brass and keyboards. Ensemble music featured small chamber groups rather than large orchestras. Dance music remained an important genre.

1. *
Richie O‟Connor

2. * The Renaissance Period is Western music
history from 1400 to the beginning of the
1600‟s.
* „Renaissance‟ = „rebirth‟ or
„reconstruction‟.
* More artistic freedom was
used by artists and musicians.

3. * With new printing techniques, music was able
to be preserved and distributed to the people.
* The distinctive sounds of the Renaissance were
the polyphonic style, sacred music and secular
music.
* New instruments were invented and old
instruments were improved.
* Masses and motets were the primary forms for
sacred vocal polyphony.

4. * Composers used a method called „imitation‟ to
make music more enjoyable.
* „imitation‟ = one melodic line „imitates‟ the
same musical theme as a previous melodic line.
* This „imitative polyphony‟ can be heard in
music by Byrd, Gibbons and Gabrieli.
* Imitative polyphony was so important that it
continued into the Baroque period, especially
in sacred music for the church.

5. *
* English and Burgundian Music
* Form
* New techniques and styles.
* 3 main forms: mass, motet and chanson.
* All composed for voice.
* Mass
* Polyphonic style with plainsong.
* Masses were long and divided into 5 sections.
* Sacred Latin text was used.

6. * Motet
* A sacred choral composition based on a single Latin
text.
* Short in length and written in one continuous
movement.
* Based on subjects from the Bible.
* Chanson
* The most popular and common music .
* Written in French.
* Similar to mass but more rhythmic.
* Carol
* Popular in England.
* It consisted of 2 parts sung to a religious poem.

7. *
* Franco – Flemish Music
* Form
* Composers were more interested in creating new
techniques within the popular existing forms.
* Canon
* Began in the 1300‟s but disappeared.
* Reappeared in the 1400‟s and used interesting
techniques:
* Mensuartion canon – several voices using the same
melody at different speeds.
* Retrograde canon – sung backwards.
* Augmentation canon – the time values of the notes
increase in the imitating voice
* Double canon – 4 parts with 2 different melodies

8. * Mass
* A new form of mass called „cantus firmus‟.
* Each section had the same melody.
* Written in plainsong style.
* Motet
* Less use of cantus firmus in motets than in masses..
* Sections written in duet style, chordal style, or
imitative style.
* Secular Music
* Chanson remained the dominant form of secular
music like the English style.
* However, some variations were made.

9. *
* In the 1500s, vocal polyphony was perfected.
* Vocal style still dominated the musical world
but the instrumental style also became
popular.
* Roman – Catholic music
* Form
* Church music grew in size, technique and usage.
* Still dominated by masses and motets.

10. * Mass
* „cantus firmus‟ was still used with plainsongs and
secular melodies.
* Parody mass also became popular – chansons and
motets were changed to fit the text of the ordinary
mass.
* Motet
* Motets did not change much in form or technique.
* Some new concepts and themes were introduced.
* Non-liturgical forms
* The most popular was the „laude‟ – a religious song
of praise with a polyphonic setting in chordal style.
* Either written in Latin or Italian.

11. * Schools
* The Franco – Flemish school still dominated the
world
* However, other schools became important including
the Spanish school, the English school, the
Venetian school and the German school.

12. *
* The Protestant Reformation created many new
developments in church music.
* Germany
* Martin Luther, who began the Protestant Revolution
in 1517, believed that the congregation should be
involved in the service by singing hymns.
* Chorale
* One of the most important musical forms to come
from the Protestant Reformation.
* It was a hymn sung by the congregation.

13. * France
* The Huguenot movement started an important
literature of psalms set to music.
* Psalms
* Biblical psalms were translated into French and set
to melodies.
* They were sung by the congregation during mass
and also at home.
* English Church Music
* Psalm singing was also popular.
* English equivalent to mass was „service‟.
* Also Catholic anthem (motet) and verse anthem
(vocal and instrumental) were present.
* English language replaced Latin.

14. *
* Secular music developed geographically during
the second half of the Renaissance.
* It had specific rules according to Hugh M.
Miller:
* 1. secular music was against sacred music.
* 2. the rise of national schools was more
pronounced in secular than in sacred music.
* 3. secular music flourished all over Europe under
the patronage of nobility.
* 4. entertainment music, not concert music.
* 5. composed and performed as chamber music
for small groups, not large groups.

15. * Italian Form
* In the late 1400s, popular vocal forms (canzoni)
appeared in Italy.
* In 4 parts, predominantly chordal with dance like
rhythms.
* French Form
* Most popular secular form was the polyphonic
chanson and solo chanson.
* English Form
* English madrigals were popular during the 16th
century.
* 5 voices were used.
* Ballett was also popular – lively contrapuntal style
alternating with chordal style.

16. * German Form
* Popular at the time was the polyphonic lied.
* Written in 4 voices with imitative counterpoint.
* Based on popular songs.
* Quodlibet was also popular – humorous mix of
popular tunes and their texts.
* Spanish Form
* Villancico was the main Spanish secular form.
* 4 parts written in chordal style with regular metric
construction.
* Based on a 3 stanza poem, musically structured to
an A B B A formula.
* Performed as solo songs with instruments playing
the lower parts.

17. *
* Not as important as vocal music but it
still played an important part in music
in general.
* Gained popularity and developed a
musical form that was distinct from vocal
music.
* Specific rules for writing music:
* 1. improvisation was very important
* 2. transcriptions of vocal music for performance
were numerous.
* 3. instruments were freely employed in the
performance of vocal music.
* 4. some instrumental forms were borrowed from
vocal forms, while others were instrumentally
invented.

18. * Specific style:
* Wider melodic range
* Colouration, embellishment and figuration
* Freer treatment of dissonance
* In lute and keyboard music contrapuntal parts were
freely added or dropped without indicating rests
* Long and rapid scale passages
* Numerous wide skips

19. *
* Viol
* An important instrument in this period
because it could be used in a variety of
ways.
* It is a bowed instrument with frets. It
has a very recognizable, nasal tone, and
was often used by upper class musicians
who had formal training.
* The strings of a viol could also be
plucked or hammered using a plectrum,
which at the time was a piece of quill,
ivory or wood.
* The violin was another instrument in
the viol family.

20. *
* Lute
* The lute was a very important
instrument in the middle ages and a lot
of music was written with it.
* Lutes are commonly played on the lap
by plucking the strings with a plectrum
or the fingers. The left hand is
positioned on the fretboard.
* They have up to 15 strings and go out of
tune easily. This is why it was replaced
by the keyboard in the Baroque period.
* The lute is not the predecessor of the
guitar, but in fact, the guitar got its
roots in Spain. Its ancestor was known
as a Vihuela.

21. *
* Recorder
* Recorders from the middle
ages were very similar to
today‟s instruments of the
same name.
* Recorders were played
simply by blowing on the
lip (or hole at the top of
the instrument), and
putting the proper fingers
over the finger holes.

22. *
* Crumhorn
* The crumhorn is unique
because the player‟s lips do not
touch the reed. There is a cap
with a slot in it which the
player blows strongly into. This
process causes the reed to
vibrate, and create sound.
* The crumhorn‟s sound is very
distinctive. It has a nasal buzzy
tone.
* The crumhorn has very limited
range due to the lack of reed
control.

23. *
* Sackbut
* The sackbut was the
earliest ancestor of the
trombone.
* In the middle ages, the
sackbut was considered
the instrument of
virtuosos.
* The sackbut was of the
first instruments that
could actually be played
in tune.

24. *
* Organs
Positive Organs
* Large instruments which
required 2 people to
operate.
* One person pumped the
bellows while the other
person played the keyboard.
* Used in sacred music.
Portative Organs
* Smaller and quite versatile.
* Only required 1 player.
* Used in sacred music and
secular music, as a solo
instrument or in an
ensemble.

25. *
* Harpsichord
* The harpsichord is the
piano‟s predecessor. When
the player hits a key, a quill
inside the harpsichord
plucks a string, which gives
it a sharp, very recognizable
sound.
* Harpsichords were used
both as solo instruments and
accompanying instruments
in ensembles.

26. *
* Nothing like a present day orchestra.
* There were more like small chamber groups.
* Specific instrumentation for ensembles was seldom declared in the
music score.

27. *
* Dance Music
* Dance music was originally written for social gatherings.
* Later, in the 1700s, a more specific and structured style was developed.
* Dance music had a strong rhythm and repeating sections.
* The lute was a popular instrument for dance music along with the harpsichord
and small ensembles.

28. * Cantus Firmus forms
* Basically for use in the church as it was liturgical
music.
* It was usually played by an organist between verses of
hymns sung by the congregation or choir.
* Simplistic plainsong or secular song which was meant
to be played by a harpsichord, organ or an ensemble of
viols.
* Improvisational forms
* The prelude was the main type of improvisational form
during the Renaissance.
* Composed for keyboard or lute instruments.
* Made use of a collection of materials to appear
improvised to the listener.

29. *
* William Byrd (1543 – 1623)
* Born in Eincolnshire, England (Robin Hood).
* Composed music for both Catholic (masses, hymns, madrigals) and Protestant
(Great Service and Short Service) churches.
* Organist at Lincoln Cathedral and later at Chapel Royal with his mentor
Thomas Tallis.
* Famous for extraordinary masses, motets, vocal and solo songs and for
chamber music composed for strings without voice.
* “The Sweet and Merry Month of May”.
* Considered the best composer of keyboard music in all of Europe during his
life.

30. *
* Josquin Desprez (1440 – 1521)
* Born in Duchy of Burgandy (Belgium) and spent his life in Italian cities until he
retired to France.
* Spread polyphonic music in Italy.
* Repertoire made up of masses, motets and secular songs in French and
Italian.
* A master of four-voice and other large textures, parodies, light songs and
French chansons.
* Still renowned and respected today.

31. *
* Giovanni Gabrielli (1554 – 1612)
* Born in Italy.
* Composed sacred and secular vocal music.
* Also composed music for string, keyboard and ensemble pieces.
* Best known for perfection of the „cori spezzati‟ musical form, where choirs or
performing groups are broken up into sections and dispersed in and around
the performance space.
* Also famous for motets written about damnation and hell.

32. *
* Orlando Gibbons (1583 – 1625)
* Born in Oxford, England and was the greatest English composer of his
generation.
* Wrote new music and developed new techniques for consort music.
* Also famous for sacred choral music, English anthems and verse anthems.
* His madrigal “The Silver Swan” is his most famous.
* His music is still played today as part of the English Cathedral repertoire.

33. *
* Johannes Ockeghem (1410 – 1497)
* One of the fathers of Renaissance music and one of the most respected
composers of the 15th century.
* Best known for motets, masses and secular chansons.
* He had a distinct style in his vocal pieces as he placed and emphasis on
expressive and complex bass lines.
* A pioneer of Western polyphony and a master of lyrical and contrapuntal
invention.

34. *
* Giovanni Palestrina (1525 – 1594)
* An Italian composer who wrote over 100 settings of the mass.
* He composed sacred music and is best known for his “seamless texture” of
polyphony.
* Most famous works are his First Book of Masses, the Mass of Marcellus, and his
First Book of Motets.
* An example of his sacred work is “Adoramus te Christe”.
* His work is marked by purity, clarity, simplicity and the omission of secular
elements.
* Earned the title of “Prince of Music” which is written on his grave.