Middle Ages and Renaissance

Renaissance

(1450-1600)

John Dowland

1563-1626. Leading English composer of lute songs. Virtuoso performer of the lute.

Middle Ages

450-1450

The new art

A new system of music notation had evolved, and beats could be subdivided into two as well as three. Syncopation became important.

Leonin and Perotin

Both were choir masters at the cathedral Notre Dame. These composers invented: measured rhythm, definite time values, clearly defined meter.

"Flow My Tears"

Expresses intense melancholy of happiness abruptly shattered.

Josquin Desprez-types of compostions

Flemish composer. International career. Composed masses, motets, and vocal pieces. Influenced other composers.

Humanism

Focused on human life and its accomplishments. Not concerned with Heaven or Hell. Still devout Christians, but now more interested in culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Humanism transferred to art.

Gregorian Chant

For over 1,000 years, it was the official music of the Roman Catholic church. Gregorian chant consists of melody set sacred Latin text and sung without accompaniment. The chant is monophonic. It is named after Pope Gregory I. Medieval monks sang the chant.

Secular music in France

French nobles and poet musicians sang secular music. The topics of these songs are of love and chivalry. Also about the crusades and dancing. The notation of this music is = has no indicated rhythm, it's likely that many had a regular meter. In this way they differ from Gregorian Chant.

Importance of secular music in 14th century

Helped create more of a division from the church.

More characteristics of Gregorian Chant

It's rhythm is flexible, without meter, and has little sense of beat. It had a free flowing rhythm. The melodies tend to move by step within a narrow range of pitches. The chants can be very simple or very complex and elaborate.

Instrumental music

Its purpose was for dancing- entertainment.

Hildegard von Bingen

Known for writing "O successores" which was a Gregorian chant. She was was a nun from the Abbess of Rupertsberg in Germany. She was very creative. She was the first woman composer from whom a large number of works-monophoni sacred songs- have survived.

Organum

Mediaval music that consist of Gregorian Chant plus the addition of one or more melodic lines.

Palestrina's career

Most important Italian composer. His work became the model for composers of the Mass. Devoted to sacred music of Catholic church- maintained the spirit of Gregorian Chant. Centered in Rome.

Madrigal

Originated in Italy around 1520. Widely published. Sung by aristocrats. Madrigal text is secular. It combines polyphonic and homophonic texture. It uses word painting and unusual harmony more often.

Jongleurs

Performed music and acrobats in castles. They had no rights and were at the lowest social level. Most were traveling musicians. Sang songs written by others and used harps, fiddles and lutes.

Lute and lute song

Solo voice and lute, Simpler than Madrigal, Widely cultivated in England. Mostly homophonic in texture. As opposed to most other Renaissance music.

Center of musical life in the Middle Ages

The cathedral was the center of musical life. The most important musicians were priests and worked for the church.

Forms of sacred Renaissance music

The two main forms are motet and the mass. They are alike in style, but a mass is a longer composition. They are both polyphonic choral work set to a sacred latin text. Mass is made up of five sections.

Church modes

The unfamiliar scales that are used in Gregorian Chant. They consist of seven different tones and eighth tone that duplicates the first an octave higher. The church modes were used in secular as well as sacred music.

Reason for lack of use of instruments in the church

There was a lack of instruments because of their earlier role in pagan rites. The slowly started to introduce organs and bells into churches though.

Types of Renaissance instruments

Two types loud and soft. Loud= Cornetto, Shawm, Sackbut. Soft= Lute, Recorder, Viols, Organs, Harpsichords

Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377)

Was a leading French composer. Was both a musician and poet, born in Champagne France. Traveled to many courts and presented his manuscripts to noble men. His compositions were mostly love songs. His most famous was "Notre Dame Mass"

Council of Trent

considered questions of dogma and organization. Discussed music, which they thought had lost purity.

Importance of instrumental vs. vocal music

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