Music History 1- RENAISSANCE

cantus firmus

"fixed melody", usually of very long notes, often based on a fragment of Gregorian chant that served as the structural basis for a polyphonic composition, particularly in the Renaissance

Zarlino, le istitutioni harmoniche

( ca. 1517-1590) • ars perfecta • "established rules of harmony"

Glareanus

(Ca. 1435-1511) • professor of poetry & theology • modeled after Boethius (classical humanist) • ionian/hypoionian & aeolian/hypoaeolian

Tinctoris

(Ca. 1435-1511) • music theorist •studied with Du Fay • 1st music dictionary • 8 rules for counterpoint

contenance angloise

(French, "English guise") Characteristic quality of early-fifteenth-century English music, marked by pervasive CONSONANCE with frequent use of HARMONIC thirds and sixths, often in parallel motion. "New way of composing with lively consonances"

Tinctoris's eight rules for good counterpoint

(TINCTORIS'S EIGHT RULES FOR GOOD COUNTERPOINT) 1) all counterpoint ought to begin and end with a perfect consonance 2) avoid parallel fifths and octaves 3) successive consonances of the same kind are permitted if the tenor remains on the same note 4) individual lines must be as conjunct as possible, with leaps used in moderation 5) cadences should never fall outside of the mode of the work at hand 6) individual lines should not repeat the same notes over and over unless for special effect, as in imitating the sound of bells or trumpets 7) avoid successive cadences on the same pitches 8) variety must be sought in all counterpoint

Panconsonance

A harmonic idiom that makes ample use of triads and limits the use of dissonance considerably.

Panconsonance

A harmonic idiom that makes ample use of triads and limits the use of dissonance considerably. -represented in Quam Pulchra Es

imitative counterpoint

A particular type of counterpoint in which one voice introduces a new theme and is answered ("imitated") by other voices that enter in succession shortly afterward, even as the first voice continues to sing or play.

Humanism

A philosophical movement of the Renaissance committed to independent reasoning (without, however, rejecting faith)

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement of the 16th century (ca. 1517) that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.

Lied

A song in the German dialect

Chanson

Any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular

Paratactic form

Any structure that consists of a series of more or less discrete units unrelated to one another musically. Paratactic form can be represented schematically as A, B, C, D, E, and so on

Paratactic form

Any structure that consists of a series of more or less discrete units unrelated to one another musically. Paratactic form can be represented schematically as A,B,C,D,E

Individualism

Belief that individual humans are capable of great accomplishments

Secularism

Belief that individual humans are capable of great accomplishments

Martin Luther

Ca. 1483-1546 • helped ignite the Protestant Reformation in early 16th century • german monk • nailed a list of grievances to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg in 1515 • mostly had a problem with the authority in the church abusing their power "give the church your money and your sin state will be wiped clean" • responsible for Lutheran • wasn't trying to get rid of the catholic church

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Ca. 1525-1594 • best known for sacred music, composed more than 140 madrigals • great representative of Renaissance polyphonic style • first 16th century composer to have his complete works published • published the first book of masses- first of its kind by an Italian composer

Counter Reformation

Catholic Church's attempt to stop the protestant movement and to strengthen the Catholic Church

Musical "rhetoric"

Combining systematic order and sensuous detail, in order to persuade

Chorale

Communal participation in hymns

Fauxbourdon

Compositional technique that favored triadic sonorities and that emerged around 1430. An unnotated line that runs parallel to the uppermost of two notated lines, usually at the interval of a fourth below, creating a harmonic texture rich in thirds and sixths. -advent hymn conditor alme siderum

anthem

Designation given to many motet-like works on English texts from the 16th century onward. The full anthem is for chorus throughout. The verse anthem alternates choral passages with passages for solo voice and instrumental accompaniment.

chord succession

Douglass Green defines "chord succession" as a movement of chords that starts in a certain area and reaches the same area (I believe "area" means the classification as tonic, mediant, submediant, etc ... and the inversions don't matter). A movement from one area to another is defined as a "chord progression".

Search for the ideal

Form, order, proportion, balance, harmony, control, clarity of text, communication & meaning

Tactus

From the Latin word "touch", the basic unit of temporal measurement used in Renaissance music. One theorist of the late 15th century claimed the rate of the tactus was equivalent to the heartbeat of an adult man breathing at a normal speed- that is, roughly 60-70 bpm

Villanella/villancico

General term used to describe a variety of Italian song types of the 16th and early 17th centuries. These songs were often to bawdy texts and featured predominately chordal textures.

Composer: John Dowland Title: Flow my Tears Genre: Lute Song General Date: Significance:

How to remember: • string instrument as accompaniment • solo woman voice • "fuhhlow my tears" •

Composer: Orlando de Lassus Title: Matona mia cara ("my dear lady") Genre: Villanella-Todesca General Date: ca. 1581 Significance: example of a todesco- a German soldiers song that like others of its kind pokes fun at the heavy accent of German mercenary- in this instance, the german mercenary is serenading a young woman in broken Italian

How to remember: • witty & light • 4 voices • light & dance like • big changes in dynamics • "dum dum dum ditty ditty ditty dum" •

Tactus

Latin for "touch" • steady pulse • equivalent to the heartbeat of an adult man breathing- 60-70bpm

Identify and describe the significant Renaissance scared and secular genres. Examples of composers and compositions.

Motet- polyphonic vocal work, usually sacred Mass- central service of traditional Christian liturgy, ritualistic celebration of Christs Last Supper with his disciples Chanson- ca 1420-1520- the move from layered to a more homogeneous texture, the rhythmic equalization of parts, and the increasing use of pervading imitation as the principal structural device. Frottola- secualr Italian vocal genre of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Texture tends to be chordal and the texts are often light hearted, comic, or ironic.

Polyphony

Musical texture of two or more voices essentially equal in importance

Frottola

Musicians would interpolate lines both above & below a preexisting melody - poetry that is often lighthearted/sarcastic/ironic - lively, dancelike rhythms w/ frequent uses of syncopation

Faburden

Musicians would interpolate lines both above and below a preexisting melody. The upper line would parallel the notated melody a fourth above, and the lower line would vary between thirds and fifths below it. Resulted in what we might today think of as sixth chords (first inversion chords with a 6th scale degree in the root).

Historical Self-Consciousness

People who are making changes, are self aware of these changes

musica ficta

Performace practice in which certain notes were sharpened or flattened

Virtu

Personal success & honor achieved through one's own talents, efforts, and personal fulfillment

Madrigal

Poetic and musical form first used in 14th century Italy and then taken up later again in the 16th century. The texts of the 14th century Italian madrigals usually consist of two line ritornellon(refrain) at the very end. The 16th century Italian madrigal is anpoem of a single strophe using a free rhyme scheme and meter, such as an alternation of 7- and 11- syllable lines.

Motet

Prayer text set to music - the most important form of early polyphonic music - based on Latin sacred text & meant to be performed in the Roman Catholic service - english motets are called anthems

techne

Techne or ars refers to any kind of professional knowledge and skill (art I), and in the larger sense, intelligence, cunning and a clever course of action in general. Areas of usage are the crafts (V. H.), visual arts (Art, theory of), poetry and music, medicine, sports, mantics etc.

Isorhythm

Term coined in the 20th century to describe the rhythmic and melodic structure of certain tenor lines in polyphony of the 14th and 15th centuries. An isorhythmic tenor features a rhythmic pattern (the talea) and a melodic pattern (the color), each of which is repeated at least once. The talea and color may be of equal duration, but more often they are not.

counterpoint

The art of combining in a single texture two or more melodic lines.

Mass

The central service of the traditional Christian liturgy, a ritualistic celebration of Christ's Last Supper with his disciples. The liturgy of the mass consists of the Ordinary (fixed texts said or sung at every mass) and the Propers (texts that vary according to the date within the liturgical year, such as particular feast day or season.

non-imitative counterpoint

Two or more different/independent melodies heard simultaneously

lute song

Type of strophic secular song cultivated in England during the 17th century for lute and voices (usually four). The lute could substitute for or double as many as three of the four voices.

Homophony

Type of texture in which a principal melodic line is accompanied by a clearly subordinate voice or voices

point of imitation

Unit of music in which all the voices of a polyphonic composition take up more or less the same musical idea in succession. Points of imitation are a by-product of pervading imitation

text painting

Word painting (also known as tone painting or text painting) is the musical technique of composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyric

Homorhythm

a kind of homophony where all the voices or lines move together in the same rhythm

pervading imitation

compositional technique in which a series of musical ideas are stated imitatively in all voices across the course of an entire work or section of a work. The technique first began to be cultivated in a widespread manner in the second half of the 15th century.

Motet

polyphonic vocal work, usually sacred

Contrafactum

refers to a song in which the melody is similar or even identical to another song yet contains different lyrics. One of the most popular examples of contrafacta are "What Child is This" and "Greensleeves." While the lyrics convey very different meanings, the melody remains the same for both.

Polyphony

the style of simultaneously combining a number of parts, each forming an individual melody and harmonizing with each other.

Ars Perfecta

the technique of using pervading imitation "perfected" by the Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez

Composer: Henricus Issac Title: Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (Innsbruck, I must leave you) Genre: Lied General Date: ca. 1530 Significance: example of French Chanson & Italian frottola (setting texts to their own language)

• How to remember: • Innsbruck mall • different pitches, different rhythm, same words & no imitation, all voices come in together(one doesn't start then imitate) •

Composer: Luzzasco Lizzaschi Title: T'amo mia vita ("I love you, my life" Genre: Madrigal General Date: ca. 1590 Significance:

• 3 voices • florid embellishment • harpsichord accompaniment • How to remember: • 3 woman voices • a love song with a harpsichord in background

Composer: John Dunstable Title: Quam Pulchra Es ("How fair you are") Genre: Motet General Date: ca. 1410-1430 Significance: Panconsonance & emergence of England

• 3 voices are of more or less equal weight • voices combine repeatedly to form triads that move in blocks, like a chorale or hymn • (overwhelmingly) consonant intervals • any dissonances are brief (E in the upper voice) • texture is similar to polyphonic conductus Funny ways to remember: • it's the Quain song! • literally opens with a huge breath & then "Quam" • words are together at beginning •

Composer: Palestrina Title: Missa Papaw Marcelli Genre: Credo General Date: ca. 1565-1567 Significance: reflects the routine acceptance of thirds & sixths as consonant intervals

• 3rds & 6ths How to remember: • "crrrrreayedo" • feels like you are swaying

Composer: Luca Marenzio Title: solo e pensoso ("alone and pensive") Genre: madrigal General Date: ca. 1599 Significance:

• 5 parts • great word painting How to remember: • start out with a G chord and transition quickly to E chord- • dissonant in middle parts • 7th chords?? • reminds me of a shovel, each chord has a chord dip

Composer: William Byrd Title: Sing joufully unto God Genre: Anthem General Date: ca. 1590-1623 Significance:

• 6 voices How to remember: • sound like creepy dolls at Disney ride • "tsing Chjoyful" • starts with one small soprano voice

Composer: John Farmer Title: Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting All Alone Genre: Madrigal General Date: ca. 1599 Significance:

• Playful & pitchy • How to remember: • again, fast and dance like • starts out with a single voice saying "faaaaiirr"

Composer: Ser Felice or Antoine Busnoys Title: Fortuna Desperata Genre: Chanson General Date: ca 1473-1478 Significance: The most popular Italian song of the 15th century

• Sounds like imitation How to remember: • "For- Tuna!"

Composer: Tomas Luis de Victoria Title: O magnum Mysterium Genre: Motet General Date: ca. 1572 Significance:

• YOU DID THIS IN CHOIR IN HIGH SCHOOL YOU KNOW THIS ONE!!!!

Composer: Antoine Busnoys Title: Je ne puis vivre ainsy Genre: Chanson General Date: ca. 1470 Significance:

• a lovers lament • the first letter of each line of the text spells out the name of the woman who has caused such anguish • setting of the text gives importance to all voices • imitative counterpoint (typical of chansons in later 15th century) • virelai pattern (ABBAA) How to remember: •imitative • "je ne pui" "je ne pui" • "Jen needs to pee" • very french, wii wii, pee pee

Composer: Guillaume Du Fay Title: Se la face ay pale "if my face is pale" Genre: Chanson General Date: ca. 1435 Significance: One of the most popular songs of its time

• ballade • 6 complete sets of mass How to remember: • sounds like a fancy renaissance party with tea and stuff • begins with string instruments- violin?? • can do it in 2 beats like you are dancing • begins with a solo, operatic voice backed up with a flute or something

Composer: Guillaume Du Fay Title: Missa se la face ay pale: Gloria Genre: Polyphonic-Mass-Ordinary General Date: ca. 1450 Significance: the first mass setting by any composer to be based on a canctus firmus from a secular source

• based on a canctus firmus • eight male singers, 2 per part • How to remember: • begins with an annoying man voice singing "GULAWRIAH" in exchelsis deo (walrus song) •

Renaissance relationship between text & music

• by 15th century, composers abandoned polyglot texts in favor of a single text and an increasingly direct connection between words & music • still have sacred music, but its less liturgical • music is organized around the text •

Petrucci

• ca. 1466-1539 • important person in establishing the business in music publishing. • printed the first book of polyphony • published works by numerous composers in the Renaissance

Palestina's Pope Marcellia mass

• ca. 1567 • council members of the Catholic church were advocating for monophonic music- plainchant- in place of polyphony, but this didn't happen bc of Palestrinas Missa Papae Marcelli • palestrina introduces musical variety and relieves the mostly chordal declamation of the text with discreet melismas from time to time

Which term best decribes Renaissance "harmony": chord succession or chord progression? Why?

• chord succession bc in Tintoris's rules for good counterpoint, it says that lines should be conjunct with little to no leaps meaning the chords follow one after the other

Composer: Jacob Arcadelt Title: Il Blanco e dolce cigno ("the white and gentle swan") Genre: Madrigal General Date: ca. 1535-1539 (1539) Significance: exemplifies the early madrigal

• clear declamation • limited use of word painting • predominately chordal texture • How to remember: • swan song • starts out 3 parts- ends up being in 4 parts • 4 parts sing same words, different pitches and rhythms • what feels like a lot of dissonance honestly •

Composer: Guillaume Du Fay Title: Nuper Rosarum flores ("the rose blossoms") Genre: Motet General Date: ca. 1436 Significance: WRITTEN FOR CONSECRATION OF THE NEWLY COMPLETED DOME OF CATHEDRAL IN FLORENCE ON MARCH 25, 1436, represents mixing of old & new

• consonance • cantus firmus- "fixed melody" starting in 2 voices • tenor 2 starts a 5th above the tenor • 2 voices move at different speeds • its been said this relates to the dome which consists of an inner frame supporting a separate outer skin • the motet concludes with a two-measure amen • full of root position triads- lowest sounding voice is the root Fun ways to remember: • frozen song! • feels like an anchor bc of the consistency in a voice always on the root • light hearted • begins with top voice moving • reminds me of frozen for some reason • an organ type instrument comes in in the middle

Composer: Josquin Des Prez Title: Missa Fortuna Desperata: Kyrie & Agnus Dei Genre: Polyphonic Mass-Ordinary General Date: ca 1500 Significance: Example of an imitation Mass

• derived from Fortuna Desperata • tenor functions as a cantus firmus • 4 parts voices • only enters with 3 voices • NOT CANTUS- the difference is cantus only uses one line from an existing work, Imitation uses most if not all the voices of an existing work How to remember: • slower kyrie • agnus dei: imitates/repeats after each voice

Composer: Maddalena Casulana Title: morir non puo il mio cuore ("my heart cannot die") Genre: Madrigal General Date: ca. 1566 Significance: representation of mid-century madrigal

• earliest printed work by a professional woman composer!! • Ways to remember: • very mysterious "morir" at the beginning (aka means death) • very creepy imitation • 4 parts

Composer: Thomas Weelkes Title: As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending Genre: Madrigal General Date: Significance:

• form of secular music sung acapella • 6 voices • playful piece • voices sing each line of verse together with much repitition and carious rhythmic & melodic variation • How to remember: • imitative- • start together • listen for the tenor doing a lot of little runs & scales

Composer: Josquin Des Prez Title: Ave Maria... Virgo Serena Genre: Motet General Date: ca. 1470-1485 Significance: among the best-known and most widely admired musical works of its time

• has been discussed so much that its referred to as "mona lisa of renaissance music" • direct connect between words and music • extols the virgin Mary • opening & closing sections feature a symmetrical use of all 4 voices Ways to remember: • it literally says ave maria... you know the text •

Composer: Johannes Ockeghem Title: Missa Prolationum: Kyrie "mass fo the prolations" Genre: Polyphonic Mass-ordinary General Date: ca. (1420-1496) Significance: Uses prolations (like a double canon kinda)

• listen for the same melody in different rhythms (prolation) • only 2 of the 4 voices are notated Ways to remember: •i mean, it says the kyrie e leison lyrics you already know • again, listen for the prolation •

Composer: Caludin de Sermisy Title: Tant que Vivray ("as long as I live") Genre: Chanson General Date: ca. 1520-1528 Significance: a typical Parisian Chanson

• lyrical melody that lies squarely in the uppermost voice • rhythms & cadences mirror the text • one syllable per note except for a few mellismas toward ends of phrases • chordal How to remember: • one syllable per note, mostly & mellismatic & the ends of phrases • sounds like a dramatic love song to me idk • starts loud, gets softer • repeats the verse • you like this one. • soprano is pretty evident tho honestly • pretty consonant & simple • simple cute love song

Composer: Cipriano de Rore Title: Da le belle contrade d'oriente ("From the fair regions of the east") Genre: Madrigal General Date: ca 1566 Significance: exemplifies the stylistic changes that distinguish the midcentury madrigal from earlier manifestations of the genre

• more imitative, less choral • How to remember: •imitative • 5 parts !!!! • the bass reminds me of glee idk why

Composer: Thomas Tallis Title: Verily, Verily I say Unto You Genre: Anthem General Date: ca. 1580 Significance:

• mostly chordal except for a few cadences How to remember: • "ver-ly, ver-ly, I say unto you" • 4 parts

Renaissance cadential structure

• moves from weakest at the very beginning to the stonrgest at the end • paratactic form

Renaissance structural form

• new sonority, old structure • isorhythm • started using a cantus firmus • full of root position triads- lowest voice consistently provides the root of the triad sounding above it. •

Renaissance Texture

• pervading imitation • point of imitation- successive points of imitation and cadences of varying weight help articulate the individual sections even while moving the whole work forwards • Sacred music is strictly imitative polyphony (except for certain moments where homorhythm is used to emphasize text) Secular - homophony and homorhythm Rise of polychoralism

Composer: Mateo Flecha el Viejo Title: Riu Riu, Chiu Genre: Villancico General Date: ca. 1556 Significance:

• predominately chordal How to remember: • fast & dance-like •Opens with a bass solo part- then imitated by other parts • very italian sounding • drunk italian dad at a dinner (idk why but its what came to mind??)

New concept of consonance and dissonance

• renaissance theorists gave priority to number and reason over sound in defining a consonant interval • the octave (2:1), the fifth (3:2), fourth (4:3) • Tinctoris speaks of the "sweetness" of the third (major third = 5:4 is consonant)

Renaissance modes

• same eight modes from Medieval times - 2 more were added towards the end Ionian (I) hypoionian Dorian (II) hypodorian Phrygian (III) hypophrygian Lydian (IV) hypolydian Mixolydian (V) hypomixolydian Aeolian (VI) hypoaeolian Locrian (VII) hypolocrian

Why was the motet such a popular genre? What freedoms did this genre allow composers.. as opposed to the mass?

• the difference is the imitations & the cantus firmus • renaissance composers thought of harmony as a by-product of polyphonic voice leading- this kinf of patterned sonority would certainly have struck contemporary listeners as quite different from the motets of the previous generation. • Renaissance scholars and artists wanted to revive ancient practices

Discuss compositional approaches to the mass. What were potential sources for a cantus firmus?

• the motet nuper rosarum flores represents the mixing of the old & new And it was presented at the consecration for the dome in florence • the new cantus firmus related to the structure of the dome (inner frame supporting a separate outer skin)

Composer: Marchetto Caro Title: Hor venduto ho la speranza Genre: Frottola General Date: ca. 1500-1504 Significance: Example of Frottola

• typical harmonic progression frottola- 1-4-5-1 • could be performed by entirely voice, or instruments, or any combination- its universal How to remember: • opens with strings • has a 6/8 feel • a lil mexican feast- imagine a little dancing • voices come in very loud & boulstrous- goes to a soloist with a scoopy voice • quick!

Composer: Guillaume Du Fay Title: COnditor alme siderum ("Bountiful creator of the stars" Genre: Advent Hymn General Date: ca. 1430 Significance: Incorporated the new Fauxbourdon idea

• unnotated line that runs parallel to the uppermost of two notated lines (fauxbourdon) • alternates between plainchant and 3-voices polyphony • in polyphonic part, 2 higher voices sing an embellished version of the original plainchant Fun ways to remember: • it has like the same cadence as "the first noel" at the beginning?? • starts out unison - 1 voice???? • similar to a hymn maybe • Def sounds like a plainchant with repeated notes at the beginning

Composer: Josquin Des Prez or Pierre de la Rue Title: Absalon, fili mi ("absalon my son") Genre: motet General Date: ca. 1510 Significance: Could have been written in response to the murder of Juan Borja & Pope Alexander & Philip the fair,

• upper 2 voices have 2 flats in them! Big deal in this notation! • all 4 voices have a very low range • theme of loss & mourning • bass hits its lowest note at the word plorans ("weeping") • word painting- use of musical elements to initate the meaning of a specific passage of a text- pain is represented by low pitches How to remember: • sounds like Narnia • starts with "absalon" • 4 voices in low ranges • very heavy, mourning • begins with single soprano voice, then voices join in • each part is very independent

Composer: Josquin des Prez Title: El Grillo ("the cricket") Genre: Frottola General Date: ca. 1500-1505 Significance:

• very much in contrast to contemporary chansons • chordal in texture • antiphonal- back & forth between low & high voices • NOT imitative Ways to remember: • sounds like a slower version of that Carmen song (duh duh duh dut dut) •switches between low & high voices • you can hear "el grillo" • quick • voices are together for most part • again, that quick Mexican style sound In solo version: • just a woman, and a lute (string instrument like a guitar) • you can hear el grillo

How did the composers achieve both clarity of structure & clarity of meaning?

•(EXAMPLE: AVE MARIA) • each strophe had its own thematic material, each varies from one another in texture, cadences and number of voices • move between imitative counterpount & chordal structures • texts of the first and second strophes are closely linked- both begin with the same 2 words • in the original notation of ave maria, both texts are exactly 23 1/2 breves long, and both move from duet to four-voiced texture

Renaissance Harmony

•carefully controlled dissonace • by-product of voice leading • tinctoris's "rules for good counterpoint"

Composer: Thomas Morley Title: Now is the month of Maying Genre: Madrigal General Date: ca. 1595 Significance:

•chordal How to remember: • it says "now is the month of maying.. fa la la la la " • fast & dance like • 5 parts- all together • repeats the same tune to different words

Renaissance Melody

•conjunct motion- stepwise progressions with only occassional leaps of more than a 5th, and even then rarely anything other than a 6th or an octave.

Renaissance Rhythm

•organized around a tactus • steady pulse • lacked a sense of downbeats • dance music- fixed and regular meter with a strong downbeat • vocal music- needed to float • synocopation emerges bc of polyphonic texture