Renaissance- Music

1
Renaissance- Music Dance

• 1450-1600
• The Re-birth into the Arts

2
Important Historical concepts

• Rebirth of classical learning
• Rediscovery reevaluation of Ancient Greek
  Roman writings
• Change from Feudalism to modern state
• Began in Northern Italy
• Hierarchal state- Nobility class Working class
• Change in view of the earth space
• Columbus, Magellan, Gallelio- challenged old
  earth-centered universe concept

3
Changes in the Music field

• Arts became an important measure of learning and
  culture
• Music became more of an expressive art rather
  than just a science
• Rise Spread of printed music made access much
  easier
• Patrons of music expanded to include the rich
  governments, as well as the church
• Travel exploration helped create a more
  international style of music

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3 Areas of Music

• Sacred Music
• Motet Mass
• Most recognized international style
• Secular Music
• Music written in style of country
• Italian Madrigal
• French Chanson
• Instrumental Music
• Rise of printed music encouraged more amateurs to
  learn music
• Specific types emerged

• Common features
• More polyphony- move to four voices/instruments
• Smooth, gentle rhythms
• Melodies with balanced phrases
• Harmonies using triads
• Vocal forms reflected poetic forms
• Dances were in binary form (2 sections- verse
  chorus)

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Composers

• Josquin Desprez
• 1440-1521, French Composer
• Style of music compared to art of Michaelangelo
  Da Vinci
• Studied music as a choir boy worked for the
  Church
• Composed mostly vocal music
• Brought out expression in texts
• Samples
• Ave Maria
• Absalon, fili mi

• Claudio Monteverdi
• 1567-1643, Italian Composer
• First great composer of Opera
• Used music to make very dramatic statements
• Used music to convey meaning of texts
• Published his first pieces by age 15
• Famous for his madrigals
• Samples
• Cruda Amarilli
• Possente spirto

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Renaissance Instruments
Bagpipe
Recorder Flute
- Primarily used for popular or folk music
- Came in various sizes- Soprano, Alto, Tenor,
Bass
Sackbut
-smaller ancestor of the trombone, brass
instrument
Shawm
Viol
- Used in a way that Brass instruments are used
today, loud sounding

• Similar to violin, except had 6 strings instead
  or 4.
• 2 types- viola da braccia- held on the arm, viola
  da gamba- held between the legs

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Renaissance Dance- 3 types

• Country Dance
• Fast speeds
• Done in villages for fun celebration
• Musicians accompanied dancers
• Rougher Choreography than Court Dances
• Courtly Dance
• Nobles danced to SHOW OFF their clothing, grace,
  skills
• Used for courtship- men women together
• Childrens Dance
• Way of play
• Ring around the Rosey- related to the black
  plague
• Foundation for future dancing
• Courtly Dance- lead to Ballet
• Country dance- lead to square dancing line
  dancing

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Domenico da Piacenza

• Renaissance Dancing Master
• Choreographed Court dances
• Worked for nobility in Italy
• Began a dance school wrote a manual about dance