Music of the Renaissance Period (1400 – 1600)
The term ―Renaissance‖ comes from the word ―renaitre‖ which means
“rebirth‖, ―revival‖, and ―rediscovery‖. The Renaissance Period is a period of
of ―looking back‖ to the Golden Age of Greece and Rome.
The invention of printing in the 1400’s paved the way for a wide
distribution of renaissance compositions. With the emergence of the
bourgeois class, renaissance music became popular as entertainment and
activity for amateurs and the educated. Lute was the prominent instrument of
the renaissance era. The influence of the Roman Catholic Church started to
decline as the new music genre arose. Though sacred music was still of great
importance, secular music became more prominent in the renaissance period.
This era was also known as the ―golden age‖ of a capella choral music.
Other historical facts during this era is the discovery of the actual
position of earth in the solar system by Copernicus, the invention of compass
creating a wider navigation not only of the lands but also of the oceans, and
Martin Luther’s Protestant reformation.
Characteristics of Renaissance Music:
Mostly polyphonic
Imitation among the voices is common
Use of word painting in texts and music
Melodic lines move in a flowing manner
Melodies are easier to perform because these move
along a scale with a few large leaps
Vocal Music of the Renaissance Period
1. Mass – is a form of sacred musical composition that sets texts of the
Eucharistic liturgy into music.
Characteristics of the Mass:
Polyphonic
May be sung a cappella or with orchestral accompaniment
Text may be syllabic (one note set to each syllable), neumatic (a
few notes set to one syllable), or melismatic (many notes to one
syllable)
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