Renaissance Music

Printable PDF file of music texts used in the lecture

Sacred

• Motet - A religious poem set to music
  • General traits
    • A cappella - Singing without instruments
    • Polyphonic - Two or more melodies at the same time
    • Imitative - In a polyphonic texture when the melodies tend to imitate or copy one another
    • Sung in Latin
  • Josquin - Ave Maria
• Counter Reformation and the Council of Trent
  • The Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation
    • A complete examination and overhaul of the Catholic doctrines
    • The most extensive review of the faith since the Christianization of Rome
  • Music pre-Trent:
    • Overly complex polyphony
    • Overly secularized i.e., lacked true Christian piety
  • Music post-Trent:
    • More reverent, with text easily comprehended
    • Palestrina - Pope Marcellus Mass

Profane

• Madrigal - A secular poem set to music
  • General traits
    • Served as entertainment in the court and the home
    • Printing press influence and contributed to the popularity
    • Sung in the vernacular
  • Italian Madrigal
    • Marenzio - Cantate Ninfe
    • Arcadelt - Il Bianco
  • English Madrigal
    • Farmer - Fair Phyllis
    • Tomkins - Too Much I Once Lamented
    • Morley - Now is the Month of Maying
  • French Madrigal (chanson)
    • Lassus - Bon Jour

Humanities Resource of Mark Hunter