Music and The Renaissance
The word "renaissance" means "rebirth" in French. It is an ideal selection of word choice used to describe the time period in [European] history dated 1450 - 1600. This era was preceded by the economic, social and cultural stagnation of the Middle Ages. It was during the Renaissance period that artistic, social, scientific and political thought turned from one of religious orientation to that of a secular one. Momentous circumstances such as the invention of gunpowder and the development of the compass contributed greatly to the spread of the spirit of adventure and change. The proliferating economy allowed for the merchant class to be patrons to music and thereby increases the opportunities for playing for the musicians. The greatest Renaissance con
The composers of the early Renaissance included Guillaume Dufay, Johannes Ockeghem, Jacob Obrecht, and Josquin des Prez. Secular music contained an expressive method known as word painting. Monteverdi also used the popular expressive device of word painting in his madrigals. A chanson was written for three to four voices and set to romantic poetry. Josquin des Prez composed hundreds of motets and masses and harnessed within them the expression of emotion. The foundation was set for the many eras to come. A popular motet by this composer is: Ave Maria. Palestrina wrote hundreds of Masses, the most popular being Mass for Pope Marcellus. The composers of the late Renaissance included Orlando di Lasso, Jacob Handl, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and Tomas Luis de Victoria. Claudio Monteverdi, a late Renaissance composer, published eight books of madrigals. Cantus firmus, or fixed melody, combined with polyphonic writing offered the composers many possibilities to create elaborate vocal music. Thus numerous motets, polyphonic works with four or five voice parts singing one religious text, became popular in the sacred arena. Madrigals, originating in Italy, are also set to a short lyric love poem and were accompanied with music or sang without music. This single event allowed for a musical explosion and a flourishing for musicians of this time! This era created a variety of musical styles for sacred and secular music; a cappella is a type of vocal music without instrumental accompaniment.
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