The Renaissance and Renaissance Music

Practice vocabulary flashcards defining key musical terms, styles, genres, and figures from the Renaissance era.

Renaissance

A historical period from 1350 to 1600 meaning "rebirth," marked by the revival of ancient Greek and Roman culture, a focus on human experience, an observation-based scientific method, and arts guided by sensory experience.

Paraphrase

A Renaissance musical technique that values the melodic character of chant (unlike medieval organum) by embellishing it, giving it a specific meter and rhythm, and emphasizing its sensuous aspect.

Homophony

A musical texture where the top voice dominates and lower voices support the melody with chords following the rhythm of the top voice, creating a "block chord" feel.

Imitation

Also known as imitative counterpoint, a polyphonic texture where melodic voices enter one after another with the same melody transposed higher or lower, taking turns vying for attention.

High Renaissance Style

A musical style characterized by an a cappella texture, smooth melodies in a medium register, mostly consonant chords, alternation between imitation and homophony, and metric rhythm without strong accents.

Accurate Declamation

The manner of setting words to music such that musical rhythms closely match the natural rhythm of speech.

Word Painting

The musical illustration of the meaning of a word or phrase, such as using rapid notes for "fly" or "glitter," high notes or upward leaps for "up," descending motives for "sigh," and dissonance for "grief," "cruel," or "harsh."

Tenorlied

A secular musical genre exemplified by Heinrich Isaac's 1485 composition "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen," which uses a homophonic setting to make the text very clear.

Frottola

An Italian secular vocal genre exemplified by Josquin des Prez's "El Grillo," published by Ottaviano Petrucci in 1505, which influenced the French chanson.

Chanson

A secular vocal genre influenced by the Italian frottola, exemplified by Claudin de Sermisy's ca. 1520 work "Tant Que Vivrey," set to text by court poet Clément Marot.

Madrigal

A regional secular vocal genre of the Renaissance, exemplified by Adriano Banchieri's ca. 1608 piece "Capricciata e Contrappunto Bestiale alla Mente."

Missa Pange Lingua

A ca. 1514 mass for four voices composed by Josquin des Prez, in which the original chant appears in every section to create unity between each movement.

Guillaume DuFay

A Renaissance composer (d. 1474) who composed the Marian antiphon "Ave Maris Stella," which contrasts monophonic chant with homophonic paraphrase sections.

Heinrich Isaac

A Renaissance composer (d. 1517) who wrote the 1485 Tenorlied "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen," lamenting leaving his post in Innsbruck and his partner for a position in Florence.

Festino nella sera del Giovedì grasso avanti cena

A madrigal comedy composed around 1608 by Adriano Banchieri depicting a festive gathering on the evening of Fat Thursday before dinner, which includes "Capricciata e Contrappunto Bestiale alla Mente."