Music History Final - Secular Song, Opera, and Philosophical/Aesthetic Ideals in the Renaissance and Baroque Eras

Troubadour Chansons

Monophonic, strophic songs composed by troubadours about chivalric and unrequited love, crusades, morality, politics

Madrigals

Secular vocal music from Renaissance, usually in Italian or English, through-composed, word-painting, often performed in small groups in aristocratic and court settings

Monody

A vocal style featuring a single melodic line with instrumental accompaniment (basso continuo), developed in early 17th-century France, precursor to opera

Recitative

Speech-like singing used to advance plot quickly

Aria

Lyrical, tuneful section reflecting a character’s emotion

Arioso

Blends features of recitative and aria

Da Capo Aria

ABA form

Topics/Themes of Opera

Mythology, ancient history, allegory, love, heroism, betrayal, moral lessons

Renaissance Impact on Other Art Forms

Emphasis on humanism, symmetry, clarity, classical influence

Baroque Impact on Other Art Forms

Drama, contrast, grandeur, emotion, and movement

Renaissance Impact on Music

Balanced polyphony, smooth lines, equal voice importance

Baroque Impact on Music

Emotional expressiveness, contrast (solo vs ensemble), ornamentation and drama

What was the overall significance of Baroque and Renaissance ideals on music?

Shift from modal to tonal harmony; rise of the basso continuo and figured bass