Introduction to Renaissance and Baroque Instrumental Music

Flashcards covering key terms, instruments, and concepts from the lecture on Renaissance and early Baroque instrumental music.

Haut

A category of Renaissance and Medieval instruments classified as higher and loud, typically used for outdoor music.

Bas

A category of Renaissance and Medieval instruments classified as lower and soft, producing a quieter sound suitable for indoor settings.

Prelude

An instrumental piece that traditionally functions as a warm-up before a larger performance.

Fantasia

An instrumental composition characterized by an improvisatory style.

Consort

An instrumental ensemble consisting of instruments from the same family built in sets to produce a homogeneous sound.

Shawm

A Renaissance woodwind instrument identified as the precursor to the modern oboe.

Sacbut

A Renaissance brass instrument introduced as an early precursor to the trombone.

Lute

The most common household instrument of the sixteenth century, introduced to Spain by the Moors, featuring one single string and five double strings.

Viols

A family of stringed instruments featuring a veiled timbre and distinct shape, traditionally played in consorts rather than as solo instruments.

Clavichord

A small, rectangular keyboard instrument suited for private settings where metal tangents hit the strings to release a sustained sound.

Fretted Clavichord

A type of clavichord where multiple keys share the same set of strings, resulting in fewer strings to tune and reduced tension on the resonating box.

Harpsichord

A prominent keyboard instrument of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that plucks strings using duck quills, maintaining a uniform dynamic volume regardless of how key pressure is applied.

Virginal

The English term for the harpsichord.

Clavecin

The French term for the harpsichord.

Bartolomeo Cristofori

A historical harpsichord builder whose work led to the invention and development of the piano.

Pavane

A stately Renaissance dance set in duple meter.

Galliard

A fast Renaissance dance set in triple meter, known for its athletic jumping movements.