Renaissance Exam

Humanism

15th-century movement emphasizing personal fulfillment through intellect and effort

Contenance angloise

Term for the sweetness in early Renaissance music

John Dunstable

English composer known for new consonant style with 3rds and 6ths

Burgundian school

Group of 15th-century composers in northern France, Belgium, and Netherlands

Guillaume Du Fay

Singer and composer in the Burgundian school, used head motives

Fauxbourdon

False bass created by three voices in parallel motion first inversion triads

Cantus firmus

Fixed melody often based on Gregorian chant for polyphonic compositions

Point of imitation

Passage in polyphonic work with parts entering in imitation

Musica reservata

High/Late Renaissance music suiting music to words, expressing emotions

Ottaviano de Petrucci

First printer of polyphonic music, used triple-impression process

Chanson/Madrigal

Chanson - French vocal chamber music; Madrigal - Italian secular vocal work

Crumhorn

Double-reed instrument suitable for indoor playing

Archlute

Large lute for plucking with low pitch

Broken consort

Ensemble with various instruments like recorders, plucked, bowed, and keyboard

Reformation

16th-century religious movement leading to Protestant churches

Martin Luther

German reformer who posted 95 theses, led religious reform

Deutsche Messe

German mass by Luther replacing Roman elements with hymns

Counter-Reformation

Roman Catholic response to the Reformation

Palestrina

Model composer for Counter-Reformation music, known for clarity and conservatism

Musica transalpina

Collection of Italian madrigals published in English

Cori spezzati

Polychoral scoring with spaced-out choirs, popular in northern Italy

Motto-Head motive

Repetition of a pre-existing musical idea that begins each of the ordinaries in a mass

Johannes Ockeghem

Composer of the Franco-Netherlands School

Followed the tradition of cantus firmus and relied on fixed forms

Director in royal court in Paris and was a singer, composer

Josquin des Prez

Most famous and influential composer of the Renaissance

Composed sacred and secular music

St. Marks’s Basilica

Church in Veince

Gioseffo Zarlino

Important Italian theorist of counterpoint

Wrote the Le istitutiono harmoniche

Le istitutioni harmoniche

Written by Zarlino

One of the most influential music theory treatises

Advice to composers on how to express emotion

Harmonice musices odhecaton A

First ever book to be printed by Petrucci from a portable printing press

Pierre Attaingnant

Popular French publisher who printed more than 50 collections of chansons

Claudin de Sermisy

French chanson composer

Tant que vivray

Cipriano de Rore

Leading composer of the mid-century madrigal and maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s

Sackbut

Predecessor of the modern trombone

viol, viola da gamba

player holds the instrument in between their legs (da gamba)

six strings, bowed, fretted string instrument

Viol was played on the players lap

Clavichord

Small early keyboard instrument with intimate tone

Tablature

Notation that indicates how to pluck, stop, or touch each string rather than indicate a pitch

Basse Danse

One of the most important dances in the 15th c. that was in triple rhythm

Found in France and Italy

Fantasia

Instrumental composition that reflects the untrammeled freedom of the imagination exercised in the composition

Toccata

An improvisatory instrumental piece

Chorale

A German Lutheran hymn tune with its text

Council of Trent

Discussed the general principles of the Roman Catholic Church called by Pope Paul III

Was to reform church and secure reconciliation with Protestants

Lutherans and Calvinsists did not attend

Tomas Luis da Victoria

student of Paletrina, had a more expresisve style, composed O Magnum Mysterium

Luca Marenzio

Peak use of texts as inspiration and shaping force for the madrigal

Carlo Gesualdo

Italian madrigal composer, chromaticism, thought words were less important in the music

Giovanni Gabrieli

Nephew of Andrea, Organist at St. Marks, simple rhythmic gestures, polychoral technique