Renaissance Music

The Renaissance

14th-16th century

Rebirth

Humanism-philosophy that focused on what it means to be human

Printing (1500) Gutenberg, petrucci

Protestant reformation(1517) Martin luther 95 theses

European colonialism

*Quam Pulchra es

How Beautiful you are

John Dunstable

Early 15th century

Motet

Latin text from Song of Solomon(erotic dialogue between lovers, metaphor for love between Christ and the Church)

melodic thirds and triads English style

*Nuper Rosarum Flores

15th century

Guillaume Dufay

Motet

Latin text praising Pope Eugenius IV

Guillaume Dufay

1397-1474

Cambrai France

Worked as choir boy in Italy

Catholic priest, lawyer, poet, composer and diplomat

Director of pope’s private chapel choir, friend of the Medici

Composed isorhythmic motets, masses, and chansons

*Missa Prolationum:Kyrie

Late 15th century

Jean de Ockeghem

Mass Ordinary

Sacred Greek text

Unaccompanied 4 part choir

*Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen (Innsbruck I must leave you)

Heinrich Isaac

Date-1500

Genre-Lied

German text about Emperor leaving his court at innsbruck

4 part homophonic texture

*Mille Regretz

Josquin Desprez

1520

Genre-Chanson

Presented as gift to emperor Charles V in 1520

Became known as La cancion del Emperador

Word painting-illustrating the literal meaning of the word with a musical device

*Ave Maria…virgo serena (Hail Mary…gentle virgin)

Josquin Desprez

15th century

Motet

Sacred Latin text praising virgin mary

Unaccompanied 4 or 6 part choir

points of imitation based on a plainchant melody

Motet Genre Definition

One movement polyphonic choral work sung a capella. Sacred Latin text. Alternates between homophonic and polyphonic texture

*“Kyrie” from Missa Mille Regretz

Morales

16th century

Mass

Sacred Greek text

6 part choir + Bassoon

All voices quote Josquin’s Mille Regretz “The Emperor’s Song”

*Circumdederunt me

Morales

16th century

Motet

Sacred Latin text, may have been performed in Mexico at a memorial mass for Charles V in 1559

5 part choir, bassoon doubles the bass part in the Gabrieli Consort recording

Plainchant cantus firmus in soprano

*Cancion Mille Regretz

Luis Narvaez

16th century

Genre-intabulation

Arrangement of Josquin’s Mille Regretz for vihuela, a Spanish flat-backed lute

Written in Lute tablature

Embellished melodic lines

*Ein feste Burg

Martin Luther

16th century

Chorale-congregational hymn sung in Lutheran church

German text adapted from Psalm 46

Hymn tune harmonized by JS Bach

*In Dulci Jubilo

Anonymous

16th century

Chorale-congregational hymn

Latin and German text about birth of Jesus

*If Ye Love Me

16th century

Thomas Tallis

Anthem-Anglican equivalent of the motet, one movement sacred work for unaccompanied choir

English text describing the last supper of Jesus and his disciples

Homophonic and polyphonic texture

*Spem in Alium

Thomas Tallis

16th century

Motet

Choir in 40 parts

Sacred Latin text

*Sing Joyfully unto God

William Byrd

16th century

Anthem

6 part choir

Ionian mode

Sacred English text adapted from Psalm 81

Imitation and word painting “Blow the trumpet”

*John Come Kiss Me Now

Willliam Byrd

1600

Variations

16 variations on popular song played on harpsichord

From Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

*Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) and Bendedictus from the Pope Marcellus Mass

Palestrina

16th century

Mass

Sacred Latin text from Mass Ordinary

Unaccompanied 6 part choir

Stepwise melodic motion and points of imitation

*Tristis est anima Mea

Orlando di Lasso

16th century

SATTB motet for Maundy Thursday

Latin Text from Matthew 26:38

Imitative descenidng figure on Vos fugam capietis forshadows the disciples fleeong following Jesus’s arrest

*O magnum mysterium (O Great Mystery) Missa O magnum Mysterium

Thomas Luis de Victoria

16th century

Motet and imitation Mass

Latin text from a chant for Christmas Matins

*Drones

Palestrina arranged by Matt Bellamy

2015

Arrangement of the “Benedictus” from Palestrina’s Pope Marcellus Mass, transposed down a fourth to D Major (ATBB)

Concept rock album imagining a dystopian future war between humans and machines

The final song on the album is an epitaph to humanity which has been destroyed by drones

*O Sacrum Convivium

Andrea Gabrieli

16th century

Motet

Performed at St. Marks in Venice by 5 part choir and organ

sacred Latin text

triple meter Alleluia

*La juicy froide et sombre

Orlande de Lassus

16th century

Chanson

4 part choir

French text by Joachim De Bellay about nature and humanity

Homophonic texture Dorian mode

La nuict…couvrant in soprano

*Tant que Vivray

Claudin de Sermisy

16th century

Chanson

4 part choir

French text by Clement Marot blends courtly and erotic love

Strophic form each verse is AAB

Homophonic

*Revecy venir du printans

Claude Le Jeune

16th century

Chanson

5 part choir

French text about coming of spring

musique mesuree-alternation between long and short syllables

strophic form w verse and refrain

*Il Bianco e dolce cigno (The white and sweet swan)

Arcadelt

16th century

Italian Madrigal

Italian text about Greek myth of Leda and the swan

4 part choir

starts w title (Cigno=cheen-nyo)

*Solo e pensoso

Luca Marenzio

16th century

Italian Madrigal

Italian text by Petrarch

unaccompanied 5 part choir

chromatic melody and harmony sung by professional singers

Io parto

Carlo Gesualdo

1600

Italian Madrigal

Italian text about lovers parting

5 part choir plucked and bowed strings

Suspension on dolori-grief chromaticism on pianto-tears

*Cruda Amarilli

Claudio Monteverdi

16th century

Italian Madrigal

5 part choir

criticized by Artusi for breaking rules of counterpoint

Dissonance used to express meaning

*Cicut Servus

Palestrina

16th century

Motet

Latin

*Fair Phyllis I saw

John Farmer

Madrigal

16th century

English about a shepherd Amytas and his lover Phyllis characters from Thomas Watson’s Amyntas (1585)

Word painting “up and down”

Duple to triple “Oh then they fell a kissing”

*L’Innamorato

Giovanni Gastoldi

16th century

Ballett-dance like secular song

Strophic form fa la la refrain

Triple meter, italian text

Arranged by Bill Cunliffe as a jazz waltz for CSUF Jazz Ensemble 2021

Modern Motet

O Magnum Mysterium

2010

Matt Brown

Disjunct leaps on Magnum