Chapter 7 notes

Lauda: Sacred version of frottola, religious and devotional in nature, used in public religious gatherings, often reflecting themes of faith and spirituality.

Jacopo: O cieco mondo: A notable Lauda by Jacopo, illustrating themes of blindness in the spiritual context, serving as a commentary on the moral and ethical blindness of society.

Spanish Villancico: The most important type of Spanish secular songs, characterized by being short, strophic, syllabic, and mostly homophonic, often celebrating festivals and social gatherings in Spain.

Juan del Encino: A composer known for the villancico 'Oy comamos y bebamos,' which translates to 'Today let's eat and drink,' highlighting themes of feasting and celebration.

16th Century Italian madrigal: A musical form that evolved in Italy, heavily influenced by the poetry of Petrarch, marked by emotional depth and intricate harmonies.

Petrarch: Major Italian poet of the 14th century, whose lyrical style and themes of love and nature were frequently used in early Italian madrigals, setting a precedent for poetic expression in music.

Through-composed setting: A musical structure where every line of the poem receives its own musical setting, often reflecting the text's meaning and allowing for continuous musical development without repeated sections.

Text painting: A compositional technique where the music reflects the literal meaning of the text, enhancing the expressive quality of the madrigal by matching musical elements to poetic images.

Italian madrigal: Early Phase: Characterized by Flemish composers working in Italy, this phase focuses on social singing, adoption of Petrarchan themes, utilizing a standard format of 4-voice textures and introducing imitation.

Jacques Arcadelt: Flemish composer known for 'II banco e dolce cigno,' which contains double meanings within its text, signifying love and death, and employing rich harmonies and emotional contrasts.

Cipriano de Rore: Flemish composer who worked in Italy; noted for expanding vocal ranges and employing chromaticism in madrigals, enhancing the expressive potential of the music.

Classical Phase Madrigal: Characterized by native Italian composers embracing polyphony and extensive text painting, leading to more complex musical forms that closely intertwined with the nuances of the text.

Luca Marenzio: Highly prolific composer, known for writing over 500 madrigals, expanding on text painting and chromaticism, while exhibiting a deep understanding of emotion and poetic expression.

Solo e pensoso: A madrigal by Luca Marenzio, musically setting a Petrarch poem with extensive text painting and demonstrating a profound connection between music and emotion.

Late Phase Madrigal: This phase borders into the Baroque period, emphasizing extreme chromaticism, dissonance, and bold contrasts in musical expression, reflecting the evolving tastes of the era.

Charles Gesualdo: Noble and unconventional composer who pushed the characteristics of the madrigal to extremes, known for his chromaticism, vivid emotional contrasts, and personal dramas reflected in his music.

Lo parto e non piu dissi: A madrigal by Gesualdo presenting a dialogue between lovers that showcases dramatic contrasts and emotions, using innovative harmonic techniques.

Moro lasso: A famous work by Gesualdo that expresses deep suffering and emotional turmoil through its musical content, capturing the listener's attention with its intensity.

Frottola: A precursor to the madrigal characterized by strophic form, homophonic texture, and syllabic text settings, often featuring light and playful themes.

Josquin: El grillo: A piece known as 'The Cricket' that showcases early features of the madrigal, combining humor and light-heartedness in a lively musical setting.

Anon: O Cieco mondo: An anonymous Lauda reflecting on spiritual blindness, emphasizing the importance of awareness and moral clarity in the journey of faith.

Early Phase (1520-1560): Marked by Flemish composers in Italy, this phase saw the rise of imitation and the popularity of 4-voice settings, facilitating social singing for both men and women.

Josquin II banco e dolce cigno: A madrigal that utilizes double entendre related to death and desire, skillfully blending lyrical content with intricate musical lines and emotional depth.

Cipriano de Rore: De le belle contrade d’Oriente: A work expanding the structural complexity of madrigals in this period, displaying innovative use of harmony and melodic contour.

Middle (Classic) Phase (1500-1600): Dominated by Italian-born composers focusing on polyphony and imitative practice, leading to more elaborate structures and intricate interplays between voices.

Nicola Vicientino: Known for his treatise on music and innovations involving quarter tone keyboards, exploring new possibilities in musical tuning and performance.

Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Master of improvisation at Ferrara, wrote virtuosic madrigals for the Concerto delle Donne, showcasing the talents of female singers in high-end musical performances.

Late-Phase Madrigal (post 1600): Characterized by extreme stylistic features like dissonance, chromaticism, and unconventional tonal structures, pushing the boundaries of musical expression to new heights.

Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa: Known for his extreme text painting and chromaticism, and for the notorious events of his personal life, which deeply influenced his dramatic and innovative musical style.

Musica Transalpina: Published in 1588, this was a key collection that introduced Italian madrigal style to Elizabethan England, significantly impacting the development of English music.

English (Elizabethan) Madrigal 1588-1605: A period when the madrigal style was adopted in England, often with lesser quality texts but featuring intricate vocal lines and charm.

Thomas Morley: Court composer to Queen Elizabeth I, known for his patents on secular music, shaping the English madrigal scene with his compositions and stylistic guidance.

The Triumphs of Oriana: A collection of 25 madrigals published in praise of Elizabeth I, showcasing various composers and solidifying the madrigal's role in royal and noble entertainments.

Thomas Weelkes: Court organist known for his expressive text painting in the madrigal 'As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending,' utilizing innovative harmonic and rhythmic techniques to enhance the text.

English Ballett: A strophic, treble-dominant musical form with ‘fa-la-la’ refrains, displaying a lighter style often sung in social settings, emphasizing simplicity and enjoyment.

Morley: My Bonny Lass: An example of the English Ballett style, characterized by a homophonic texture that highlights a playful and enjoyable approach to vocal music.

John Downland: Famous for his lute songs, which were more intimate and inward compared to madrigals, often reflecting personal emotions and sentiments in their texts.

Flow, my tears: A well-known lute song by John Downland, highlighting emotional depth and beautifully intertwining text and music to convey longing and sorrow.

French Chanson: A genre suited for amateurs with light, dance rhythms and minimal text painting, often serving as entertainment and social music in France.

Pierre Attaingnant: The earliest French music printer who published many collections of chansons, contributing significantly to the dissemination of music in the 16th century.

Claudin de Sermisy: Known for 'Tant que vivray', representing socialized love rather than courtly themes, capturing a sense of realism in its poetic content.

Clement Janequin: A highly descriptive composer famous for his vibrant and popular works, notably 'La bataille,' which characterized the trends and interests of the French Renaissance.

Flashcards on Musical Terms

  1. Lauda: Sacred version of frottola, used in public religious gatherings with themes of faith and spirituality.

  2. Jacopo: O cieco mondo: A Lauda by Jacopo illustrating spiritual blindness and moral clarity.

  3. Spanish Villancico: Important type of Spanish secular songs, short, strophic, most often celebrating holidays and social gatherings.

  4. Juan del Encino: Composer known for the villancico 'Oy comamos y bebamos,' emphasizing themes of feasting and celebration.

  5. 16th Century Italian madrigal: Evolved musical form marked by emotional depth and complex harmonies.

  6. Petrarch: 14th-century poet whose themes of love influenced early Italian madrigals.

  7. Through-composed setting: A musical structure where each line of the poem has its own musical setting.

  8. Text painting: Technique in which music reflects the literal meaning of the text for expressive quality in madrigals.

  9. Italian madrigal: Early Phase: Focused on social singing, adoption of Petrarchan themes, and 4-voice textures.

  10. Jacques Arcadelt: Flemish composer known for 'II banco e dolce cigno,' reflecting love and death themes.

  11. Cipriano de Rore: Expanded vocal ranges and chromaticism in madrigals to enhance expressiveness.

  12. Classical Phase Madrigal: Characterized by polyphony and extensive text painting from native Italian composers.

  13. Luca Marenzio: Prolific composer known for his emotion and poetic expression in over 500 madrigals.

  14. Solo e pensoso: Marenzio’s madrigal extensively employing text painting.

  15. Late Phase Madrigal: Features extreme chromaticism, bold contrasts reflecting era's evolving musical tastes.

  16. Charles Gesualdo: Noble composer known for his innovative use of chromaticism and emotional depth.

  17. Lo parto e non piu dissi: Gesualdo's madrigal showcasing dramatic contrasts and emotions.

  18. Moro lasso: Gesualdo's work expressing deep suffering and emotional turmoil.

  19. Frottola: Precursor to the madrigal, known for its homophonic texture and light themes.

  20. Josquin: El grillo: 'The Cricket,' humorous and lively showcasing features of early madrigal.

  21. Anon: O Cieco mondo: An anonymous Lauda emphasizing moral clarity in the spiritual journey.

  22. Early Phase (1520-1560): Dominated by Flemish composers, emphasized imitation and 4-voice settings.

  23. Josquin II banco e dolce cigno: A madrigal blending lyrical content with emotional depth.

  24. Cipriano de Rore: De le belle contrade d’Oriente: Innovative harmony and melodic structure in madrigals.

  25. Middle (Classic) Phase (1500-1600): Focused on intricate polyphony among Italian composers.

  26. Nicola Vicientino: Known for his treatise on music and quarter tone innovations.

  27. Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Composed virtuosic madrigals for female singers, showcasing improvisational skills.

  28. Late-Phase Madrigal (post 1600): Explored dissonance and extreme stylistic features in music.

  29. Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa: Notorious for text painting and personal life events impacting his music.

  30. Musica Transalpina: Collection published in 1588 introducing Italian madrigal to England.

  31. English (Elizabethan) Madrigal 1588-1605: Adoption of madrigal style in England with intricate vocal lines.

  32. Thomas Morley: Influential court composer shaping English madrigal with his compositions.

  33. The Triumphs of Oriana: A collection of madrigals celebrating Elizabeth I, showcasing various composers.

  34. Thomas Weelkes: Known for expressive text painting in the madrigal 'As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending.'

  35. English Ballett: Strophic, treble-dominant style with ‘fa-la-la’ refrains enjoyed in social settings.

  36. Morley: My Bonny Lass: Example of English Ballett style with playful vocal textures.

  37. John Downland: Renowned for intimate lute songs reflecting personal emotions.

  38. Flow, my tears: A lute song by Downland conveying emotional depth through text and music.

  39. French Chanson: Light and minimally texted, suited for amateur performance and social music.

  40. Pierre Attaingnant: Early French music printer, pivotal to dissemination of 16th-century music.

  41. Claudin de Sermisy: Known for 'Tant que vivray', capturing socialized love themes with realism.

  42. Clement Janequin: Descriptive composer famous for 'La bataille,' reflecting Renaissance trends.