Musical Analysis 101

Rhythm

• Organization of sounds and silence• Pulse – beat – tactus• Speed = tempo• Meter – grouping beats into patterns of

stress– Duple– Triple

Melody

• The tune – the line you would hum!• Types of melodic motion

– Ascending– Descending– Conjunct– Disjunct

Harmony

• More than one pitch sounding at a time• Cadence

– the end of a musical phrase– resting point in the music

Texture

• Monophonic - “one sound”– Single line melody– Gregorian Chant

• Polyphonic– two or more independent lines

• Homophonic– all parts sing the same rhythm

Form

• The use of repetition, variation and/or contrast to structure a work

• Strophic – music material repeats• Binary – simple 2 part form

– Verse and chorus• Through composed

– No internal repetitions

But, Before the Renaissance...

Gregorian Chant• Organized and “approved” melodies for use at

Mass and other liturgical celebrations• Monophonic• Driven by the text• No implied meter• Conjunct motion

The Monotone MonkBrings Us……

Organum The addition of a

second voice

Which develops into the early motet and ushers in…..

Renaissance Music

Musicians in Society• 16th C Musicians

supported by the chief institutions of their society:– Church– City– State– Royal and

aristocratic courts

• Employment as:– Choirmasters– Singers– Organists– Instrumentalists– Copyists– Composers– Teachers– Instrument builders– Music

printers/publishers

Rise of the Merchant Class

• New group of music patrons

• Emergence of the amateur musician

• Printed music books become available

• Musical literacy spread dramatically

Frans Floris, The Van Berchem Family

General Characteristics ofMusical Style

• Lyrical melodies• Conjunct motion• Imitation• Modal harmonies• Tactus• Counterpoint – Polyphony• Contenance Angloise

Vocal Forms“The golden age of the a cappella style”

• A cappella – vocal music without instrumental accompaniment

• Smoothly gliding melodies• Polyphony – multiple voices• Continuous imitation

– Motives are exchanged between vocal lines –imitating each other

• Church Music – a cappella• Secular music – some a cappella, some

with instruments to support the vocals• Growth of solo instrumental music• Lute• Keyboard instruments• Turn from 5ths and octaves to 3rds and

6ths• Word painting – making music reflect the

meaning of the words• Cantus firmus

Sacred Music

• Music played a prominent part in the ritual of the church

• Gregorian chant as well as polyphonic settings of the Mass, motets and hymns

• Sung by professional singers, trained from childhood in cathedral schools

• The motet became a sacred form with a single Latin text for use in Mass and other religious services

• Motets in praise of the Virgin Mary were extremely popular

Josquin Des Prez and the Motet

• Classical virtues of balance and moderation

• Harmonious proportion• Clear form

• Exerted a powerful influence on generations of composers to follow

• Served in several courts and the papal choir

• Found inspiration in the art of Raphael

Prolific Writer

• More than 100 motets• 20 Masses• Numerous secular pieces including 70

French Chansons

• Listening Example – Ave Maria

Other Early Renaissance Composers of Note

John Dunstable

Guillame DuFay

Johannes Ockeghem

The Renaissance Mass• Proper – prayers that

change daily• Ordinary – always

the same – consists of:– Kyrie– Gloria– Credo– Sanctus– Agnus Dei

High Renaissance

• Religious Reform• National styles• Mannerism• Printing technology• Rise of instrumental

music

The Reformation• Luther – emphasis on congregational

singing in the vernacular• Chorale

– Stepwise, simple melody– Contrafacta

• Based on pre-existing tunes

• Listening Example – “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” – Jahann Walter

And in the Church of England…

• The Anthem– Sacred song with

English texts– Like a Latin motet

– contrapuntal and a cappella

• Psalter– Rhymed, metrical

translations of the psalms

Council of Trent• Counter-reformation• Included work with the poor, founding of

Jesuits, and Council of Trent• Council attempted to regulate every

aspect of religious discipline, including music

• Favored a pure vocal style that would respect the integrity of the sacred texts

• Master of reformed church music was……

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

• Organist and choirmaster at various churches, including St. Peter’s

• Appointed to the Sistine Chapel Choir

• Wrote over 100 Masses

• His manner of writing focused on the beauty and capacity of the human voice– Pure– Serene– celestial

Our wisest mortals have decided that music should

give zest to divine worship. If people take great pains to

compose beautiful music for profane songs, they should

devote at least as much thought to the sacred song,

nay, even more than to mere worldly matters.

Renaissance Secular Music

“Come sing to me a bawdy

song, make me merry.”

– Falstaff, in William

Shakespeare’s Henry IV

Early Secular Vocal Music• French Chanson

– “Formes fixes” – set patterns• Ballade• Virelai• rondeau

• German Leid– Based on German poetry– Tenorlied – melody in tenor part

• Italian Frottola– Tended to be rhythmic – repeating, dance-like

patterns

• Listening Example – “El Grillo”

Both professionals and amateurs took part in

music making.

Music was considered part of a proper upbringing for a young girl.

From the union of poetry and music arose three important secular genres:

French ChansonItalian MadrigalEnglish Madrigal

Chanson

• Favored genre at the courts of the Dukes of Burgundy and the King of France

• Usually written for 3 voices• Whimsical texts – light airy style• Lower parts meant to be played on

instruments– Homophonic– Emphasis on chords and vertical sonorities

• Ockeghem, Binchois, Du Fay, de Lassus

The Italian Madrigal• Aristocratic form of poetry and music• Short poem of reflective character• Often included emotional words of weeping,

sighing, trembling, dying– Word Painting

• Could be strophic of through composed• Popular topics

– Love and unsatisfied desire– Humor and satire– Political themes– Scenes and incidents of city and country life

The English Madrigal• Freely adapted the Italian style• Often included a “fa, la, la” refrain• Tended to be strophic rather than through

composed• Listening Example• Composers of note

– Morley– Weelkes– Wilbye– Dowland

• Listening Example – “Now is the Month of Maying” “Fair Phyllis”

Instrumental Music

Keyboards

• Organs–Positive–Portative

Virginal

Clavichord

Strings

Lute Viol de braccia

Viola de gamba

There were many interesting and unusual wind instruments.

Check out

Musica Antiqua’sIllustrated Guide to Medieval and

Renaissance Instruments

http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html

Instrumental Music Genres• Early renaissance based on vocal forms• Ricercar

– “to search”– Imitative – voices trying to find each other

• Toccata– “to touch”– Keyboard works with elaborate fingerings

• Fantasia– Free form– Composer explores limits of musical fantasies

Renaissance Dance Music

• Tended to be repetitive• Used for social dances which used specific

patterns of steps which repeated• Often binary form• Pavanne• Passamezzo• Bouree• Saltarello• Galliarde• Volta• Branle• Moresca• Rondo

The End