Renaissance Era

Renaissance Era

1450-1600

The Music

• Just like the Medieval Era, vocal music and sacred music was more important.

• Polyphony (which started to develop in Medieval Era) continues to develop and become more complicated.

• Composers start to write for 3 and more vocal parts to be sung at the same time. And all parts are equally important.

Types and Styles

Now the entire Catholic Mass is set to music in the form of chants.

Sometimes there would be an instrumental accompaniment, but they usually doubled the vocal line.

Another form of music is a motet. This is an unaccompanied vocal work.

Open Ended

What instrument/voices did you hear?

Open Ended

Is there one sound or a lot of sounds?

Open Ended

Would this song be easy to sing?

The Instruments

The Renaissance era used a lot of similar instruments that was used during the Medieval era. Such as the viol, flute, recorders and horns.

The Organ

As the great cathedral were built, the use of the organ was growing more important. This became the primary keyboard instruments of the era.

Open Ended

How would you describe the tone color (sound)?

The Harpsichord.

Another keyboard instruments during the Renaissance is the Harpsichord.

This instruments resembles the piano, but on a harpsichord the strings are plucked, not struck.

This makes the harpsichord much quieter than it's predecessor.

Open Ended

How would you describe the tone color?

The rise of Secular music

By the beginning of the Renaissance era, most European royalty would hire musicians to perform and entertain at special events.

Traveling musicians still played for the average citizens.

The growth of secular

The most dominant type of secular music was called the madrigal.

A madrigal is a vocal piece of music that would put a poem to music.

Open Ended

Is there one sound or lots of different sounds playing at once?

Open Ended

Are the sounds smooth (legato) or jumpy(staccato)?

Multiple Select

What are the two new styles of sacred music

• Mass

• Motet

• Madrigal

• Chant

Multiple Select

What are the new instruments used during this era?

• Piano

• Organ

• Flute

• Harpsichord

Multiple Choice

What is the new form of secular music?

• Mass

• Opera

• Motet

• Madrigal