Expanded Renaissance Notes
THE RENAISSANCE
• The Renaissance (“rebirth”) describes the sweeping cultural, artistic, intellectual, and scientific transfo
• This era saw dramatic global exploration (Columbus, Magellan) and landmark achievements in art (L
• The period shifted focus from a God■centered worldview to a human■centered one, laying the found
HUMANISM
• Humanism was the dominant intellectual force, emphasizing the study of the “humanities”—grammar
• Humanists aimed to revive classical Latin and Greek texts and restore ancient learning.
• Education prioritized eloquence, civic responsibility, and a deep understanding of classical models.
NEW ATTITUDES IN ART & MUSIC
• Renaissance artists sought to make their work meaningful and relevant to human experience, reinter
• Music began reflecting human emotion more intentionally. Composers used new contrapuntal techniq
• Polyphony became more balanced: voices shared equal importance; textures shifted fluidly between
• Composers tried to mirror the meaning of the words in the rhythm, phrasing, and melodic gestures of
CHANGES IN MUSICAL PRACTICE
• Composers were no longer obligated to use plainchant; when they did, chants were treated as melod
• The **paraphrase technique** embellished chants with additional notes and expressive rhythms, smo
• Growing interest in melody and sonority signaled the earliest musical tendencies of the Renaissance.
EARLY HOMOPHONY
• By the 15th century, truly composed homophony emerged—melodies supported by vertical harmonic
• Instead of placing chant at the lowest voice, composers often placed it in the top voice as a graceful,
• **Guillaume Dufay (1400–1474)** represents this shift. Born near modern Belgium, he spent decades
THE MASS AS A MUSICAL FORM
• Renaissance composers aimed to unify the entire Mass Ordinary musically.
• The standardized five-part structure:
- Kyrie – “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy”
- Gloria – “Glory to God in the highest”
- Credo – “I believe in one God…”
- Sanctus – “Holy, Holy, Holy…”
- Agnus Dei – “Lamb of God…”
• Composers sought long-range musical cohesion across all five movements, a major artistic challenge
THE HIGH RENAISSANCE STYLE
• Defined by the seamless blend of **imitative counterpoint** and **homophony**.
• Early 15th-century polyphony was mostly nonimitative; by the century’s end, imitation became the no
• In imitation, voices enter one by one, each presenting the same melodic idea at different pitch levels.
• Each voice had genuine melodic independence; no single voice dominated for long.
• This careful balance required high compositional skill and created the rich, interwoven sound charact
HOMOPHONY AS CONTRAST
• Late Medieval composers prioritized horizontal lines over vertical harmony.
• High Renaissance composers successfully created full chordal sonorities without sacrificing melodic
• Homophony provided expressive contrast in otherwise imitative compositions.
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF RENAISSANCE MUSIC
• Ideal sacred sound was **a cappella**—pure vocal performance without instruments.
• Rhythm was fluid, subtly shifting, with few sharp accents.
• Melodies remained within comfortable ranges, avoiding extremes.
• Repetition was used sparingly; balance and variety were valued.
• Overall style emphasized sensitivity, nuance, flexibility, and clarity.
JOSQUIN DESPREZ (1450–1521)
• Considered the first great master of High Renaissance style.
• Worked for major patrons: Pope Alexander VI, the Sforza family (Milan), the Este family (Ferrara), an
• Known for expressive intensity and imaginative musical ideas.
• Major contributions include motets, chansons, and eighteen complete polyphonic Masses.
• His **Pange lingua Mass** (based on the “Pange lingua” hymn) showcases paraphrase, four-voice te
PANGE LINGUA MASS DETAILS
• Built on the ancient plainchant hymn “Pange lingua.”
• Uses the Phrygian mode (E mode), contributing to its unique, solemn character.
• Written for four voice parts—typically sung by boys and men in Josquin’s time.
• Each movement creatively transforms the chant into new imitative and melodic ideas.