The Renaissance

Quizzes

Music Overview

Step 1

There is a sense of adventure and freshness to early music, but it can be listened to by anyone, not just people with musical backgrounds. The uniqueness of the sound is also very attractive, as well as the intimacy of the performance. 

  • Describe the timbres of the instruments heard in this Sackbut example

They seem naturally more muted, sound much darker than trombones today. The brightness that one usually expects from modern brass instruments is not there. The sound is still very enjoyable. 

 

Step 2

  • Listen to the 4 examples below to answer the following questions

  1. Share your overall impression of Renaissance Music.

  2. How does Renaissance music sound similar to Medieval Music?

  3. How does Renaissance music sound different from Medieval Music?

A.  Dance Music

B.  Shakespeare

C.  King Henry VII

D.  Monteverdi Mass

 

I can definitely hear the roots of Medieval music in the Renaissance pieces, as the instruments and styles remained quite similar. I can also hear that Renaissance music is more complicated, as polyphony evolved a lot over the medieval period.

 

Step 3

  • How does Josquin Des Prez convey a happy cricket in his composition El Grillo?

A fast tempo with staccato notes and complicated rhythm creates the idea of a happy cricket when you listen to it. In addition to being staccato, the notes are not only short, they are also bouncy. 

 

Step 4

  • Listen to Sicut Cervus by Giovanni Palestrina to answer the following questions

  1. Is this example Sacred or a Secular?

Sacred

  1. What is the language of the text?

Latin

  1. Is the texture monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic?

Polyphonic

 

Step 5

  • Describe the use of dynamics and antiphony demonstrated in Sonata pian e forte by Giovanni Gabrieli

They had two sets of instrumentalists playing back and forth to each other. Sometimes the call and response would be at the same dynamics, other times one would be loud and the other soft or vice versa. 

  • What are 3 musical clues/characteristics that identify it as being from the Renaissance Period?

The use of polyphony within the antiphony, the tone and style of the music also matches with what instrumentalists were playing at the time. The call and response aspect also had small points of imitation throughout it. 

 

Step 6

All of them were playing a quite fast tempo, but towards the end, one of them was playing a bit slower than the others. They were also all playing varying rhythms throughout the entire piece. 

 

Step 7

  1. Identify where individual motives and themes are first introduced and subsequently reappear

Drum: 00:01, Flute: 00:04, 1st verse (1): 00:20, (2): 00:29, 2nd verse (1): 00:37, (2): 00:45, 3rd verse (1): 00:54, (2): 01:02, 4th verse (different beginning than the others) (1): 01:10, (2): 01:18, 5th verse (back to original) (1): 01:28, (2): 01:36, 6th verse (back to the way the 4th verse was) (1): 01:44, (2): 01:52, back to just the flute and drum. 

  1. Identify changes in dynamics and discuss the effect these changes create

The first times phrases are stated are at louder dynamics than they are at the repetition; creating a false echo.  

  1. Describe changes in texture in Month of Maying as monophonic, homophonic and/or polyphonic

Polyphony, because it has four parts with differing notes and rhythms. 

 

Step 8

  1. Background & History

"Greensleeves" is a traditional English carol which is in between the romanesca and the passamezzo antico styles. Many believe that "Greensleeves" was composed by Henry VIII after he was unsuccessful in seducing his eventual wife, Anne Boleyn. However, the piece is based on an Italian style of composition which hadn't reached England by that point in time. The song was most likely Elizabethan. 

  1. Meaning & Verses

While the Henry VIII was a myth, another myth was it was believed that Lady Greensleeves was a loose woman or prostitute, based on the "fact" that her sleeves could be green from an amorous situation in a meadow, or that only prostitutes wore gree; both ideas were debunked. Another myth was that "Greensleeves" was of Irish origin, which was also incorrect. 

For concern of space, I am just inserting the first two verses and the chorus; as there are 18 verses. Here: 

 

Alas, my love, you do me wrong,

To cast me off discourteously.

For I have loved you well and long,

Delighting in your company.

 

Chorus:

Greensleeves was all my joy

Greensleeves was my delight,

Greensleeves was my heart of gold,

And who but my lady greensleeves.

 

Alas, my love, that you should own

A heart of wanton vanity,

So must I meditate alone

Upon your insincerity.

  1. Variations of Sacred & Secular

English poet and amature theologian William Chatterton Dix wrote his hymn"The Manger Throne" which was set to the "Greensleeves" music and is now known as the Christmas carol "What Child is This." 

"Greensleeves" has become immensely popular over its near 500 year existence, finding its place in pop songs to commercials for candy bars. "Greensleeves" was also used as a social dance, as well as a traditional tune and Morris dance. 

 

 

Period Research

Step 1

  • Gather resources of your own choosing to answer the following questions

1.  Provide approximate dates for the Renaissance punctuated with notable world/historical events

The Renaissance was a time of innovation and “rebirth” after the Middle Ages. There were large strides forward for art, science, and technology and much of what we know today was influenced by the Renaissance. It began in Italy in the 1300’s and soon spread across Europe. Earlier forms of capitalism began to spread and, for the first time, most people were able to have somewhat disposable incomes.

2.  Provide examples of how technological advances affected the development of music during the Renaissance

With science and the arts stepping away from the Church, there was more room for technological innovation within music. Music was more readily available with the invention of the printing press, and new technologies allowed instruments like the violin to be made for the first time.

 

Step 2

  • Provide trivia about each of the following instruments through an authentic artifact of your own creation(3-D model, Video, Power Point, Google Doc, Prezi, Keynote, Creative Writing Narrative, etc.

  1. The Rebec

  2. The Crumhorn

  3. The Shawm

  4. The Cornetto

  5. The Serpent

  6. The Hurdy Gurdy

  7. The Lute

  8. The Sackbut

  9. The Recorder

  10. Theorbo  

  11. Dulcian/Curtal

  • Include the following in your presentation

A.  Origins/History

B.  Instrument Makers

C.  Cost to Purchase Today

D.  Modern Performers

E.  Famous Compositions

F.  Audio Examples

G.  Images

 

INSTRUMENT PRESENTATION

Songs from the Labyrinth

Step 1

  1. Provide a description regarding this project

Sting released an album, "Songs from the Labyrinth," combining his pop style with the words of Elizabethan era composer/singer John Dowland. Sting also learned how to play the lute for this project, sometimes over dubbing his voice to create a madrigal effect. 

  1. Provide a bit of trivia regarding John Dowland

John Dowland was a 16th century composer writing in Elizabethan England. He was the first real international singer/songwriter, as his work was popular across Europe. He wrote during the time of melancholy and felt that he was dumbed down as a person for being a Catholic convert during a time where Catholics were not accepted in England (to put it lightly). 

 

Step 2

  • Watch the following "Message in a Bottle" videos using musical elements to guide your narrative

A.  The Police

B.  Sting & Eden

 

  1.  How did Sting/Eden manipulate the original Rock version to emulate the Renaissance Period? 

He simplified the instruments by only using lutes, and not the electric guitars and drums that had been used in The Police video. He used a far slower tempo to make it more of a ballad and changed the inflection on the lyrics to make different words stand out. He also changed the rhythm to make some words sustained longer than they originally had been to create more of a Renaissance texture. In addition, his overall dynamics were lower and his voice lighter, again to create the illusion of a Renaissance style ballad. 

(Musical Elements; Instruments, Pitch, Rhythm, Dynamics, Tempo, Texture, Timbre, Form, Purpose, Harmony, Melody, Expression, Mood, Language, Style, etc.)

 

 

Step 3

  • Use the following text/music for your responses

  1. If you were asked to set these lyrics to music, what choices would you make about tempo, dynamics, tonality, texture, form, mood, timbre, etc.?

I would have a slower tempo overall, but have a sort of wave effect, where the middle of the phrase swells and gets a bot faster before going back to its original tempo. I would also have the dynamics do something similar, getting louder in the middle of phrases and then falling back. Considering the lyrics, I would have a sadder mood, but with a full tone and timbre (we may be sad, but we are not weak). I would have sparse accompaniment, if it were truly during the Renaissance probably a lute, but now some minor piano chords would be nice. I would go for more of an ABA form, with the first two lines and the last two lines (minus the last "in darkness let me dwell") being the same and the middle tow lines being different musically. The last "in darkness let me dwell" I would have a lot slower and would have it descending to end on a lower point in the chord. 

 

"In Darkness Let Me Dwell"

In darkness let me dwell; the ground shall sorrow be, 
The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me; 
The walls of marble black, that moist'ened still shall weep; 
My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep. 
Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb, 
O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come. 
In darkness let me dwell

 

2.  What choices did John Dowland make in his setting of In Darkness let me Dwell?

John Dowland: lute accompaniment, "dramatic ending", starts low and slow, with each word given multiple beats, repeats words for more emphasis, picks up tempo and changes pitch geography more often, much louder in middle, and less longer notes, more of an angry tone, like it's mocking something, space of silence before last phrase, ends higher and on an unexpected note, and quite abruptly. 

3.  How did his musical choices differ from yours?

His musical choices had fewer large changes imbedded in it, while mine had a lot of smaller ones. I felt that mine went for less of a dramatic style to emphasize words. We had very different ideas for rhythm and form, and I did not have the same silence at the end that he did (I feel he would have been/was a fan of a deceptive cadence). 

4.  Were there any similarities and if so, what were they?

Overall, there weren't many similarities, the mood that I went for matched the mood at the beginning and end of Dowland's version, but the middle of his had more anger than I imagined mine having. I also had a similar tempo throughout that he had at the beginning and end. Our form was much the same, with beginning and the end matching, while the middle is different. I definitely did not choose the route he did for the last line, and would have ended it far more predictably. 

 

Step 4

  • Pair and Share the outcome of your step 3 creation

1.  Who was your partner?

The illustrious Anna Freebern. 

2.  Describe their musical choices compared to yours.  Similarities?  Differences?

I didn't really have anything with keys, but, looking back I would've made it minor as well. We are different in that I would have made mine full voiced and a bit slower (with the ebb effect) rather than bouncier and wispy. I had more sparse accompaniment, while she went for a more polyphonic texture. 

Flanders Recorder Ensemble

Use these resources to answer the following questions:  Home Page  Article  ARS

1.  Who, What, Where, When & Why?

Who: Bart Spanhove, Paul Van Loey, Tom Beets, Joris Van Goethem, What: A group of men who play recorders, Where: Flanders (in Belgium), When: 1987-2018 (tears they just ended), Why: To showcase an underestimated instrument.

2.  Instruments

"Virdung" consort of by Adrian Brown, Baroque consort by Friedrich von Huene, Bassano consort by Tom Prescott, Ocarina consort by John Langley 

3.  Programs

Educational Programs: A piece of Wood, Malus, Multiculti, Earlier Programs: A chest of flutes, A feast of four flutes, Banchetto Musicale, Circa 1600 - the birth of affect, Felicitazione!, Finding the Flemish in Rome, Isabela la Catolica, Jukebox Sunday, etc., Current Programs: A Song for all Seasons, Our Final Favourites, Reclaiming Bach for the Recorder, The Final Chapter, The Final Chapter (pure early music)

4.  Concerts

No current concerts

5.  Recordings

Colori, Matthew Locke, Bach, Banchetto Musicale, The Darke is my Delight, Nowel, Nowel!, Encore!, Concerti, Kadanza, 5 [five], Final Favourites 

6.  Images & Audio Examples

Pictures below:

Audio Example

Notes