Italian Renaissance - 6 views

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  #1 Mandy Todd Moore on 04 Mar 11

   

  The Italian Renaissance marks the period of transition between the 13th and 16th centuries in Europe. During this time humanism, a way of thought in which human values and interests prevail, was the norm in the scholarly world. Humanism was carried out through the arts quite successfully. The arts thrived during this period, and music was particularly affected by humanism. Vocal music during this time changed incredibly. While music of the early and middle medieval period tended to be chant-like, simple and homophonic, music of the Italian Renaissance sought to evoke the emotions of the listeners. With that in mind, composers strove to use melodic line and vocal technique to paint pictures in the mind of the audience, a technique called "word painting." So, if the text talked about a Jesus ascending to heaven, the melodic line would also ascend. If the text talked about the fiery furnace in hell, the technique would be much heavier and lower.
  Composers also began using harmonies based on thirds and sixths, rather than fourths and fifths. These sonorities (3rds and 6ths) are the basis for music even now in the 21st century. Using a multitude of sonorities, both dissonant and consonant was thought by humanistic composer to evoke a variety of emotions in the listener.
  Historical Significance:
  The Italian Renaissance changed the way music was written. Composers used different sonorities, and sought to create music that was in itself beautiful, instead of music used strictly for worship. Styles of sacred music and secular music began to become intertwined and borrow from each other. Modes were used less and music became diatonic, which is the way music is written today.
  This link is for Thomas Weelkes' madrigal "O Care, Thou wilt dispatch me." In it you hear word painting through the use of major and minor tonalities. When the text is sad the music is in a minor key, and much slower than the happy text, which is in major.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZobIf8KBcH4
  
  This is a link to my all-time favorite composition, Tomas Luis Victoria's "O Magnum Mysterium." In it, you hear multiple examples of harmony based on 3rds and 6ths.
  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The Italian Renaissance marks the period of transition between the 13th and 16th centuries in Europe. During this time humanism, a way of thought in which human values and interests prevail, was the norm in the scholarly world. Humanism was carried out through the arts quite successfully. The arts thrived during this period, and music was particularly affected by humanism. Vocal music during this time changed incredibly. While music of the early and middle medieval period tended to be chant-like, simple and homophonic, music of the Italian Renaissance sought to evoke the emotions of the listeners. With that in mind, composers strove to use melodic line and vocal technique to paint pictures in the mind of the audience, a technique called "word painting." So, if the text talked about a Jesus ascending to heaven, the melodic line would also ascend. If the text talked about the fiery furnace in hell, the technique would be much heavier and lower. <br /> Composers also began using harmonies based on thirds and sixths, rather than fourths and fifths. These sonorities (3rds and 6ths) are the basis for music even now in the 21st century. Using a multitude of sonorities, both dissonant and consonant was thought by humanistic composer to evoke a variety of emotions in the listener. <br /> Historical Significance: <br /> The Italian Renaissance changed the way music was written. Composers used different sonorities, and sought to create music that was in itself beautiful, instead of music used strictly for worship. Styles of sacred music and secular music began to become intertwined and borrow from each other. Modes were used less and music became diatonic, which is the way music is written today. <br /> This link is for Thomas Weelkes' madrigal "O Care, Thou wilt dispatch me." In it you hear word painting through the use of major and minor tonalities. When the text is sad the music is in a minor key, and much slower than the happy text, which is in major. <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZobIf8KBcH4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZobIf8KBcH4</a> <br /> <br /> This is a link to my all-time favorite composition, Tomas Luis Victoria's "O Magnum Mysterium." In it, you hear multiple examples of harmony based on 3rds and 6ths. <br /> <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm</a></div>

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