Patronage & Society
Which three institutions were the chief patrons of music during the Renaissance?
Church; city/state (civic institutions); aristocratic courts.
What is polyphony?
Polyphony: two or more independent melodic lines sounding simultaneously.
List the five sections of the Mass Ordinary.
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei.
Are madrigals secular or sacred music?
Secular.
Which composer wrote Ave Maria… virgo serena?
Josquin des Prez.
The Renaissance began in this country and later spread across Europe; name the country.
Italy.
What is homorhythm?
Homorhythm: voices move together in the same or very similar rhythm.
What is the difference between the Ordinary and the Proper of the Mass?
Ordinary: texts that remain generally the same; Proper: texts that change according to the day/occasion.
Name one typical subject/theme of Renaissance madrigals.
Love, nature, pastoral scenes, or other secular subjects.
Who is credited with "saving polyphony" in the Catholic Church?
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.
Define Humanism as it applied to Renaissance society (brief).
Humanism: an intellectual movement emphasizing human life, learning, reason, and classical antiquity.
What is a cantus firmus?
Cantus firmus: a pre-existing fixed melody (sacred or secular) used as the basis for a new composition.
Name the composer associated with the L'homme armé Mass and identify the compositional technique used.
Guillaume Du Fay; technique: cantus firmus (L'homme armé melody).
Give two differences between Italian and English madrigals.
Italian madrigal: developed in Italy, often more serious/expressive, frequent word painting; English madrigal: developed in England, often lighter, more pastoral or humorous, with English texts.
Name the composer of Fair Phyllis and state how many voices it uses.
John Farmer; four voices.
Name two non-church musical institutions that flourished in Renaissance cities.
Church choirs/schools; civic wind bands (also municipal ensembles).
Give a concise definition of "word painting".
Word painting: musical setting that reflects the literal meaning of the text (e.g., rising notes for “ascend”).
State two recommendations the Council of Trent made regarding music in the church.
Make the words more understandable; avoid excessive secular influences; keep music appropriate for worship (any two of these).
What are two musical devices commonly used in madrigals to reflect text meaning?
Word painting and imitation (also homorhythmic contrasts, expressive dissonance).
Identify the primary profession/role for which Tielman Susato is best known.
Tielman Susato: music publisher (also composer and instrumentalist).
Explain one major social change in Renaissance society that affected music.
Example answer: Society became more secular and focused on human experience; this broadened musical subjects beyond purely religious themes and increased patronage from courts and civic institutions.
Compare and contrast homophony and polyphony in two clear points.
Homophony: one clear melody with accompaniment; Polyphony: multiple independent melodies; homophony emphasizes vertical harmony while polyphony emphasizes interweaving melodic lines.
Explain briefly how Palestrina's style addressed the Council of Trent's concerns.
Palestrina wrote clear, mostly syllabic, consonant polyphony with careful text treatment so words remained intelligible, addressing the Council’s call for clarity and piety.
Describe three features that distinguish the Renaissance chanson from medieval chanson.
Renaissance chansons: secular, usually in the vernacular, often about love; they used freer poetic structures than medieval chansons and featured more expressive text setting.
Where did Monteverdi work and which major stylistic transition is he associated with?
Monteverdi worked in Italy; he helped bridge the Renaissance and Baroque periods through expressive text setting and new stylistic practices.