Chapter 6. Music in the 16th Century. Thursday, September 13, 12

Transcription

1 Chapter 6 Music in the 16th Century

2 Secular Vocal Music rondeau replaced by more freely structured chansons new approaches to setting vernacular texts the Parisian chanson in France the Madrigal in Italy

3 Secular Vocal Music The Parisian Chanson 1520s, a new genre of song lighter and more chordally oriented than earlier chansons homorhythmic and dominated by vertical sonorities melodies in the upper-most line

4 Secular Vocal Music The Parisian Chanson Claudin de Sermisy Tant que vivray - typical Parisian chanson - melody in top voice syllabic text setting (a few melismas) texture is mostly chordal (homorhythmic) with a few imitative figures Spotify playlist shows two ways to perform the chanson (4 voices; voice with lute acc.) see picture on Bonds p. 154 for performance practice

5 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal 1530s, a new genre of vocal music in Italy for three or more voices setting mostly secular texts contrapuntal writing through-composed: setting each line of text to new music no fixed form, single stanza with a free rhyme scheme performed in many settings (banquets, private homes) Bonds p. 154

6 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal Jacob Arcadelt Il bianco e dolce cigno exhibits traits of early 16th century madrigal text plays with two themes: swans sing just before they die and the euphemism of death for sexual climax rhythm is a bit more complex than frottola but still quite simple texture is mostly chordal but with some lengthy imitative sections harmonic variety seems greater that the frottola

7 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal Cipriano de Rore Da le belle contrade d oriente - mid-16th century madrigal - texture: 5 voices, much more imitative - text deals with two lovers departing at dawn - some text painting - m. 33 you leave me alone set solo - mm repeating her embraces repeated - mm the ivy and acanthus are entwined

8 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal Maddalena Casulana Morir non può il mio cuore - My Heart Cannot Die - mid-16th century madrigal - among earliest printed vocal work by a professional female composer (see Composer Profile Bonds p. 158) - women had little access to professional training in composition at that time - little known of her life

9 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal Luca Marenzio Solo e pensoso - Alone and Pensive - late-16th century madrigal style - high level of chromaticism - high level of text painting - details of text painting see Bonds p. 159

10 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal Luzzasco Luzzaschi T amo mia vita I Love You, My Life late-16th century madrigal style virtuosic style (difficult vocal runs) written for the Concerto della donne (Ensemble of the Ladies) Bonds p. 160 imitative texture

11 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal sub-genre of the Madrigal - Villanella - meant country girl - derives from same root word as vile - bawdy, suggestive text with double entendres - Orlande de Lassus Matona mia cara - My Dear Lady - makes fun of a German mercenary soldier - he speaks Italian poorly with a heavy accent - I vant make song under vindow... Bonds p Canzonetta and balletto are also in this sub-genre

12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Germany most prominent varieties of songs were: the Lied and the Tenorlied also important are songs by members of the Meistersinger guilds

13 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Germany 16th century Germany song genres are: Lied and Tenorlied Ludwig Senfl Zwischen Berg und tiefem Tal - - Meistersinger guilds - - Between the Mountain and the Deep Valley Tenorlied (song with secular cantus firmus in tenor) tradesmen and craftsmen who grouped together to cultivate music, poetry and singing subject of Wagner s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

14 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Spain principal genre of Spanish song in Renaissance was the villancico (vee-lan-see-co) form given as: AbbaA

15 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Spain Luis Milàn Al amor quiero vencer - I Want to Conquer Love - villancico AbbaA - written for voice with vihuela acc. - Spotify track has both the A and B versions in the Anthology - Milàn wanted the singer to embellish the melody in version A but not in version B - similar to the frottola with melody in top voice other voices fill out (or accompany)

16 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England Italian madrigal spreads to England via sheet music Musica Transalpina (Music from Across the Alps), published in 1588 lute songs are essentially strophic madrigals notated for lute and one or more voices

17 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England Morley Now is the Month of Maying - balletto (like the bawdy villanella) - like Italian madrigal: 5-voice, some imitation - chordal texture, nonsense syllable at the end of lines, and sexually suggestive like Lassus villanella Matona mia cara (Anth I/51) - Morley claimed to object to Italian fads in music, of course, he wanted to see his English music.

18 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England John Farmer Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting All Alone - four-part madrigal, alternates chordal and imitative sections - uses text painting - also has sexually suggestive section

19 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England John Dowland Come, Heavy Sleep - lute song - strophic madrigal notated for lute and one or more voices (Bonds p. 165) - strophic form is a verse form where the music is repeated with new words

20 Sacred Vocal Music The Reformation ended unity and created demands for a new kind of music The Counter-Reformation produced its own musical responses to the Protestant revolution

21 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation Martin Luther posts his 95 theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517 Luther recognized power of music to spread Protestant faith emphasized worship in vernacular and communal participation in worship congregational singing of hymns - known in German repertory as Chorales

22 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation Chorale tunes came from various sources including liturgical chants of the Catholic Church see Bonds p. 166, Example Luther derives his Chorale Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland from the latin hymn Veni Redemptor gentium

23 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation Calvinists banned instrumental music and limited sacred music to unaccompanied unison singing of Psalms Ulrich Zwingli and his followers considered music too seductive and irrational to be permitted within liturgy

24 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation in England, composers began writing motets in English (Anthems) Full Anthems for chorus throughout Verse Anthems alternate choral sections with solo (plus accompaniment) sections

25 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation Anthem -- a motet in English for use in the Church of England s worship service - full anthem (for chorus throughout) - verse anthem (alternates passages for solo voice plus instr. acc. with chorus) Thomas Tallis Verily, Verily I Say Unto You - early full anthem; mostly chordal texture; some text painting William Byrd Sing Joyfully Unto God - full anthem - more imitative texture (influenced by the madrigal)

26 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Counter-Reformation after excommunicating Luther for heresy in 1521, the Roman Catholic Church began to reassess The Council of Trent met in three sessions to formulate doctrines of faith, revise the liturgy, and purge the Roman Catholic Church

27 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Counter-Reformation the Council of Trent eliminated several plainchants they also declared sacred music was to serve the text and the text should be clear and intelligible to listeners (see Bonds p. 169) the Council considered a return to plainchant but that was rejected

28 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Counter-Reformation Palestrina Credo from Missa Papae Marcelli - legend says that this piece saved polyphony in the Catholic Church (not true) - by mid-16th Century 3rds and 6ths considered as consonances - exhibits the polished and consonant sound of Renaissance church music - Palestrina set the standard for 16th century contrapuntal style - Fux s counterpoint book (Gradus ad Parnasum, 1725) uses Palestrina as the model

29 Instrumental Music in 16th-century, for the first time composers wrote substantial quantities of instrumental music

30 Instrumental Music Intabulations Intabulations are arrangements of existing vocal work for a plucked string instrument or keyboard plucked stringed instruments included: lute, guitar, vihuela, cittern, and pandora

31 Instrumental Music Variations composers shaped restatements of a theme to delight and move listeners (similar to good public speaking, modeled on Cicero) Cabezón Diferencias sobre el canto de la Dama le demanda - Variations on the Song The Lady Demands It - melody in upper voice first, then works through five variations

32 Instrumental Music Freely Composed Works adhere to no established scheme or vocal model genres of 16th century include: the ricercar, fantasia, toccata, canzona, and prelude

33 Instrumental Music Freely Composed Works Ricercar (see Bonds p. 173) - in Italian, ricercare means to seek out - in music, a ricercar seeks out a theme or mode (mode like a key) - filled with runs and passagework

34 Instrumental Music Freely Composed Works Francesco Spinacino Ricercar - early ricercar; sounds improvised - main musical theme arrives in m. 20 Andrea Gabrieli Ricercar del duodecimo tuono - duodecimo tuono means the 12th tone which is C-Ionian mode - example of the later ricercar - now it is an imitative genre

35 Instrumental Music Dance Music built on principle of periodic phrase structure consists of modular units of equal length (e.g., 4-bar phrases) social dance consisted of a pattern of repeated steps the music reflected the dances structure

36 Instrumental Music Dance Music William Byrd Pavana, The Earle of Salisbury - English virginal music - balanced phrases (typical of dance music) - Spotify track uses a harpsichord set to the lute stop

37 Instrumental Music Dance Music Michael Praetorius Terpsichore - collections of more that 300 dance tunes (using 4 or 5 voices) - 4-bar phrases are common in these pieces - bouree is a lively dance in duple meter - volta is a vigorous turning dance (often in compound duple meter) - but, our score shows 3/2. The fast tempo seems to make each measure feel like it has one beat (with three subdivisions), and every two measures sound like they go together.

38 Mannerism style of painting and sculpture using distortion, exaggeration and unsettling juxtaposition style of sacred and secular music using extreme dissonance, unusual harmonic progressions and exaggerated word painting music reservata - music reserved for a select audience

39 Mannerism Parmigianino, Madonna with the Long Neck (1535)

40 Mannerism Jacopo da Pontormo, Descent from the Cross ( )

41 Lassus Prophetiae Sibyllarum. The elaborate initial letter C (from the word Carmina ) is typical of Renaissance manuscripts. This source, copied around 1558, illustrates the use of accidentals in music of this time, and the round note heads were beginning to replace the lozenge-shaped note heads. example of musica reservata (music reserved for a select audience)

42 Orlande de Lassus This copperplate engraving, made in 1593, shows the composer toward the end of his career as music director to the Duke of Bavaria in Munich. The chain around his neck holds the medallion of the Knight of the Golden Spur, an honor conferred on him by Pope Gregory XIII in 1574.

43 Mannerism Lassus prologue from Prophetiae Sibyllarum - chromaticism is a kind of mannerism in music - Lassus uses all 12 chromatic pitches, building chords on nine different roots in mm. 1-9

44 Mannerism Lassus Cum essem parvulus - six-voiced motet - text painting: When I was a child, I spoke as a child scored for upper parts, likely sung by boys; many more examples like this - not exactly clear why this piece exhibits musical mannerism. I guess Bonds believes there is an exaggerated use of text painting (see Bonds p. 181)

45 Mannerism Carlo Gesualdo Moro, lasso, al mio duolo late-16th century madrigal; 5-voiced texture alternating chordal and imitative sections high level of dissonance (look for chromatic third relationships at beginning) Charles Burney (in 1789) believed the dissonances were offensive poetic imagery mixes sex and death