STUDY GUIDE THE MUSIC APPRECIATION SERIES MUSIC OF THE RENAISSANCE: ITALY AND GERMANY AIMS Multimedia 9710 DeSoto Avenue Chatsworth, CA 91311-4409 (800) 367-2467 (818) 773-4300/ Fax (818) 341-6700 www.aimsmultimedia.com
INTRODUCTION Ars Antiqua presents a fascinating tour of the instrumental and vocal music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in England. Ars Antiqua's musicians have been educating and entertaining audiences for over eight years throughout the Southeast. Bedecked in their courtly costumes and surrounded by vast array of ancient instruments, Ars Antiqua regularly appears in concert series, Renaissance and art festivals, convention events, school presentations, weddings, pageants and much more. Instruments rarely seen today are featured in music that explores such early composers as de Lasso, des Pres, Scandello, Morley, Praetorius and the most prolific of them all Anonymous. OVERVIEW A live student audience voyages back through musical time to the Medieval and Renaissance periods with Ars Antiqua. The children experience both instrumental and vocal settings of music from those distant eras in a participatory and enjoyable fashion. They journey back in time and listen to tunes popular in the decade in which Columbus discovered the New World, experience popular music that existed 500 years before rock and roll, and sample the unusual sonorities of instruments such as recorders, krummhorns, viols, gemshorns, cornettini, rauschpfeifen, and others.
INSTRUMENTARIUM Recorder--The recorder is a member of the flute family and was very important in Medieval, Renaiisance and Baroque music. It has a limited range compared to modern instruments; a little more than two octaves. The sound is produced as air is blown through the "fippie," the small gap in the windway where the air is directed over a hole. It remained in general usage until the middle of the 18 th century when it was replaced by the transverse flute, a relative of the modern flute. Sizes range from the smallest, the garklein flötlein, through the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass and great bass. A larger size recorder (contra bass) has been made in limited quantities due to its size and quiet volume. Just after World War I, a British musician, Arnold Dolmetsch, revived interest in recorders in schools. The most familiar recorder to today's students is the soprano, because it is used frequently in modern music education. Gemshorn--(prounounced "ghems-horns") Originally made from a sheep horn, its sound is similar to the recorder, but it has a much more limited range; approximately 1 1/4 octaves. The fippie is cut in the large, flat end, not the small end. They are found in soprano, alto, tenor and bass sizes. Flute--The first transverse, or side-blown flutes arrived in Europe from the East in about the 12 th century. Early flutes had no keys, mechanical extensions that would allow a musician to reach more notes. But throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods, keys were added first to the instrument's lower end, thus extending the range of the flute. As the flute was modernized, more keys were added and materials from which they were made changed from wood to the metal flutes of today. Krummhorn, Cornemuse, Rauschpfiefe--These woodwinds are double reed instruments that had a capped reed. Since the musician's lips do not touch the reed, it is more difficult to control the krummhorn, variously spelled "crumhorn" and "krumhorn," is similar to the recorder, but it has a more unique sound and a limited range of notes, only about 1 1/4 octaves. Many refer to it as a meaty, rich quality that complements other instruments. The double reed, capped instruments come in the usual soprano, krummhorn without the "hook" at the end and is smoother and is characterized by a more strident sound due to a larger reed and a flared bell.
Shawm--The shawm is an ancient cousin to the oboe and basson. It has a double reed and a straight bore. It was found in Europe as early as the 13 th century. Renaissance shawms had piercing and brilliant sound and were by far the most distinctive of the woodwind instruments. Cornetts and Serpents--These instruments are among the early precursors of the modern trumpet. Even back as early as the Bronze Age, metal and wood cupped mouthpiece instruments have been found. Many were made from shaped wood, animal horns, and crude metals. The cornettino, cornetto, and serpent are all made from shaped wood. Into the wood shaft are cut holes much like fingerings and by changing the tension of the lips as they "buzz" through the cup-shaped mouthpiece. The cornetts were very versatile and in demand for both indoor and outdoor musical occasions. As with many of these early instruments, they came in many sizes. The largest, called the serpent, was even played in bands well into the 19 th century. Harpsichord--The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument with strings that are mechanically plucked. It originated in Italy and other important manufacturing centers were located in Germany, France and Great Britain. It was a popular solo instrument and much utilized by composers of the 17 th and 18 th centuries. Some harpsichords have two or more manuals, offering a greater variety of timbres. Viols--Viols are six-stringed instruments with fretted necks. They are played in a vertical position and gripped with the player's knees. The viol bow is broader than the modern violin bow and is held with the palm facing outward. By the beginning of the 17 th century there was a wealth of repertoire for the viol and it was very popular among courtly society. In addition to its use in viol consorts, the instrument was utilized in "broken" consorts (in combination with recorders or other instruments) and in accompaniment of solo voices.
SUGGESTED READING Munrow, David. Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Oxford University Press: 1976 Diagram Group. Musical Instruments of the World, An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Paddington Press: 1976 Wollitz, Kenneth. The Recorder Book, Alfred A. Knopf: 1984 McGee, Timothy J. Medieval and Renaissance Music: A Performer's Guide. University of Toronto Press: 1985 Power, Eileen. Medieval People. Harper and Row: 1963