MUSIC APPRECIATION-HUMA 118

Renaissance Era c.1400 – c.1600

Renaissance Era was a period between 1400 Century and 1600 Century in Europe, where there was a great improvement in terms of artistic work, culture, economic and political activities. The period was also referred to as era of “Rebirth” because it was experienced of significant improvement from the Middle Ages. Renaissance era is also mentioned as the period of rediscovery of literature and art, education, music, classical philosophy, and the thriving of great thinkers, scientists, authors and statesmen. It is through this era where there was global exploration that led to the modern-day civilization. One of the remarkable achievement during the Renaissance Era was the invention of Gutenberg printing press in the mid-14th century. It allowed the improvement of communication and the spread of new ideas throughout Europe. The press led to the emergence of humanist authors such as Giovanni Boccaccio and Francesco Petrarch. The printing press also led to spread of Gospel because the Bible could easily be printed and widely used across the Europe. Martin Luther was among the authors who translated the Bible. Other authors include William Shakespeare, Ludovico Ariosto, Torquato Tasso and Baldassare Castiglione. The authors came with new ideas that resulted to the renewal of culture and values. Filippo Brunellleschi was a great architect, mathematicians and engineer who designed building and domes during this era. Galileo Galilei, Descartes and Nicolaus Copernicus emerged as famous scientists during this period. Some of the great artists during Renaissance Era included Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. In the art of music Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was mentioned as the father of Renaissance polyphony. Most of Renaissance music was written in vernacular and primary composers during this era include Marsilio Ficino, Josquin Desprez, and Leonardo Giustiniani. There were also great explorations around the world and explorers mentioned in this period were Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Amerigo Vespucci, Hernando De Soto, and Marco Polo among others. I think Renaissance Era remains to be a unique and rediscovery period in European history, “that changed the way people understood and interpreted the world around them” (Editors, H. 2018, April 04).

The music in Renaissance Era was a bit different from the music from the Medieval Era. The Renaissance composers did not follow the complex devices of isorhythm and syncopation used in medieval period. Isorhythm involved repeating of rhythmic pattern where one voice take part throughout the composition (Isorhythm, 2019, May 27). The music in medieval also involved the technique of syncopation where variety of rhythms would emerge unexpected interrupting a piece of music (Syncopation, 2019, May 05). In start of Renaissance Era impressive poly-choral style of music emerged and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was with “smooth, clear, polyphonic perfection.” I listened to one of the masses, Missa Papae Marcelli, done by Palestrina and compared it to monophonic chordal sounds found in the Medieval era. The voice in Missa Papae Marcelli was varied in different combinations throughout the piece and use of full forces to reserve “specific climactic portions in the text” (Missa Papae Marcelli, 2019, June 12).

Unlike the monophonic chordal sounds of the Medieval era where there was repeating of rhythmic pattern of voice pattern throughout the composition. Missa Papae Marcelli piece was set in homorhythmic style with little overlapping of chords and text. The voices of the music also moved in motion unlike the voices in medieval period where they would interrupt each other throughout the music. Renaissance artists improved the instrument used in medieval era. They used modernized instrument such as trumpet, Harp, Lyre, Lute, flutes, Tambourine among others.

“Gloria” from the Pope Marcellus Mass.

1. Medium: Voice and piano combinations.

2. Meter: Simple meter

3. Tempo: Slow, largo speed

4. Rhythm: Homorhythmic style in one voice.

5. Melody: Contour melody in step-wise motion.

6. Harmony: Solo voice played at the same time with full chord sound, tertian.

7. Texture: Polyphonic texture with different voices going on at the same time.

8. Form: None

9. Dynamics: Soft

10. Text: Latin text with no words.

11. Era: Renaissance Era

12. Composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo remains to be some of great individuals in during the Renaissance Era. They contribute in various achievement in the field of science, art, sculpturing, music, writing literature, drawing, astronomy, painting, mathematics, engineering, geology, history, anatomy, and architecture. Da Vinci is known for his popular pieces, Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and the Virgins of The Rocks. He was a talented musicians who is said to have created a silver lyre and viola organista. The two popular string instruments were used in Renaissance Era (Leonardo da Vinci, (2019, June 12). Michelangelo was a great painter, sculptor, poet and architecture. His best pieces recognized during the Renaissance period includes David, Pieta, Madonna and Child, Dying Slave, Statue of Victory among others. He was devout Catholic who wrote religious poet and most of his piece attracted the Rome churches. Some of his poet artwork depicted songs and harmonies created in the early Renaissance (Michelangelo, 2019, May 27). Galileo Galilei remain to be the “father of modern physics” because he contribute a lot in science. He came with most the science theories, laws, formulas, methods and principles found in Physics, Engineering, Mathematics and Astronomy. In music Galileo became a lutenist like his father. He composed songs and also became a music theorist. The discovery of Pythagorean by Galileo played a significant role in calculating the harmonious scale in string instruments (Galileo Galilei, 2019, May 14). I think Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo contribute a lot in the development of music during the Renaissance Era.

References

Syncopation. (2019, May 05).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncopation

Isorhythm. (2019, May 27).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isorhythm

Missa Papae Marcelli. (2019, June 12).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_Papae_Marcelli

Editors, H. (2018, April 04). Renaissance.

https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance

The Renaissance:

https://www.tampapix.com/renaissance.htm

Leonardo da Vinci. (2019, June 12).