Transcript
Chapter 4
The Emergence of Renaissance Style
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-1 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Consonance and Dissonance:
Trusting the Ear
Empirical and practical challenge to traditional music theory
New attitude questioned or dismissed large body of music and musical thought of past
Marked a shift in outlook, and characterized the musical Renaissance
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-2 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Sonority: The Contenance Angloise
Something new in music of John Dunstable
“English guise” – characterized as “new way of composing with lively consonances”
New kind of sonority with music dominated by thirds, fifths and sixths
Dunstable and his followers used these intervals described as panconsonance – harmony that makes ample use of triads
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-3 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
New Sonority, Old Structure:
Du Fay’s Nuper rosarum flores
Motet Nuper rosarum flores (“The Rose Blossoms”)
Written for consecration of newly completed dome of the cathedral in Florence on March 25, 1436
Isometric structure with progressive sonorities
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-4 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Sonority: The Contenance Angloise
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Among best-known and most widely admired musical works of its time
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-5 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Treatment of Text
extols Virgin Mary
five internal strophes allude to five major feasts in honor of Mary
each strophe moves between imitative counterpoint and chordal texture
text is not liturgical
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-6 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Texture
Pervading imitation – musical ideas imitatively stated in all voices throughout an entire work or section of a work
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-7 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Cadential Structure
Each section is generally self-contained, depending on strength of its closing cadence
No unifying themes or rhythmic patterns throughout the work
The structure consists of a succession of closed, unconnected and unrelated units
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-8 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Mode
Individual voices generally move within confines of particular mode
Written in transposed hypolydian (on C)
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-9 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Melody
Use of conjunct motion – stepwise progressions with occasional leaps of more than a fifth
Large leaps are generally followed by move in opposite direction
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-10 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Rhythm
Avoids strong sense of meter or consistently patterned rhythm
Each section more animated as it progresses, then slows down toward its close
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-11 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Josquin’s Ave Maria…virgo serena and the Style of the Renaissance
Harmony
Harmony perceived as by-product of voice leading and not as an end
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 4-12 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
