Xavier Academy of Initao, Inc.

Poblacion, Initao, Misamis Oriental, 9022

Contact No. 885-671-765 / +639353151174 / [email protected]

Name: Ms. Gladen Shelley A. Billones Grade Level: 9- Barachiel & Michael

Date: September 20-22, 2022 Subject: MAPEH

Activity No. 2
Activity Title: Music of the Renaissance
Learning Target:
1. Explain the effects of the printing press to the music of the Renaissance;
2. Describe the music of Renaissance through its form, history, and function.

Reference:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tupJDf13jBo
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxl_ZExrYUk

Values: Creativity, Communication, Critical-thinking

I. Concept Notes

Renaissance Period

- Sometimes called as Golden Age of Polyphony.

- Vocal music was more important than instrumental music.

Characteristics:

1. Polyphonic in texture
2. More fuller and emotional

SACRED MUSIC OF PIERLUIGI GIOVANNI DA PALESTRINA

 While he was called Palestrina by his contemporaries, he called himself Giovanni

Petraloysio. Palestrina was a small town near Rome where he was presumed to have
been born in 1525. He served in a significant number of churches both in his hometown
of Palestrina and in Rome, even under the patronage of Pope Julius III at a certain
point.

 Palestrina's compositions were mostly sacred. He wrote 104 masses, 529 motets,
140 Madrigals and even more. Many people consider him as the "Savior of
Polyphonic Catholic Church Music" as he served as a pivotal musical figure at the
Council of Trent.

THE COUNCIL OF TRENT

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Poblacion, Initao, Misamis Oriental, 9022
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 For us to understand why Palestrina became so famous, it is crucial that we know about
the Council of Trent.

 Sometime between 1545 to 1563, members of the Catholic Church met together in
Trento, Italy to talk about how to respond to the continuing rise of Protestantism. Here,
they considered many things, including some guidelines for the music of the Catholic
Church. Some of the reformers had argued that the polyphony in the music of the
church had made it impossible to understand the text.

PALESTRINA'S STYLE

 Palestrina's style was very smooth, pure and elegant, fitting the instruction of those
from the Council of Trent. His melodies sounded very much like the plainchants that
he grew up singing. They had good rhythmic variety but were easily singable, moving in
stepwise motion, only with few interval leaps.

 The clarity, pleasingness, variety, and elegance of his music gave Palestrina the
nickname "the Prince of Music".

THE POPE MARCELLUS MASS

 Of all of Palestrina's music, the “Pope Marcellus Mass” is his most famous. This is
where the legend of him being the savior of sacred polyphony had originally come from.

 Palestrina wrote this in response to the Pope's desire for well-written church music that
would still meet the standards of the counter-reformists at the Council of Trent.

 As with every ordinary Mass, the Pope Marcellus Mass had five parts or movements
that corresponded to different parts of the Catholic Mass- the "Kyrie" (Lord, have
mercy), "Gloria" (Glory to God), "Credo" (Creed), "Sanctus" (Holy,holy) and the "Agnus
Dei" (Lamb of God. Palestrina used cantus firmus melodies- that is, simple melodies
based on Gregorian chants.

MOTETS

 Palestrina was also known to have written another Sacred genre called motets. These
Renaissance motets are usually of Latin biblical text that can be used in any service.
These motets were usually polyphonic like the rest of Palestrina's work.

 One thing very notable of Palestrina's motets was that he treated them like a sacred
form of the madrigals, which will be discussed in our next lesson.

 Other composers who were known for creating Renaissance motets were William
Byrd, Josquin des Prez, and Thomas Tallis.

THE MADRIGALS

1. ITALIAN MADRIGALS
- The most prominent secular form of music was the Italian Madrigal. These
madrigals were Italian secular music that would be written for 3-6 different
voices.
- They were usually sung seated and after meals, social gatherings or meetings of
societies.
- These madrigals came from an earlier Italian form called the frottola, a
homophonic song. The frottola was a tune to sing poetry and was the popular music
of its time. It was written for the amusement of the elite. The frottola would have
four repeating stanzas, as opposed to the madrigal which was through-composed,
 Xavier Academy of Initao, Inc.
Poblacion, Initao, Misamis Oriental, 9022
Contact No. 885-671-765 / +639353151174 / [email protected]

meaning there was no repeating refrain and there would be brand new music for
each line of text.

2. ENGLISH MADRIGAL
- The Musica Transalpina was published. It was a collection of Italian madrigals that
had been translated into English. Shortly after it was published, local composers
would ride the trend and compose their own English Madrigals.
- Thomas Morley was one of the earliest and most well known of English madrigalists.
In 1601, he published a collection of Madrigals entitled "The Triumphes of Oriana",
with each madrigal ending with the text "Long live fair Oriana". Many believed that
"Oriana" referred to the reigning monarch of that time, Queen Elizabeth. One of the
madrigals from “The Triumphes of Oriana” is entitled “As Vesta was from Latmos Hill
Descending”

THE IMPACT OF THE MADRIGALS

 The Italian madrigals existed alongside similar forms of secular music in different
European countries: the French had chansons, Germany had their lieder and England
their English madrigals. All of these forms had the music reflecting the meaning of the
text. The concept of text painting establishes music now as a dramatic art. This concept
translates all the way to developing and incoming genres like operas, ballets, and film
score. Here, music establishes itself as an art used for expression.

THE RENAISSANCE COMPOSERS:

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Poblacion, Initao, Misamis Oriental, 9022
Contact No. 885-671-765 / +639353151174 / [email protected]

II. Learning Experiences

A. Checking for Understanding

I. Write the word True, if the statement is true, and the word False, if the statement is
false.

1. Palestrina wrote more motets than masses.

2. Text painting was a compositional technique that Palestrina used.

3. The Council of Trent imposed that the music of the church should not be polyphonic.

4. Palestrina used imitative polyphony and homophony in his famed composition the Pope
Marcellus Mass.

5. Palestrina used Gregorian chants as a basis for his Pope Marcellus Mass.
 Xavier Academy of Initao, Inc.
Poblacion, Initao, Misamis Oriental, 9022
Contact No. 885-671-765 / +639353151174 / [email protected]

II. Identification. Identify what is being described in the following:

1. Thomas Morley’s collection of English Madrigals dedicated to Queen Elizabeth.

2. The Italian secular genre of music where the madrigal was derived from.

3. This early madrigalist would compose homophonically for his four-voice madrigals.

4. A collection of Italian madrigals that had been translated to English.

5. The secular music form known in Germany.

B. Processing Questions

1. What genres of music are you familiar with that resemble madrigals? Explain why you
think they resemble the madrigals.

2. How would you encourage somebody to listen to Palestrina's music?

C. Concluding Statement

1. If you had one question to ask the Music of the Renaissance, what would it be and why?

2. Do you think madrigals have affected today's music? Why do you think so?