8 - Folder 2 - Late Renaissance: Sacred Music Flashcards
What was the Reformation and who was Martin Luther?
a. Movement to reform the Roman Catholic Church
b. Motivated by principles of humanism
c. Martin Luther (1483–1546)
i. German monk, theologian, professor
d. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses (1519)
i. 95 specific ways the church was corrupt or problematic
ii. Numerous problems related to the complexity and inaccessibility of the liturgy to common people (including the music and the Latin language)
What were Luther’s reforms?
a. make the service accessible to “the community of believers” (the congregation)
b. simplify the structure of the Mass
c. conduct the service in the vernacular (including the Mass)
d. include music in which all congregants could participate
Describe the chorale.
a. Simple religious song (a hymn) in the vernacular language
b. Monophonic melody
i. Polyphonic settings of chorale tunes (like those of J.S. Bach) came later
c. Simple tune, largely diatonic
d. Strophic form (all verses of text set to the same melody)
e. Syllabic text setting (one note for each syllable of text)
Describe the genesis of chorales.
i. Some were newly composed words and melodies (including many by Luther himself)
ii. Some were adaptations of plainchant melodies with new text
iii. Some were secular tunes given new sacred texts
What was the Counter Reformation?
a. Reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformation
b. Attempted to address some of the complaints of Luther and others
Describe the Council of Trent (1545–1563).
i. Gathering of Catholic Cardinals to discuss the issues
ii. Series of meetings over 18 years
What were some concerns discussed at the Council of Trent (1545-1563)?
- complexity of the liturgy
- obscuring of sacred words by setting them with overly elaborate music
- secular styles creeping into sacred music
- use of instruments
What were the decisions and resolutions at the Council of Trent (1545-1563)–focusing on music?
- Music should avoid of emotional display, complexity, virtuosity
- Sacred music should be a cappella (no instruments)
- Sacred music should have limited dissonance
- Clarity of text is the highest priority, achieved through:
a. syllabic text setting
b. limiting the use complex polyphony
c. chordal textures
Who was Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594)?
i. Leading composer in Rome during the Counter-Reformation
ii. His style became the model for late Renaissance sacred music
What was the musical output of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594)?
- 104 Masses (more than any other composer)
- 300 sacred motets
- secular madrigals (composed early in his career)
What are eight points describing the compositional style of Palestrina (c.1525-1594)?
- simplicity in individual vocal lines
- mostly stepwise motion
- melodic leaps are balanced by stepwise motion in the opposite direction
- pitch content is modal and diatonic — very few accidentals
- harmony is full and consonant — avoids glaring dissonances
- when dissonances do occur, they fall on weak beats and resolve immediately by a step (suspensions are very typical)
- most beats have a full triad vertically, except at suspensions
- rhythm and meter are smoothed over through suspensions, overlapping phrases, elided cadences
Who was Orlando di Lasso (Orlandus Lassus) (1532–1594)? Four points.
i. one of Palestrina’s great contemporaries
ii. worked much of his life in Germany (in Catholic regions)
iii. not as heavily affected by the Council of Trent as Palestrina (who worked at the Vatican)
iv. Lasso is known for his imaginative and expressive depictions of the text
Describe the Reformation in England.
a. more political than theological
b. Anglican church, even today, maintains the strongest ties to Roman Catholicism
Describe the Anthem (corruption of Antiphon) of the Anglican church. What is a Full Anthem? And what is a Verse Anthem? Eight points.
i. most important genre of Anglican church music
ii. counterpart to the Latin motet
iii. sacred
iv. polyphonic
v. often with organ or other instrumental accompaniment
vi. used to augment the service (text from outside the liturgy; for enrichment of service)
vii. Full anthem — for full choir
viii. Verse anthem — alternates sections (verses) for solo voices and full choir
Who were two composers of the English Reformation?
i. Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)
ii. William Byrd (c. 1540–1623)
Who was Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)?
- Important composer of early Anglican church
- Composed in syllabic, chordal style
- Limited use of melisma
Who was William Byrd (c. 1540–1623)?
- Possibly a student of Tallis
- Organist and Choirmaster for the Church of England (though he was Catholic)
- Composed Anglican sacred music in the vernacular, as well as Latin sacred music
