Renaissance Listening Flashcards
* John Dunstable: "Quam pulchra es" * Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from "Missa Se la face ay pale" * Henricus Isaac: "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" * Josquin des Prez: "Ave Maria... virgo serena" * Johann Walter: "Ein' feste Burg" * William Byrd: "Sing joyfully unto God" * Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from "Pope Marcellus Mass" * Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): "Cum essen parvulus" * Thomas Weelkes: "As Vesta was" * Claude le Jeune: "Revecy venir du printans" *
- ca. before 1430
- Text from Song of Solomon
- Genre: motet or cantilena
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
TEXTURE
* 3-part largely homophonic with short melismas
* Each voice nearly equal in importance (polyphonic?)
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
HARMONY
* frequent 3rds, 6ths and occasional triadic outlines
* almost every vertical sonority is consonant
* tonal center or C – Ionian mode on C NOT C MAJOR!
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
RHYTHM
* 3/4 METER
* no repeated rhythmic patterns
* homorhythmic
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
MELODY
* mostly syllabic with cadential melismas (brief)
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
FORM
* freely composed, but 2 sections divided by the text
* section 1: mm1-30 based on abbreviated versions of vs. 6, 7, 5, and 4 from Ch. 7 of Song of Solomon
* section 2 from vs. 11-12 with added alleluia
* strongest cadences mark ends of Bible verses
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
TIMBRE
* men’s voices
John Dunstable: “Quam pulchra es”
- Genre: cantus-firmus mass (and imitation mass)
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
TEXTURE
* polyphonic (up to four parts)
* superius, contra, tenor, tenor bassus
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
HARMONY
* lots of 3rds and 6ths which lead to triads on strong beats
* 6th to octave cadences between various voices
* mostly consonance with dissonances in suspensions and on passing lines
* in F mode in outer two sections
* middle section in C starting at “cum sancto” at m. 159
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
RHYTHM
* triple meter 3/4 (3x3/4 in tenor) in outer sections but middle section in duple meter
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
MELODY
* upper two voices – mostly stepwise with some skips
* bassus, mostly provides foundation of chords
* tenor holds cantus firmus
* upper two voices fastest moving lines
* also head motive stated in superious that recurs in this piece at mm. 40, 88, 119, 165, and 184
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
FORM
* 3 sections based on statements of the tenor with upper voice duet preceding: first section rhythm x 3 of original
* second x 2
* third in same time as ballade
* 3rd section sounds more like the original, also quotes more from original in upper voices
* form pertains to ratios and Golden Section
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
TIMBRE
* 4 part male voices
Guillaume Du Fay: Gloria, from “Missa Se la face ay pale”
- ca. 1500
- Innsbruck – favorite city of the emperor Maximilian I
- Genre: Lied
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
TEXTURE
* Homophonic (melody in Superius)
* four parts satb
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
HARMONY
* suspensions leading to cadences to F or G
* each stanza midpoint cadences on G
* modal rather than tonal
* cadences from 6th to octave with occasional triads on E-flat – whole step below final – unusual to occur in a piece in F major.
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
RHYTHM
* Homorhythmic
* duple meter
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
MELODY
* mostly conjuct with some skips
* lots of suspensions
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
FORM
* strophic setting
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
TIMBRE
* Four parts
* SATB (women and men)
Henricus Isaac: “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen”
TEXTURE
* constantly changing to reflect the text in each section
* points of imitation (polyphonic) in beginning
* then 2,3,4, voices relatively homophonic
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Maria… virgo serena”
HARMONY
* invokes old fauxbourdon style of parallel sixths and 6-3 sonorities
* clear tonal center – C Hypoionian as range of at least a fifth above and a fourth below C in the tenor and superius
* consonant
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Maria… virgo serena”
RHYTHM
* reflects phrasing of words giving longer syllables longer values
* changing meters: 4/2; 6/2; 3/2; 2/2
* changes to reflect text for emphasis AND for expression of feelings and ideas
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Maria… virgo serena”
MELODY
* mostly stepwise with emphasis of 5 to 1 leaps in opening lines
* mostly short phrases
* often syllabic, sometimes neumatic
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Maria… virgo serena”
FORM
* determined by the form of the poem;
* Section I: points of imitation, then voice together with faster rhythm in “drive to the cadence”;
* Section II: homophony (with recalling old style of sacred music to emphasize the text); also staggered voices to represent “multitudes of heavenly and earthy voices”
* Switching continues throughout other sections,
* Ending with slow rhythmic unison
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Maria… virgo serena”
TIMBRE
* four voiced choir with women’s and men’s voices
Josquin des Prez: “Ave Maria… virgo serena”
- Most famous of Luther’s chorales
- printed 1529 in a chorale collection
- words based on Psalm 46
- Genre: Lutheran, four-part chorale
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
TEXTURE
* four voice polyphony
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
HARMONY
* Chorale tune in tenor as was tradition in German Lied
* free counterpoint with other voices
* Ionian mode transposed to F
* Luther associated Ionian modes with hymns of faith
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
RHYTHM
* 4/2 meter
* rhythm echoes proper stresses of text
* Walther smoothes out some of jaunty rhythms of Luther’s original hymn
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
MELODY
* melody seems to conjure a “sturdy fortress” with repeated notes and strength
* long notes with descending (and at times, ascending) scale motives
* Stepwise, skips and some leaps
* OrIginal in tenor
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
FORM
* AAB
* with A and B sections ending with same musical phrase
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
TIMBRE
* four voice choir with men and women
* also performed with brass (and organ?)
Johann Walter: “Ein’ feste Burg”
- setting of Psalm 81, vs. 1-4
- Genre: full anthem
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
TEXTURE
* Polyphonic
* six parts (employs continental imitative techniques)
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
HARMONY
* Ionian mode (transposed to E-flat in anthology)
* most cadences on final or tenor (E-flat or B-flat)
* bass motion of a fifth down or fourth up exhibits precursor to dominant to tonic chord progressions to come later in music history
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
RHYTHM
* some homorhythmic moments
* rhythm and stresses of the word paid head and set to reflect it
* 4/2 meter indicated by “cut time symbol”
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
MELODY
* lots of skips and leaps –especially in bass
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
FORM
* freely or through-composed
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
TIMBRE
* six part choir with men and women’s voices
* ssaatb
* (organ accompaniment written but probably not by Byrd, and not on recording)
William Byrd: “Sing joyfully unto God”
- Genre: Agnus dei from a Free mass
- Palestrina saved polyphony from Council of Trent
- His music first to be intentionally preserved and imitated
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
TEXTURE
* polyphonic (6 parts)
* imitative counterpoint
* Point of imitation lasting 15 measures
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
HARMONY
* mostly consonant
* cadence on C-E-G
* final sonorities often include thirds
* Only certain dissonances allowed
- Passing tones
- Neighbor tones
- Suspensions
- Cambiatas
* Varied spacing
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
RHYTHM
* 2/2 meter (cut time)
* rhythmic independence of voices
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
MELODY
* clear setting of text due to staggered entrances, syllabic emphasis
* Mostly conjunct
* Leaps followed by stepwise motion in opposite direction
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
FORM
* determined by text (3 sections)
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
TIMBRE
* Six part choir; men and women
* cantus, altus, tenor I; tenor II; bassus I; bassus II
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I, from “Pope Marcellus Mass”
- 1 Corinthians 13:11-13
- 1579
- genre: six-voice motet
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
TEXTURE
* Polyphonic
* Alternations of texture to represent text
* varied numbered of voices at a time
* Counterpoint
* Homophonic at times
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
HARMONY
* G Dorian
* Part one ends on fifth degree D and second part on final G
* Parallel motion
* Musica ficta
* Suspensions
* Triads
* Influenced by text
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
RHYTHM
* 4/2 time (double 2/2)
* Different textures lead to different rhythms
* Sometimes more homorhythmic
* Influenced by text
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
MELODY
* Lots of word
* Influenced by text (upper voices for childlike sound, then lower voices for more manly sound)
* Mostly conjunct motion, some leaps
* Use of imitation
* Recurring motives “as a child”
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
FORM
* divided into two parts, corresponding to divisions in text
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
TIMBRE
* six voices (Cantus, Altus I, Altus II, Tenor, Bassus I, Bassus II)
* men and women on recording
* likely for only boys and men
Orlando di Lasso (Lassus): “Cum essen parvulus”
- 1601
- Genre: madrigal
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
poetry:
* Text depiction
* Vesta, Jupiter’s unmarried sister
* Diana, Greek goddess of virginity and the hunt
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
TEXTURE
* Polyphonic
* lots of variety
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
HARMONY
* Mostly consonant
* Use of thirds
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
RHYTHM
* Varied to express text
* metered (common time symbol)
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
MELODY
* word painting
* Melodic motives passed back and forth
* Madrigalism
* “Long live fair Oriana”
* motive enters 49 times
* long life represented by length of section, and augmentation of the motive in the bass by factor of eight and again by four
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
FORM
* Determined by text
* very long final section “long live Oriana”
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
TIMBRE
* Men and women’s voices
* six parts (soprano/cantus; soprano/sextus; alto/altus; tenor/tenor; tenor/quintus; bass/bassus)
Thomas Weelkes: “As Vesta was”
- Genre: chanson in Musique mesurée
- French “measured music”
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
TEXTURE
* Homophonic and polyphonic
* five voices, but strophes or chants for two, three, four or five voices
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
HARMONY
* Consonant
* triadic harmonies
* Cadences on F
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
RHYTHM
* musicque mesurée
* pattern SS LS LS L L
* Results in groupings of quarter notes in 2 33 22
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
MELODY
* Use of melismas of four notes or less proved relief to repetitive rhythm
* short phrases
* step-wise with some skips
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
FORM
* Refrain, verse
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
TIMBRE
* Five voices:
- Dessus (superious)
- Taille (tenor)
- Haute-Contre (contratenor altus)
- Basse-Contre (contratenor bassus)
- Cinquiesme (quintus –“fifth”)
* Some vocal lines doubled by instruments on recording
Claude le Jeune: “Revecy venir du printans”
- (Canzona in Mode 7 in eight parts)
- from Sacrae symphoniae (1597)
- Genre: ensemble canzona
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
TEXTURE
* Imitative polyphony
* Homophonic passages
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
HARMONY
* Consonant
* Authentic mode on G (seventh tone): Mixolydian mode
* Some musica ficta at cadences
* G major triad cadences
* Sonorities on C as well as D
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
RHYTHM
* 4/2 meter marked with “cut time” symbol
* Mostly duple but refrain begins in 3
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
MELODY
* Improvisational
* Conjunct, some leaps
* Long phrases
* Strongly rhythmic motives
* Motives change from section to section, but also some shared material
* Recurring refrain
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
FORM
* ABCBDBE
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
TIMBRE
* CORI SPEZZATI: primus chorus and secundus chorus
* four parts each: cantus, altus, tenor, bassus ranges
* types of instruments not specified; on this recording choir I: violins on top two lines; sackbuts on bottom two; choir II: cornetts on top two lines; sackbuts on botton two
* each part can be accompanied by an organ (“basso per l’organ”) basso continuo later called basso seguente
Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon septimi toni a 8,” from “Sacrae symphoniae (1597)”
