Taverner Flashcards
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of historical context?
- Piece was dedicated to Cardinal Wolsey, the founder of Cardinal College.
- Written in Latin rather than English which was very Catholic. Shows it was written before the Reformation so Church texts would not have been published in English yet.
- Antiphon’s were brief liturgical chants which were either sung before or after a psalm.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of structure?
-The words are repeated four times to emphasise the important of the religious text-Through composed, divided into two sections based on the two stanzas of the text. Structure’s main focus is the text.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of melody?
- Melody is conjunct which reflects the plain song roots.
- Word painting (e.g. bar 15) reinforces the importance of the text.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of rhythm?
- Note lengths are generally quavers to semiquaver with the occasional dotted crotchet and minim. Reinforces ‘plain’ style of church music.
- Metre can be compared to simple quadruple time which reinforces the ‘plain style’.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of texture?
- Texture mostly homophonic.
- Each half of the piece builds up in a similar way as there is a 2-3 part texture and both sections in a five part texture.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of harmony?
- Piece ends with a plagal (phrygian) cadence, very typical in church music.
- Almost entirely consonant, very little dissonance throughout. Church music would have been expected to be consonant.
- Modal cadences such as ii-I, Vc- I and VIIb- I
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of tonality?
- Ionian mode (c major scale transposed to F major) was considered a happy mode, emphasising the joys of Christ.
- Piece ends with a plagal (phrygian) cadence, very typical in church music.
- Modal cadences such as ii-I, Vc- I and VIIb- I
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ church music in terms of instrumentation?
-Written for Cathedral choir, made up only of male voices. Treble’s, mean, countertenor, tenor and bass.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of historical context?
-Written in Latin rather than English, shows it was written before the Reformation so Church texts would not have been published in English yet.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of texture?
- Mostly homophonic.
- Imitative and antiphonal.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of melody?
- Melody is conjunct and leaps are followed by steps in the opposite direction.
- Word setting is mainly syllabic with occasional melisma’s towards the final phrase of verse one and the approach to the final cadence.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of rhythm and metre?
- Note lengths are generally quavers to semiquaver with the occasional dotted crotchet and minim. Reinforces ‘plain’ style of the period.
- Hemiola in the mean, tenor and bass in 31.
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of harmony?
- Chords are in root position with no tonic-dominant movement.
- False relations demonstrate linear writing, typical of Renaissance composers.
- Harmonic rhythm is even
- Tierce de Picardie(bar 32)
- Almost entirely consonant, very little dissonance throughout. Dissonance only occurs on the weak beats (cambiata)
- Passing notes (bar 52)
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of tonality?
- Ionian mode (c major scale transposed to F major) rather than in a major/minor key.
- Modal cadences such as ii-I, Vc- I and VIIb- I
How is ‘O Wilhelme, pastor bone’ Renaissance in terms of instrumentation?
-Written for Cathedral choir, made up only of male voices. Treble’s, mean, countertenor, tenor and bass. Common for male’s to sing the treble part.
