During the Renaissance era humanity underwent the vital rebirth which defined the all round achievement of mankind. Fine arts asserted itself and broke free from the strait jackets of the bygone era. All music boundaries were shattered as composers explored new territories. Composers enjoyed unprecedented fame as the appreciative audience grew exponentially with the onset of printed music. In the almost two hundred years (1430 – 1600) composers increased their repertoire by scaling wider and higher with sophisticated music arrangement.
Secular music gained traction though it trailed sacred music. With the imitation technique (where one melodic line repeats another section or a previous line) composers were able to augment the listening pleasure of the audience. Vocal polyphony was predominantly used in sacred masses and motets as well as in secular motets, madrigals and songs. The era boasted a wealth of composers and arguably the notable among them were Josquin Des Prez, Pierre de La Rue, John Taverner, Thomas Tallis, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Orlando de Lassus, William Byrd, Giovanni Gabrieli, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, Claudio Monteverdi, and Orlando Gibbons. Melancholy music was considered fashionable in this era.
Below are music selections by composers of the medieval era:
Musical instruments also saw a major revamp during this period. The Calvichord and the virginal were new additions to the keyboard family. Lute became the favored instrument in family music making. Many of the existing instruments were fine-tuned and their families expanded to produce more pitch and volume.
Material on musical instruments of the era is summarized in the table below. Many of them are still enjoyed by musicians.
Related Posts:
Secular music gained traction though it trailed sacred music. With the imitation technique (where one melodic line repeats another section or a previous line) composers were able to augment the listening pleasure of the audience. Vocal polyphony was predominantly used in sacred masses and motets as well as in secular motets, madrigals and songs. The era boasted a wealth of composers and arguably the notable among them were Josquin Des Prez, Pierre de La Rue, John Taverner, Thomas Tallis, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Orlando de Lassus, William Byrd, Giovanni Gabrieli, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, Claudio Monteverdi, and Orlando Gibbons. Melancholy music was considered fashionable in this era.
Below are music selections by composers of the medieval era:
Musical instruments also saw a major revamp during this period. The Calvichord and the virginal were new additions to the keyboard family. Lute became the favored instrument in family music making. Many of the existing instruments were fine-tuned and their families expanded to produce more pitch and volume.
Material on musical instruments of the era is summarized in the table below. Many of them are still enjoyed by musicians.
Related Posts:
- Romantic Era Music (1815-1910) - An Introduction
- Classical Era Music (1730-1820) - An Introduction
- Baroque Era Music (1600-1750) - An Introduction
- Renaissance Era Music (1430-1600) - An Introduction
- Medieval Era Music (500-1450) - An Introduction
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