Chapter 6 Music in the 16th Century Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music • rondeau replaced by more freely structured chansons • new approaches to setting vernacular texts • the Parisian chanson in France • the Madrigal in Italy Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Parisian Chanson • 1520s, a new genre of song • lighter and more chordally oriented than earlier chansons • homorhythmic and dominated by vertical sonorities • melodies in the upper-most line Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Parisian Chanson • Claudin de Sermisy Tant que vivray - typical Parisian chanson - melody in top voice - syllabic text setting (a few melismas) - texture is mostly chordal (homorhythmic) with a few imitative figures - Spotify playlist shows two ways to perform the chanson (4 voices; voice with lute acc.) - see picture on Bonds p. 154 for performance practice Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • 1530s, a new genre of vocal music in Italy • for three or more voices setting mostly secular texts • contrapuntal writing • through-composed: setting each line of text to new music • no fixed form, single stanza with a free rhyme scheme • performed in many settings (banquets, private homes) Bonds p. 154 Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • Jacob Arcadelt Il bianco e dolce cigno - exhibits traits of early 16th century madrigal - text plays with two themes: swans sing just before they die and the euphemism of death for sexual climax - rhythm is a bit more complex than frottola but still quite simple - texture is mostly chordal but with some lengthy imitative sections - harmonic variety seems greater that the frottola Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • Cipriano de Rore Da le belle contrade d’oriente - mid-16th century madrigal - texture: 5 voices, much more imitative - text deals with two lovers departing at dawn - some “text painting” - m. 33 “you leave me alone” set solo - mm. 62-65 “repeating her embraces” repeated - mm. 72-81 the ivy and acanthus are entwined Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • Maddalena Casulana Morir non può il mio cuore - “My Heart Cannot Die” - mid-16th century madrigal - among earliest printed vocal work by a professional female composer (see Composer Profile Bonds p. 158) - women had little access to professional training in composition at that time - little known of her life Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • Luca Marenzio Solo e pensoso - “Alone and Pensive” - late-16th century madrigal style - high level of chromaticism - high level of text painting - details of text painting see Bonds p. 159 Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • Luzzasco Luzzaschi T’amo mia vita - “I Love You, My Life” - late-16th century madrigal style - virtuosic style (difficult vocal runs) - written for the Concerto della donne (Ensemble of the Ladies) Bonds p. 160 - imitative texture Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music The Italian Madrigal • sub-genre of the Madrigal - Villanella - meant “country girl” - derives from same root word as “vile” - bawdy, suggestive text with double entendres - Orlande de Lassus Matona mia cara - “My Dear Lady” - makes fun of a German mercenary soldier - he speaks Italian poorly with a heavy accent - “I vant make song under vindow ...” Bonds p. 160 - Canzonetta and balletto are also in this sub-genre Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Germany • most prominent varieties of songs were: the Lied and the Tenorlied • also important are songs by members of the Meistersinger guilds Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Germany • 16th century Germany song genres are: Lied and Tenorlied • Ludwig Senfl Zwischen Berg und tiefem Tal - “Between the Mountain and the Deep Valley” - Tenorlied (song with secular cantus firmus in tenor) • Meistersinger guilds - tradesmen and craftsmen who grouped together to cultivate music, poetry and singing - subject of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Spain • principal genre of Spanish song in Renaissance was the villancico (vee-lan-SEE-co) • form given as: AbbaA Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in Spain • Luis Milàn Al amor quiero vencer - “I Want to Conquer Love” - villancico AbbaA - written for voice with vihuela acc. - Spotify track has both the A and B versions in the Anthology - Milàn wanted the singer to embellish the melody in version A but not in version B - similar to the frottola with melody in top voice other voices fill out (or accompany) Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England • Italian madrigal spreads to England via sheet music • Musica Transalpina (Music from Across the Alps), published in 1588 • lute songs are essentially strophic madrigals notated for lute and one or more voices Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England • Morley Now is the Month of Maying - balletto (like the bawdy villanella) - like Italian madrigal: 5-voice, some imitation - chordal texture, nonsense syllable at the end of lines, and sexually suggestive like Lassus’ villanella Matona mia cara (Anth I/51) - Morley claimed to object to Italian fads in music, of course, he wanted to see his English music. Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England • John Farmer Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting All Alone - four-part madrigal, alternates chordal and imitative sections - uses text painting - also has sexually suggestive section Thursday, September 13, 12 Secular Vocal Music Secular Song in England • John Dowland Come, Heavy Sleep - lute song - strophic madrigal notated for lute and one or more voices (Bonds p. 165) - strophic form is a “verse form” where the music is repeated with new words Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music • The Reformation ended unity and created demands for a new kind of music • The Counter-Reformation produced its own musical responses to the Protestant revolution Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation • Martin Luther posts his 95 theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517 • Luther recognized power of music to spread Protestant faith • emphasized worship in vernacular and communal participation in worship • congregational singing of hymns - known in German repertory as Chorales Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation • Chorale tunes came from various sources including liturgical chants of the Catholic Church • see Bonds p. 166, Example 6-1 - Luther derives his Chorale “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” from the latin hymn “Veni Redemptor gentium” Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation • Calvinists banned instrumental music and limited sacred music to unaccompanied unison singing of Psalms • Ulrich Zwingli and his followers considered music too seductive and irrational to be permitted within liturgy Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation • in England, composers began writing motets in English (Anthems) • Full Anthems for chorus throughout • Verse Anthems alternate choral sections with solo (plus accompaniment) sections Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Reformation • Anthem -- a motet in English for use in the Church of England’s worship service - full anthem (for chorus throughout) - verse anthem (alternates passages for solo voice plus instr. acc. with chorus) • Thomas Tallis Verily, Verily I Say Unto You - early full anthem; mostly chordal texture; some text painting • William Byrd Sing Joyfully Unto God - full anthem - more imitative texture (influenced by the madrigal) Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Counter-Reformation • after excommunicating Luther for heresy in 1521, the Roman Catholic Church began to reassess • The Council of Trent met in three sessions to formulate doctrines of faith, revise the liturgy, and purge the Roman Catholic Church Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Counter-Reformation • the Council of Trent eliminated several plainchants • they also declared sacred music was to serve the text and the text should be clear and intelligible to listeners (see Bonds p. 169) • the Council considered a return to plainchant but that was rejected Thursday, September 13, 12 Sacred Vocal Music Music of the Counter-Reformation • Palestrina “Credo” from Missa Papae Marcelli - legend says that this piece saved polyphony in the Catholic Church (not true) - by mid-16th Century 3rds and 6ths considered as consonances - exhibits the polished and consonant sound of Renaissance church music - Palestrina set the standard for 16th century contrapuntal style - Fux’s counterpoint book (Gradus ad Parnasum, 1725) uses Palestrina as the model Thursday, September 13, 12 Instrumental Music • in 16th-century, for the first time composers wrote substantial quantities of instrumental music Thursday, September 13, 12 Instrumental Music Intabulations • Intabulations are arrangements of existing vocal work for a plucked string instrument or keyboard • plucked stringed instruments included: lute, guitar, vihuela, cittern, and pandora Thursday, September 13, 12 Instrumental Music Variations • composers shaped restatements of a theme to delight and move listeners (similar to good public speaking, modeled on Cicero) • Cabezón