Renaissance Musical Era and Development of Music

Renaissance Musical Era and Development of Music
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The Renaissance era was part of classical music, and it pioneered the growth of polyphonic music. It was also responsible for introducing new instruments, and it also allowed the facilitation of new ideas related to music. Some of these new ideas are mostly regarding the rhythm of the piece, its harmony, and notation. The renaissance period of music can be dated back to between 1400 to 1600 BC. The first era was known as the Medieval period but was followed by the Baroque period. It is vital to note that the Renaissance era in music's history came later compared to Renaissance art. The latter became known during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. By this time, the Renaissance music era was already robust, and people were familiar with this music era.[. Paul, G. Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, 1999.] [Mark, G. Cambridge History of Political Thought. 1450-1700, 1991] [James, S. A Companion to Renaissance and Baroque Art, 2013.]
The Renaissance music era was originally written in European Renaissance. The music period was influenced by some of the music developments which were defined in the modern period. Some of these developments mainly include the Protestant Reformation, the consistent rise of the bourgeois class, and the growth of various commercial enterprises. Other outcomes during that era had the increase of innovation and the discovery process, and the last development was the rise of humanistic thought. These developments allowed the changing society to develop a similar music language, specifically the polyphonic style. This style was considered to belong to the Franco-Flemish school.[Werner L. Gundersheimer (ed.), French humanism, 1470-1600, 1966.] [H. S. Lucas, The Renaissance and the Reformation 2d ed. 1960.]
The Gutenberg press is an invention that allowed the distribution of Renaissance music theoretically and practically on a wide scale. The bourgeois class facilitated the increase in demand for music as a source of entertainment and an activity for those educated in music. Music was considered an important aspect of people's civic, religious, and courtly life from the Renaissance period.[John Henry and Sarah Hutton (ed.), New perspectives on Renaissance thought: essays in the history of science, education and philosophy, 1990.] [Gabrielsson, Alf. “The Performance of Music.” In The Psychology of music, pp. 501-602. Academic Press, 1999.]
Rich people interchanged their ideas in various events such as political events, economic events, and religious events, which gave birth to Renaissance music. Their different ideas led to major changes in how music was composed and how it was disseminated. These changes are what led to the rise of new instruments and genres in music. Churches mostly used polyphonic music during the Renaissance period. Polyphonic music refers to a mixture of several melodies simultaneously. The songs were used in Latin during their masses and motets. The pieces were also used in court chapels and were considered a crucial music factor during that era. By the end of the sixteenth century, music was adopted by the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches. It became a dependable source of income for those who produced such songs.
The Renaissance period led to some great advances in the field of music. It led to a change in how music was interpreted and understood by different people. The era is attributed to the discovery of many geniuses during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. These geniuses include Leonardo da Vinci, legends like Shakespeare, Galileo, and Dante, among other great artists. All of the mentioned names gave rise to great works of art that are still celebrated today.
During the fifteenth century, most of the song composers were mainly English or from Northern Europe. The Burgundian court is attributed to being influential because it attracted various composers from Europe. One of the most important composers in Renaissance music history was Guillaume Du Fay, a composer between 1397 and 1474. This composer came up with the motets and masses, which were crucial in church services. Most of these churches were based on the existing Gregorian chant that was used during their services. He composed French Poetry during his era with sweet and melodic lyricism, which remained unknown until he brought about this era. His success in introducing the sweet melodic lyricism was brought about by his understanding of various music forms and his desire to have a secular text setting. He pioneered the next generation of Renaissance composers during his time.[R. Brun, Le livre français illustré de la Renaissance. Paris: A.J. Picard, 1969.]
Franco-Flemish composers became prominent during 1500, and they continued to establish dominance over the European art of music. One of the composers who came to be during this era was Josquin des Prez who started composing in 1450-1521. Like every other composer, Josquin traveled throughout Europe as he worked for various patrons in Aix-en-Provence. He also worked in areas like Paris, Rome, Milan, and other regions of Europe like Ferrara. The International European style was brought about by the exchange of musical ideas between France and Italy. As this was happening, polyphony and multivoiced music became more complex as they developed. The type of music which was the most important part of this period was known as the Latin Mass. The songs composed during this era were to be sung like choral pieces or like songs in churches.[L. Jardine, Worldly Goods: A New Histo...