Renaissance instruments

*Haut instruments:

·Also known as high sounding instruments

·Formed by instruments that were loud or high-pitched

·Used to play in processions and  open-air celebrations

·For example: woodwind and percussion instruments

*Boss instruments:

·Also known as low sounding instruments

·Formed by instruments that were softer and lower in volume

·Used to play indoors in churches or palaces

·For example: string instruments of today and woodwinds

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But gradually instruments became classified according to 

their material, sound quality and technique.


*String family:


·Plucked string instruments:

Lute

Psaltery

Harps

Virginial 

Spinet

Clave

·Struck string instruments:

Tympanon

Clavichord

·Bowed string instruments:

Viola da braccio

Viola da gamba

Wheel vielle

Violin

*Wind family:

·Flutes

Recorder

Transverve flute

Fifes

·In wood:

Oboe

Crumhorn

Bombard

      ·In metal:

Valveless trumpet

Valveless horn

Serpent

Sackbut

·Percussion family

Naqqara

Timbale

Main composers of the renaissance

*Thomas Tallis

(near 1505 – November 23th, 1585) (British)

·He was the most influential English composer of his generation, as well as one of the most popular renaissance composers of today. It has been used for motivation by such contemporary composers as Ralph Vaughan

*Josquin des Prés

(near 1450 to 1455 - August 27th, 1521) (European)

·He dominated the musical world of his time for its unique ability to bring the currents of musical practice of the period

*Pierre de la Rue

(1452 - November 20th 1518) (Belgian)

·He is considered one of the developers of the polyphony

·La Rue also was one of the to use the parody technique

thoroughly, permeating the texture of a mass

*Claudio Montiverdi

(May 15th, 1567 - November 29th, 1643) (Italian)

  

·He made the first dramatic opera

·It marked the transition between the polyphonic madrigal tradition of the sixteenth century and the birth of lyrical drama and opera in the seventeenth century

* William Bryd

(near 1543 - July, 1623) (English)

·He cultivated many genres that existed in England at the time, including various forms of scared music and secular polyphony

* Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

(September 30th, 1525 - February 2nd, 1594)

·He is characterized by a perfect sence of balance, a seamless marriage between intelligible text setting and rich vocal sonorities  

Most important events

To know a bit more about the Renaissance here´s a link to a timeline we´ve created with some of the most important events:

http://www.dipity.com/tvd/Renaissance_1/?mode=fs

Main characteristics of the Renaissance

• PERFORMING MEDIUM: 

·During the Renaissance era music was primarily performed by vocal groups (ensembles of one to eight parts). 

·When instruments were used with voices, they often performed the same lines. 

• RHYTHM:

·As in the Medieval period, tempos were still determined by the musician as well as the sacred character of the piece or text.

·During the Renaissance era, rhythm began to increase in complexity, and by the end of this period, regular meters began to appear.

• MELODY:

·Melodic range increased during this era, and melodic movement generally had a smooth consonant contour, with small conjunct intervals predominating.

• HARMONY:

·Composers tried  to blend the sounds of voices and instruments during this era. 

·Towards the end of the sixteenth century, modern harmonic tendencies begin to appear.

• TEXTURE:

·Polyphonic texture was predominately used, and music with many separate lines provided different sonorities and densities.

• FORM: 

·Important genres during this period included the following large forms: motet, mass, madrigal, chanson (French for song), keyboard music, instrumental consort music and instrumental dance music.

Aim of this blog

·In this blog our main objetives were to find out how people composed music in the renaissance and what did they have in mind to compose typical renaissance music.

 

·And also we wanted to learn how were their instruments like and how were they played

 

·Furthermore, we wanted to increase our knowledge in the main characteristics of the renaissance period. 

 

 What´ve we leared?

 

·Doing this blog, we´ve learned the most important events of the Renaissance.

 

·Moreover, we´ve learned the most known composers of this period.

 

·And we´ve also learn some of the most used instrument in the Renaissance