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This period of music had a confined pitch range, high use of melismas, and mostly had conjunct motion. Melody was based on 8 modes: Dorian, hypodorian, phrygian, hypophrygian, lydian, hypolydian, misolydian, and hypomixolydian.
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No chord structures or system yet. 4ths, 5ths, and 8ves were the favored consonant intervals. 2nds and 7ths were used. 3rds and 6ths were avoided.
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Music from this time often had a steady beat and rhythmic regularity. by 1250, there were 6 established rhythmic modes.
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The musical structure of compositions and melodies were based on text and poetic form. Ballads, madrigals, and lais were popular.
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In the early Medieval, monophony was popular. By the middle/late Medieval, 3 to 4 part polyphony was common.
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Technique different than ours. Solo vocalists had vocal polyphony, choruses had monophonic melodies.
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Strings: Viols and lutes were popular, music for each solo and viol ensembles of different size/dynamic, also harp, lute, organistrum, psaltery, and vielle
Organs: Large grand/great, portative (carryable) and positive
Wind: traverse flute, recorders, shawms, horns, and trumpets -
Invented the staff, pitch notation, and syllables ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la.
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Founder and abbess of the convent at Rupertsberg, Germany; composer of first morality play; wrote liturgical dramas and religious poetry.
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First composer of polyphonic music; credited with compiling the "Magnus liber organi".
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Troubadour poet and composer; wrote at least 35 poems and 7 survived with music
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Three and four voice organum
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First composer of Ars Nova describing hocket, isorhythm, and the division of a beat into 3 equal parts
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Leading composer and poet
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Rhythm: Became more complex outside of the old 6 rhythmic modes. Polyrhythms and polymeters used. Beat began to be divided into 2 (tempus imperfectum) rather than 3 (tempus perfectum). Four meters: 6/8, 9/8, 3/4, 2/4
The use of dissonant 2nds and 7ths became popular. Singing technique changed. -
Most famous Italian composer; music theorist, poet, and organist
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The Black Death wipes out nearly 1/3 of Europe's population.
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Leading English composer, created new consonant style of 3rds and 6ths
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First Renaissance composer; used Medieval cadences
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Very respected and prolific; bass singer
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Modal tonal system. Focused on consonance and progression of 3rds and 6ths.
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Had wider leaps but still mostly conjunct, flowing, and melismatic. Used cantus firmi - pre-existing (often secular) tunes were placed in new sacred music. Intermingle between secular and sacred.
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Structure dictated by poetic forms: strophic, madrigals. Binary form common, masses controlled by cantus firmus.
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Variation in combo of instruments and singers.
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Began with 3 to 4 part texture. By the 1500s, 5-8 was the norm. Homorhythm common. Counterpoint was very popular, especially imitative. Used techniques such as augmentation, diminution, retrograde, and inversion. Canons also widely used.
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Cori Spezzati: one choir split into 1 larger group and 1 soft group. Contrast between loud and soft instruments.
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Simple compared to the Ars Nova
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Haut (loud): shawms, cornets, slide trumpets, and sackbut
Bas (soft): harps, vielles, lutes, psaltries, organs, traverse flutes, recorders, harpsichord, and clavichord. -
Composer and music theorist; wrote about contemporary music; wrote first dictionary of musical terms "Diffinitorum musices" (c. 1475)
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Most revered Renaissance composer especially by Martin Luther
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Prolific German composer
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German theologist and composer; founder of the Lutheran church
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Father of text expression
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English composer who wrote a 40-voice part motet
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One of the earliest Italian madrigal composers; secular; composed over 250 madrigals, 125 French chansons, and sacred music
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Most prolific composer of the Renaissance; mixed polyphony and homophony
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Roman, anicon, contrapuntal, liturgical music
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Awarded the most posthumous fame
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Ranks in important with Josquin and Palestrina; very versatile and prolific
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Important Catholic English composer working in Protestant England
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Carries on Palestrina's style while working in Spain
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Leading composer of instrumental ensemble music and polychoral works in the late Renaissance
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Many Renaissance-style songs were composed for and used in his plays
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Moved music from the Renaissance style to the Baroque; wrote 9 books of madrigals
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English composer and organist; secular; 4 solo voices