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Guillaume Du Fay was one of the first, most important, composers of the Renaissance period. He used older medieval cadences. His last name could also be spelled Dufay.
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Johan Gutenberg of Germany invented a printing press using moveable type.
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Gilles Binchois served at the Court of the Duke of Burgundy. He was often paired with Dufay. Gilles was just as important as Dufay.
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The types of scales found during the Renaissance period were major and minor.
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The melodies of Renaissance music were for the most part flowing and melismatic in nature. Wider leaps were used to express the text.
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Harmony in the Renaissance began to focus on progressions of 3rds and 6ths. Chordal textures were introduced during this period.
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There were many melodies during the Renaissance. Many of which were very obscured. Secular music became popular during this time.
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Johannes Tinctoris : Franco-Flemish theorist, singer, composer, and instrumentalist.
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Loyset Compere: Franco-Flemish composer, singer; worked in France and Italy; perhaps one of the earliest composers to use imitation prominently .
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Josquin des Prez: Martin Luther said that Josquin was the " best composer of our time". He was said to have had no peer in music.
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Renaissances masses were typically written for three to six voices. Masses were multi-movement polyphonic works for voices alone.
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The Remaissance motet typically suggested a Latin, vocal work of religious nature for a cappella choir. This genre is very complex.
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Water clocks and hourglasses were widely used.
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The portable watch was invented by German Peter Henlein.
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The madrigals of the 16th century emerged between the 1520's and 1530's. These madrigals were originally set polyphonically and homorhythmically for four voices to a text consisting of one stanza of poetry in a free rhyme scheme.