Renaissance Dance Music
Imagine that you are living in Western Europe 500 years ago.
There’s no internet, no television, and no radio. Sound boring? Don’t worry,
the people of the Renaissance era found many ways to keep themselves
entertained. Particularly prominent among them was the enjoyment of music.
Music from the Renaissance era of Western composition broadly consisted of two major categories: religious and secular music. Although the compositions of church musicians during this era saw the first developments towards our modern system of diatonic scales, chord progressions, and harmony/contrapuntal texture, secular music during the Renaissance was often less complex. Renaissance music was often modal and polyphonic, consisting of a number of interweaving parts as opposed to the large, complex chords of later eras. Popular forms of secular composition included madrigals, balletts, and a number of other song and dance forms designed primarily for public enjoyment. In particular, the Renaissance saw the development of a particularly wide array of dance forms (Hurry 7).
One of these, the Bouree, is the form of the piece which I chose for my analysis. Bourees are generally distinguished by a light-hearted mood, a distinctive eight-note anacrusis, and a relatively brisk, stately tempo. The particular bouree which I selected was only one piece of a larger suite of instrumental dances which was compiled by the famed German composer Michael Praetorius. The suite, entitled Terpsichore, is his largest and most famous work (Arkenberg).
We can note some key characteristics of the piece which are representative of the Renaissance musical tradition. For example, its rich polyphonic texture, modal nature, and relatively simple instrumentation (4 parts played by viols, recorders, and other strings and woodwinds) are all common characteristics of Renaissance-era compositions.
Common instruments used to perform Renaissance music included stringed lutes, which were plucked, as well as viols, an early precursor to the violin. Woodwinds such as the crumhorn and shawm also gradually became prominent. Drums in the percussion helped in a rhythmic role (Renaissance Instruments).
Music from the Renaissance era of Western composition broadly consisted of two major categories: religious and secular music. Although the compositions of church musicians during this era saw the first developments towards our modern system of diatonic scales, chord progressions, and harmony/contrapuntal texture, secular music during the Renaissance was often less complex. Renaissance music was often modal and polyphonic, consisting of a number of interweaving parts as opposed to the large, complex chords of later eras. Popular forms of secular composition included madrigals, balletts, and a number of other song and dance forms designed primarily for public enjoyment. In particular, the Renaissance saw the development of a particularly wide array of dance forms (Hurry 7).
One of these, the Bouree, is the form of the piece which I chose for my analysis. Bourees are generally distinguished by a light-hearted mood, a distinctive eight-note anacrusis, and a relatively brisk, stately tempo. The particular bouree which I selected was only one piece of a larger suite of instrumental dances which was compiled by the famed German composer Michael Praetorius. The suite, entitled Terpsichore, is his largest and most famous work (Arkenberg).
We can note some key characteristics of the piece which are representative of the Renaissance musical tradition. For example, its rich polyphonic texture, modal nature, and relatively simple instrumentation (4 parts played by viols, recorders, and other strings and woodwinds) are all common characteristics of Renaissance-era compositions.
Common instruments used to perform Renaissance music included stringed lutes, which were plucked, as well as viols, an early precursor to the violin. Woodwinds such as the crumhorn and shawm also gradually became prominent. Drums in the percussion helped in a rhythmic role (Renaissance Instruments).