Texture Of Renaissance Music

During the middle Ages, the texture of the music was monophonic meaning it contained a single melodic line. Sacred music was sung in Latin and unaccompanied. It was the only type of music allowed in churches; the church wanted to keep music in this manner because it was less distracting. After the loss of power of the church, musical control gradually shifted from the church to the people. Later on, church choirs started utilizing polyphonic texture, one or more melody to their chants. Thus the birth of word/text painting.

Music evolved from simple, monotonic chant to emotional, and interesting music in just one era. The texture of the Renaissance music was mainly polyphonic. Renaissance composers often used word painting. A technique used

Word painting is a music technique in which the tones, tempos, and dynamics of the notes are used to reflect the subject matter of a given song. For example, lyrics describing gloom are usually set in a minor dissonant notes. Certain phrases are written with long or short notes depending on the texts' meanings. I believe text painting attracts more people to the music. When the music matches the verses, it sounds more consonance. It also evokes more of the emotion felt by the words and the way the artist would like us to feel. Word painting is very well known in As Vesta Was Descending, a common madrigal during the time. For example, on the word “descending” is sung to downward scales and “ascending” to rising ones. A solo voice sings the phrase that the subject is left “all alone.” The joyous phrase, “Long live fair Oriana” is sung in long notes used as dedicated to the

In one of my famous contemporary artists, while carefully listening to her music I realize the use of text painting. Her two songs Mine and Drunk in Love are one of my favorite songs on her recent album and when I listen to the accompany music I can see why I love it so much. In Mine, the song with the words “I’ve been watching for the sign...” and in the accompanying music there is a thrust every second. The next words she expresses worry and things that are going through her mind, the music increases as the words show she becomes flustered. When another voice enters, the beat increases to two thrust per second. The words she expresses a lot of thoughts going through her head and the beat becomes even more