Plainchant Analysis

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Plainchant, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic music have a great deal of similarities with modern music, sharing musical concepts including rhythm, dynamics, tone color, texture, and form; these similarities can be observed through a comprehensive analysis of each era and the genres it has influenced. Although these forms of pre-20th century music are not intentionally observed, they still play a subtle role in the music field. They are a vital part of the past and, simultaneously, the present; a dominant force in one and a fine thread in the other. In these varieties of approaches to music is found a bond between history, the contemporary, and the art of composition.
Plainchant, also known as Gregorian chant, is seen in a variety of styles …show more content…

Plainchants were used as the prime songs of worship in the Catholic church; therefore, the use of plainchant is usually associated with religion, spirituality, and devotion. When combined with modern music, plainchant is usually meant to evoke these themes. The Second Coming commercial uses plainchant to make a comparison with the Second of Coming of Christ with the rise of a new brand of shoes for athletes. This commercial was one of the first of a series of Nike, Adidas, and other famous shoe brands commercials that would make use of plainchant. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's Wings uses plainchant to provide a clearer message of the songs criticism of the culture behind shoes. The very theme that basketball commercials had been using for years was now being used against them; what once stood for a new beginning, now symbolized a preposterous, almost religious, obsession with brands of shoes. The dedication to these shoes that rings through the children's voices is so evident through the words that it mimics the sacredness of the plainchant to the church centuries ago. "I wanna fly can you take me far away, give me a star to reach for, tell me what it takes and I'll go so high. I'll go so high my feet …show more content…

This period can be credited for aiding in the creation of numerous modern genres. During the Renaissance period, a lot of music became secular and mixed a lot of the techniques from sacred hymns, exemplifying the church's loss of control on society as the bourgeoisie rose in power. Therefore, any music that's not associated with the church derives some influence from Renaissance music. A capella groups came to existence for this very reason; plainchant's unaccompanied sound was added to secular music. In addition, any polyphonic song originated, in part, from the Renaissance period, since this was the era when polyphonic texture was

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