Music in the Renaissance

3.0 credits

Music of the early modern period from 1400 to 1600 is the focus of the course. Areas of emphasis include the development of vocal genres (motet, Mass, chanson, madrigal), as well as distinctive types of instrumental music. Overviews of political, artistic and social developments will contextualize the activity of composers and musicians. Also addressed are issues such as the interactions of patrons and composers, Franco-Flemish and Italian musical styles, and music and rhetoric. Basic theoretical underpinnings such as mode, hexachord, and notational conventions are covered, along with strategies for locating distinctive aesthetic features of works composed in a variety of styles and genres.