Description
The Renaissance was a period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
From about 1520 through to the end of the sixteenth century, European composers utilized polyphonic language to explore musical expression through the French chanson, the Italian madrigal, the German tenorlieder, the Spanish villancico, and the English song, as well as in sacred music.
About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
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The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy, where wealthy citizens such as the Medici family supported budding artists. It was considered a “rebirth” following the Middle Ages.
As in the other arts, music of the period, which spanned roughly 1400-1600, was significantly influenced by the rise of humanistic thought; the renewed interest in ancient Greece and Rome; the rise of the bourgeois class; and the Protestant Reformation.
Music was referred to by some as the “New Art” which rejected all that had grown stale from the Middle Ages. It incorporated the polyphonic style of the Franco-Flemish school, leaving plainchant monophony behind.
With the advent of the printing press, music became more accessible beyond the Church. It was a form of entertainment for educated amateurs throughout Europe.
By the end of the 16th century, opera gained popularity as it resurrected the music of ancient Greece, most notably the works of Claudio Monteverdi.
As the Renaissance drew to a close, a different philosophy emerged, where music could be accessible to all, not only the rich. Enter the Age of Enlightenment.