Readings—

• J. Peter Burkholder, A History of Western Music, 8th edition
• Part Two: The Renaissance, pp. 144-145
• Chapter 7: The Age of the Renaissance, pp. 146-166
• Chapter 8: England and Burgundy in the Fifteenth Century, pp. 167-190
• Chapter 9: Franco-Flemish Composers: 1450-1520, pp. 191-210
• J. Peter Burkholder, Norton Anthology of Western Music, 6th edition, Vol. 1 (NAWM)
• NAWM 32-43, pp. 162-230
• Iain Fenlon, ed., The Renaissance,
• Chapter VIII, “The Habsburg Courts in the Netherlands and Austria 1477-1530”
• Also available in Encounter Readings for Encounter 4 in the Assignments module.
• Helen Hewitt, Canti B (RESERVE)
• New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (library copy or online version ok)
• “Chanson” article (Part 2. 1420 to about 1525)
• Strunk’s Source Readings in Music History, Vol. 3: The Renaissance (RESERVE)
• Johannes Tinctoris, From Liber de arte contrapuncti, Chapters 23, 24, 29, 31 & 32, pp. 125-129
• Also available in Encounter Readings for Encounter 4 in the Assignments module.
• Piero Weiss and Richard Taruskin, Music in the Western World: A History in Documents (RESERVE)
• Music at Church and State Festivities in the Early Renaissance, pp. 81-83
• Josquin des Prez in the Eyes of His Contemporaries, pp. 97-100
• Both readings also available in Encounter Readings for Encounter 4 in the Assignments module.

I. Scholarly Editions & Transcription of Renaissance Notation

Scholarly Edition—Petrucci’s Canti B

At the Reserve Desk at Buehler Library ask for Canti B, edited by Helen Hewitt (m784.1064 C231). Canti B is a sequel to the Odhecaton, the very first collection of music published by Petrucci using his newly developed technique of printing music with movable type. Helen Hewitt provides what is known as a scholarly edition of Petrucci’s Canti B. As with any other edition, the editor of a scholarly edition must transcribe the music into modern notation so that modern readers can easily study or perform the music presented. But the editor of such an edition must also present information of use to scholars. This includes physical description of the original book or manuscript being transcribed; a historical sketch describing how the book came into existence, how many editions it went through and how the editions compare with each other; a comparison of each composition in the book with other versions of the same piece from other books and manuscripts of that time (concordances); and commentary on each piece in the book. A good scholarly edition should be the next best thing to seeing the original 1502 publication! Nothing to turn in for this paragraph—but it is important that you hold this book in your hands for five minutes and browse through it to see exactly what a scholarly edition contains.

Transcribing Mensural Notation

To do this transcription, turn to p. 70 (or see Re-Loaded Encounter Readings in Blackboard) where you will find a reproduction of a monophonic version of a popular song, “Basies moy.” This page comes from a 16th century manuscript (The Manuscript of Bayeux) that is now kept in Paris at France’s National Library. On manuscript paper, transcribe the first two lines into modern notation. Let the breve equal one measure (in 4/4). In other words, use a whole note for each breve, and calculate the other note values from there. Watch out—the short vertical lines are rests! The longer the line, the longer the rest. (See illustration from Wikipedia below showing note values and corresponding rests!) Be sure to include the words! And just as with Encounter 1, use real manuscript paper—no pencilled-in staff lines, please!

II. Madrigal Research Project Preparation

It’s time to finalize assignments for your upcoming Renaissance Madrigal Research Project presentations. Please turn in the following items with Encounter 3:

1. A list of all group members (at least 3, but no more than 5).
2. Tell me which group members will cover which part of the presentation—composer background, background on your madrigal, or close musical analysis. Please see Project Guidelines in Encounter 4 for a full explanation of possible categories.
3. Your group’s top three topic choices. Be sure to include at least one Italian madrigal and one English madrigal. The eight works available for this presentation can be found in the Blackboard Assignments module under Encounter Listening for Encounter 4.

We will do no more than two Italian madrigal presentations on Monday, October 24th, and no more than two English madrigal presentations on Wednesday, October 26th. That fact and multiple requests for the same work may mean you won’t get your first choice, but we will do our best to honor your requests wherever possible.

III. Paper Preparation

• one dictionary/encyclopedia entry (New Grove or Grove Online required)
• one scholarly journal or periodical article (no reviews, please!)
• one book dealing with your topic as specifically as possible
• one non-music (art, architecture, history, etc.) source
• one period history (books on the music of a specific era—i.e., Music in the Renaissance, Baroque Music, etc.)
• score for the work you have chosen
• recording of a period performance for the work you have chosen

Listening Assignment 3

La contenance angloise & the Burgundians—Josquin & the Franco-Netherlanders

The listening portion of the Early Renaissance Quiz will be in two parts. In the first part will be several listening identification examples accompanied by questions drawn from the Study Questions below. In the second part we will play excerpts from a Burgundian chanson (by Du Fay or Binchois) and a Josquin chanson. You must figure out which one is earlier (Burgundian) and which is later (Josquin) and suggest a possible composer and date for each one. Finally, you will identify style features that enable you to tell them apart—

• Number of voices (not singers—the number of parts in the score: three? four or more?)
• Instrumentation (not just instruments—this includes ALL performers: are there singers? instruments? which ones? how many of each?)
• Rhythm (are the rhythms simple or complex? are there similar rhythms in all voices or is the cantus more active than the lower voices?)
• Texture (treble-dominated? imitative? chordal?)
• Relationship of words and music (text setting? melismas? good declamation? text depiction & expression or not?)
• Cadences (medieval cadences? Landini cadences? authentic cadences?)
• Form (formes fixes? rondeau, ballade, or virelai? through-composed?)

Each cluster of works listed below is accompanied by a set of Study Questions. The Study Questions and recordings together are designed to help you prepare for this Unit Exam. As always, you really want to read the NAWM notes and follow the score for every work from NAWM.

La contenance angloise & the Burgundians

Early Renaissance Motets and Masses by English and Burgundian Composers

A) NAWM 33—John Dunstable, Quam pulchra es (motet)—CD2, tracks 42-43

B) Du Fay, The Virgin & the Temple: Chant & Motets CD (RESERVE)—MCD D854V

• Du Fay, Nuper rosarum flores (motet)—track 1
• Alternate Recording: See Encounter Listening in the Assignments module.

C) NAWM 37b—Guillaume Du Fay, Missa Se la face ay pale (cyclic Mass)

• Gloria—CD2, tracks 53-59

Study Questions on A-C:

1. How are these works different from the Ars Nova (late medieval) motets and Masses you listened to for Encounter 2? Which do you prefer to listen to? Why? How do the “Source Reading” boxes on Burkholder pp. 156, 158, and 168 help you to understand the changes that took place?
2. What features of Dunstable’s Quam pulchra es (NAWM 33) are unusual for a motet written in this time period? Which of these features carry over into the sacred music of Burgundian composers (B & C)?
3. How does the first Weiss & Taruskin Reserve reading (or see Encounter Readings in BlackBoard) on Music at Church and State Festivities in the Early Renaissance help you to better understand Du Fay’s motet, Nuper rosarum flores (B above)?
4. What is especially unusual about Du Fay’s treatment of the cantus firmus in the Gloria from his Missa Se la face ay pale (NAWM 36b)? (Read Burkholder’s notes in NAWM if you need help.) What is the overall effect of this feature? Does the music actually sound like a dance (or at least a secular song) at the end?

The Burgundian Chanson

D) NAWM 34—Gilles Binchois, De plus en plus (Burgundian chanson—rondeau)—CD2, tracks 44-45

E) NAWM 35—Guillaume Du Fay, Resvellies vous et faites chiere lye (Burgundian chanson—ballade)—CD2, tracks 46-48

F) NAWM 37a—Guillaume Du Fay, Se la face ay pale (Burgundian chanson—ballade)—CD2, tracks 51-52

G) The Spirits of England and France, Vol. III CD (Blackboard RESERVE)

• Binchois, Amoreux suy (Burgundian chanson—rondeau)
• See Encounter Listening in the Assignments module.
• Alternate Recording: The Art of Courtly Love CD set (RESERVE MCD E12a)—CD2, track 14.

Study Questions on D-G:

1. Taking D-G above as a group, what style features do you hear in almost every Burgundian chanson? Do these correspond with the features attributed to these songs in the textbook?
2. What are the most significant similarities and differences between Burgundian secular music (D-G) and Burgundian sacred music (B & C)?

Josquin & the Franco-Netherlanders

The Cyclic Mass

H) NAWM 39—Jean de Ockeghem, Missa prolationum (cyclic Mass)

• Kyrie—NAWM CD2, tracks 63-65

I) NAWM 42—Josquin Des Prez, Missa Pange lingua (cyclic Mass)

• Pange lingua chant melody (see Encounter Listening)
• a) Kyrie—NAWM CD3, tracks 1-3
• b) Credo, “Et incarnatus est”—NAWM CD3, tracks 4-6

Study Questions on H-I:

1. Compare the Ockeghem Mass movement with the Josquin Mass. What are the important stylistic differences between them (including texture, text setting, rhythm, and so on). How do they differ in their treatment of pre-existing material (is there any in the Ockeghem?“Pange lingua” for Josquin)? Based on your knowledge of the transition from early to mid-Renaissance style, which one seems more modern?
2. Listen to the “Pange lingua” chant melody (it’s short—see Encounter Listening in the Assignments module). How does Josquin use specific phrases from this tune in the Kyrie of Missa Pange lingua.

The Motet

J) NAWM 41—Josquin Des Prez, Ave Maria...virgo serena (motet)—CD2, tracks 67-73

• Highly recommended alternate Recording: RESERVE MCD J83m—Josquin, Motets & Chansons—track 1
• Also available in Encounter Listening in the Blackboard Assignments module.
• Alternate Recording: Naxos Music Library 8.553428—Josquin, Missa L’homme armé—track 1

K) Josquin, Motets & Chansons CD (RESERVE)—MCD J83m

• Josquin, Absalon, fili mi (motet)—track 2
• Also available in Encounter Listening in the Blackboard Assignments module.

Study Questions on J-K:

1. Both J and K are probably mature (middle period) works by Josquin. Can you find examples of text depiction or expression in either of these motets? Pay special attention to the last 2 minutes of Absalon, fili mi (You’ll have to follow the words here!).
2. Compare these two motets with the Mass by Josquin (I above). Can you hear any important stylistic differences between them?
3. How do the descriptions of Josquin in your textbook (“Source Readings” box on p. 205) and in the library Reserve readings from Weiss & Taruskin (pp. 97-100—or see Encounter Readings in BlackBoard) help you to understand Josquin and his music better?

Study Questions on A-C and H-K:

1. What important changes take place in the Mass and motet as we move from early to mid-Renaissance. Specifically, what changes occur in the following areas: the number of voices, texture, rhythm, relationship of words and music, how the composer uses the pre-existing chant melody and the impact of that on the sound and texture of the music?
2. In your opinion, what specific features make Josquin’s music stand out from the music of his predecessors and contemporaries? To your ear, does his music sound more beautiful, rich, effective, etc., than the music that came before him?
3. The library Reserve reading (or see Encounter Readings in BlackBoard) in Vol. 3 of Strunk’s Source Readings in Music History by Johannes Tinctoris, from Liber de arte contrapuncti, is a difficult read (the footnotes help!), but Tinctoris explains some very specific techniques concerning consonance and dissonance. According to Tinctoris, why does this new music sound more consonant than medieval music?

The Chanson & Other Secular Genres

L) NAWM 38—Antoine Busnoys, Je ne puis vivre (Chanson—virelai)—CD2, tracks 60-62

M) NAWM 40—Henricus Isaac, Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (German Lied)—CD2, track 66

N) NAWM 43—Josquin Des Prez, Mille regretz (Chanson)—CD3, track 7

• Alternate Recording: Naxos Music Library 8.550880—French Chansons—track 2
• Highly recommended alternate Recording: RESERVE MCD J83m—Josquin, Motets & Chansons—track 8
• Also available in Encounter Listening in the Blackboard Assignments module.

O) Josquin, Motets & Chansons CD (RESERVE)—MCD J83m

• Josquin, El grillo (Italian frottola)—track 7
• Josquin, En l’ombre d’ung buissonet (Chanson)—track 11
• Both recordings also available in Encounter Listening in the Blackboard Assignments module.

P) Josquin, Renaissance CD (RESERVE)—MCD J83r

• Josquin, Allegez moy (Chanson)—track 9
• Josquin, Basiés moy (Chanson)—track 19 (NOT track 20)
• Both recordings also available in Encounter Listening in the Blackboard Assignments module.

Study Questions on L-P:

1. Taking N-P above as a group, what style features do you hear in almost every Josquin chanson? Do these correspond with the features attributed to these songs in the textbook?
2. Compare these Josquin chansons with the Josquin Mass and motets above (I-K). What important stylistic differences can you hear between them?
3. Which genre sounds most modern (in Renaissance terms!): Mass, motet, or chanson? Which sounds most conservative? What features would be considered modern or conservative in 1510?

Study Questions on D-G and L-P:

1. Listen for these style features in each song in D-G and L-P: number of voices, instrumentation, rhythm, texture, relationship of words and music, cadence types, and form (see details above). Which features stand out most in each song—e.g., treble-dominated or imitative texture? long melismas? use of instruments? authentic cadences? text expression (or not)? and so on.
2. What are the most important stylistic differences between Burgundian (early Renaissance) and Josquin (mid-Renaissance) chansons?

Extra Credit Listening Ideas—

• MCD E12a—The Art of Courtly Love, CD2
• Further Burgundian chansons on CD2, tracks 10-11, 13, 16, & 20-22
• Du Fay motet on CD2, track 17
• MCD D854V—Du Fay, The Virgin & the Temple: Chant & Motets
• Further Du Fay motets on tracks 2-4
• MCD B219—Dufay, Missa Ecce ancilla Domini CD
• MCD M489—The Medieval Experience (Monks & Troubadours), CD3
• Further English motets by Dunstable on CD3, tracks 1-3
• Du Fay motets on CD3, tracks 4-7
• Binchois motet on CD3, track 8
• Binchois Mass movement on CD3, track 9
• Motets by Josquin and Obrecht on CD3, tracks 10 & 11
• Josquin’s Missa L’homme armé super voces musicales on CD 4, tracks 1-5
• MCD D489 1998—Development of Western Music recordings (DWMA), 3rd edition, Volume I, CD2-CD3
  • DWMA 50—Guillaume Du Fay, Vergene bella (Italian Song)—CD2, track 20
  • DWMA 53—Guillaume Du Fay, Missa L’homme armé, Agnus Dei (Mass movement)—CD3, track 1
  • DWMA 55—Johannes Ockeghem, Missa Prolationum, Kyrie (Movement from Cyclic Mass)—CD2, track 24
  • DWMA 59—Heinrich Isaac, Zwischen Perg und tieffem Tal (Lied)—CD 3, track 4
• MCD J83m—Josquin, Motets et Chansons
• Josquin motets on tracks 1-4; Josquin chansons on tracks 5-13
• MCD J83r—Renaissance (The King’s Singers)
• Josquin motets on tracks 1, 4-5, 10, 14-15
• Josquin chansons on tracks 2-3, 6-9, 11-13, 16-20

Naxos Music Library

• 8.553458—Dufay, Chansons, especially tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, & 17
• 8.553087—Dufay, Missa super L’homme armé (Mass & motets)