Choral Lit.

• Compositional characteristics
• Function
• Text

Comes from French word meaning "family" or "kind".

• Melodic analysis
• Harmonic analysis
• Performing forces
• - Voicing
• - Accompaniment
• Conducting patterns

One voice only

More than one voice

Moving in a chordal style

Voices moving against each other independently

• The most important form of early polyphonic music, especially during the Middle Ages and Renaissane.
• Composers of every age have contributed to this genre.

Unaccompanied choral composition based upon a Latin text and designed to be performed in the Roman Catholic service, most often at the Vespers.

1220-1450

1450-1600

1600-1750

• From the French word mots, meaning "word."
• A mots was added to the duplum (upper voice) of the clausulae of a chant
• A duplum text was called the motetus (Hence, getting the name motet)

The added voice above the chant melody

Sections of organa that occur between major cadential points in the duplum

• Grew in length, elaboration, and rhythmic variety
• Became polytextual
• Was used as the cantus firmus in the tenor voice
• Compoers used isorhythm as a unifying device

More than one text

• A single rhythmic phrase pattern repeated, usually in the tenor, throughout the composition
• Color = repeated notes
• Talea = repeated rhythms

A pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition

Know as the Franconian motet after Franco of Cologne (active from 1250-1280)

• Ars Nova
• Composers composed more secular than sacred music
• Use of compositional devices
• Visual appearance of manuscripts often matched the creativity of the music

• By Machaut
• Most famous musical composition during the 14th c.
• Expanded the texture to four voices
• First four-part setting of a Mass

• Guillaume Machaut (c 1300-1377)
• Francesco Landini (c 1325-1397) - no sacred music

• Allowed for more compositional experimentation and novel methods were employed
• Abandoned polytextuality, using Latin in all voices
• Abandoned the cantus firmus in favor of free composition
• Known as the Burgundian School

• Guillaume Dufay (1400-1475)
• John Dunstable (1385-1453)

• By John Dunstable
• Three voices of similar character and nearly equal importance
• Move with same rhythmic pulse (not completely identical, but somewhat homophonic)
• Text syllables occur at the same time, making it clear
• Form determined by text
• Use of the interval of the third in top voice - outlining triad
• Use of fauxbordon
• Use of cross-relationships

False bass - same triads in 2nd inversion

• English soung
• Major/minor thirds sung together or in succession in different voices

• 1450-1550
• Became the genre of choice, because it allowed composers to express their greatest creativity
• Development of increased use of imitation as a compositional device
• Beginning of contrapuntal texture
• "Pervading imitation"
• "Motet style"
• Immediate forerunner of the "High Renaissance Style"
• Points of imitation
• Alternation of contrapuntal and homophonic textures
• Arched phrases
• Overlapping candences
• 4-6 voices is most common

• Josquin des Prez (c.1440-1521)
• Jacob Obrecht (c.1450-?)

• Palestrina
• Vittoria

• Thomas Tallis
• William Byrd

• Likes to add in the Major 3rd - full triadic development
• More homophonic than contrapuntal

How the beat is divided (duple or triple)

symbols for common, cut & triple time

• 2:3:2
• Changing division of the beat

• Religion based on rulers
• Religious reforms primary result of political differences
• Henry VII excommunicated from Roman church and sets himself as head of the Church of Enland

• Martin Luther - Lutheran Germany
• Ulrich Zwingli - Swiss Reformist (Germany)
• Jean Calvin - Swiss Reformist (France)

• Henry VIII (1509-1547) - Protestant
• Edward VI (1547-1552) - Protestant
• Mary Queen of Scots (1552-1557) - Catholic
• Elizabeth I (1558-1603) - Protestant

• Mass now becomes the Service with Holy Communion
• Canonical Hours (Offices) evolve to Morning & Evening Prayer
• Book of Common Prayer becomes compulsory for worship format under the Act of Uniformity under King Edward

Text: English rather than Latin

Choir sings throughout

Includes soloists and some instrumental accompaniment

• Motet style with English texts
• Re-writing Latin texts of existing motets into English
• Developing more syllabic compositional style (may be distinguished as English)

Used to teach the Bible

Most important form that came out of the Lutheran movement

Named for the Tudor leaders

Evening prayer within the English church

17th century musical center

• "First Practice"
• Renaissance style (Palestrina)

• "Second Practice"
• Baroque style
• Encouraged more freedom from the rigorous limitations of dissonances and counterpoint characteristic of the prima pratica.

• Introduction
• Forerunner of prelude
• Sounds improvisatory
• Sets key
• Gets choir ready
• Can be based on tune or freely improvised

• Rome
• Venice
• Paris
• German composers visit these - return to country with new musical ideas

• Bar form (AAB)
• A = Stollen
• B = Abgesang (longer than stollen)

• Allowed people to be active in worship
• Brought new dimension to worship

• Augmentation
• Diminution
• Retrograde
• Inversion

• 3 instruments:
• - Harpsichord
• - Cello
• - Melody instrument (eg. violin)

"Overly ornate or gaudy"

To spin out (phrases, etc.)

• 1750-1820
• Objectivity
• Secular
• Age of Reason
• Balance
• - phrases

Lutheran

Catholic

• 1820-1900
• Emotional
• Mythology
• Richer, darker, thicker

• Chromaticism
• Extreme modulation
• Functional harmony destroyed - Tristan chord

• F * B * D# * G#
• Augmented 4th, 6th, and 9th above a root

• Church of England
• Return to pageantry, beauty and art of worship