This document compares the characteristics of the Medieval and Renaissance music. Characteristics include mood, content, style, pitch performing media and sonority, melody, dynamics, harmony, genre, forms, texture, rhythm, and tonality.
A COMPARISON OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STYLES
MIDDLE AGES RENAISSANCE
Mood: Deatached, mystical mood for sacred music;
Classic control, restraint and balance for brighter for secular sacred music; secular is lighter
Content: Sacred music, but gradual emergence of Sacred music for religious settings and
secular music purposes; secular music for the court and the home
Style: Extreme simplicity (secular) or austere (sacred); 4-6 voice parts woven into thick late
Middle Ages sacred music seems calmer, more contrapuntal texture; late in this period an
serene in expression emphasis on contrast of groups spatially and/or small vs. large groups of
voices,
instruments
Pitch: Narrow range Use of bass range; general range is moderate; emphasis on contrasts of high
vs. low
in late Renaissance
Performing media Vocal; 2-3 voices in upper ranges Vocal; large choral group with perfect
and Sonority: probably with instrumental accompaniment blending of all parts; a cappella
common
Melody: Angular, rhythmic (early secular); Gregorian chant Bassical conjunct, easy to sing
lines; wider very conjunct (moves mainly by steps) and flowing; range than Medieval;
often melodic lines late in Midd. Ages mel. lines more flowing, refined have arch-like
contours and are continuous, and expressive flowing lines
Dynamics: Probably basically constant Basically constant; more emphasis on contrasts
between loud and soft late in this
period (i.e., Gabrieli)
Harmony: Occasional dissonant clashes between parts Basically consonant; triads used
Forms: Binary, ternary, continuous (also early form of rondo, Binary, ternary, continuous,
variations called “rondeau”)
Texture: Polyphonic, using chant as basis for the composition Polyphonic, but composed
without the use (late); monophonic for early Middle Ages of chant as basis; much use
of imitation
Rhythm: Gregorian chant: continuous, flowing style with no Gently flowing, non-pulsatile
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