Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 49 views

    Fundamentals of Conducting Renaissance Polyphony

    Uploaded by

    JosepRovira
    The document provides guidance on conducting Renaissance polyphony, emphasizing that the text should determine musical phrase structure and melodic shape. Conductors should guide musical phrases rather than beat time, determine the tactus (pulse), and allow cadences to serve as points of repose. Texture was typically equal and independent voices in imitation or homophony. Dynamics were subtle and indicated by intensity increasing or diminishing toward cadences. Conductors should aim for a pure tone and match vowels, gesture, dynamics and articulation between singers.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Fundamentals of Conducting Renaissance Polyphony

    Uploaded by

    JosepRovira
    49 views2 pages
    The document provides guidance on conducting Renaissance polyphony, emphasizing that the text should determine musical phrase structure and melodic shape. Conductors should guide musical phrases rather than beat time, determine the tactus (pulse), and allow cadences to serve as points of repose. Texture was typically equal and independent voices in imitation or homophony. Dynamics were subtle and indicated by intensity increasing or diminishing toward cadences. Conductors should aim for a pure tone and match vowels, gesture, dynamics and articulation between singers.

    Original Title

    22-19-05_0.pdf

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document provides guidance on conducting Renaissance polyphony, emphasizing that the text should determine musical phrase structure and melodic shape. Conductors should guide musical phrases rather than beat time, determine the tactus (pulse), and allow cadences to serve as points of repose. Texture was typically equal and independent voices in imitation or homophony. Dynamics were subtle and indicated by intensity increasing or diminishing toward cadences. Conductors should aim for a pure tone and match vowels, gesture, dynamics and articulation between singers.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    49 views2 pages

    Fundamentals of Conducting Renaissance Polyphony

    Uploaded by

    JosepRovira
    The document provides guidance on conducting Renaissance polyphony, emphasizing that the text should determine musical phrase structure and melodic shape. Conductors should guide musical phrases rather than beat time, determine the tactus (pulse), and allow cadences to serve as points of repose. Texture was typically equal and independent voices in imitation or homophony. Dynamics were subtle and indicated by intensity increasing or diminishing toward cadences. Conductors should aim for a pure tone and match vowels, gesture, dynamics and articulation between singers.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Fundamentals of Conducting Renaissance Polyphony

    DR. ALFRED CALABRESE


    2017 SACRED MUSIC SYMPOSIUM
    LOS ANGELES, CA

    CONDUCTING PRINCIPLES
    • Chant-like; group in 2’s and 3’s
    • Begin with feeling of Arsis-Thesis
    12 12 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3
    • Hands independent
    • Guide the phrases rather than beat
    time Pan - ge lin - gu - a glori - o - si

    • Determine the Tactus


    • Cadences are points of repose 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
    • Dovetails are points of energy

    TEXT – the starting point


    ● Textualphrase structure determines musical phrase structure (new text = new music)
    ● Musical shapes spring from word stresses
    ● Text painting allows for expressivity (melismas, long notes, suspensions, dissonance, etc.)

    MELODY
    ● Based on Gregorian Chant or chant-like melodies (Byrd Masses)
    ● Step wise movement is predomimant
    ● Vocal ranges smaller than in later eras
    ● Text determines melodic shape and stress
     Three types of musical stress
    • Agogic – word stress through prolonged duration
    • Syllabic – strong vs. weak syllables, increase and decrease of acoustic energy
    • Tonic – heightened pitch

    (Agogic) (Syllabic) (Tonic) (Agogic and Tonic)

    (Palestrina—Sicut cervus, beginning)

    (Tonic)

    In Baroque and
    Baroque inspired
    music, tonic stresses
    can be at the
    (Mozart —Requiem, K626; ‘Kyrie’) LOWEST note of the
    phrase.
    BASIC TEXTURE
    • Equal and independent voices
    • Imitative or homophonic
    • Tenor and Alto parts often interchangeable
    • Cadential points determined by two voices

    DETERMINING A TEMPO

    • What is the note carrying the tactus (pulse)?


    • What is the smallest division of the beat?
    • What is the text conveying (joy, penitence, reflection)?
    • What are the acoustical properties of your space?

    DYNAMICS

    • Not indicated in the music


     Beware of heavily edited music and bar lines
    • Very few extremes
     Intensity increases or diminishes, without excessive or dramatic crescendo/decrescendo
    • Moving from or toward a cadence
    • Consider the text (again!)

    SOUND

    • Arch-like; imagine the arched ceiling of a great dome


    • Purity of tone
    • Singers should match vowels, gesture, dynamic, articulation
    • A cappella refers to the Sistine Chapel and Palestrina
     Doubling instruments are allowed!

    COMPOSER CALLLING CARDS

    Palestrina: Pristine perfection, sometimes accused of lacking emotion


    Victoria: heightened emotion, vocal ranges and musical shapes reflect this
    Byrd: Internal rhythmic excitement (little bursts of Catholic passion?); mathematical organization
    Josquin: Paired voices; the descending third drop; homophonic = solemnity

    You might also like