Karuson Knowledge

Music of the Renaissance Period (1400 – 1600)   The term ―Renaissance‖ comes from the word ―renaitre‖ which means “rebirth‖, ―revival‖, and ―rediscovery‖. The Renaissance Period is a period of of ―looking back‖ to the Golden Age of Greece and Rome. The invention of printing in the 1400’s paved the way for a wide distribution of renaissance compositions. With the emergence of the bourgeois class, renaissance music became popular as entertainment and activity for amateurs and the educated. Lute was the prominent instrument of the renaissance era. The influence of the Roman Catholic Church started to decline as the new music genre arose. Though sacred music was still of great importance, secular music became more prominent in the renaissance period. This era was also known as the ―golden age‖ of a capella choral music. Other historical facts during this era is the discovery of the actual position of earth in the solar system by Copernicus, the invention of compass creating a wid...

Adam de la Halle France, 1237 - 1288 Adam de la Halle was also known as Adam le Bossu (Adam the Hunchback). He was the son of a well – known citizen of Arras, Henri de la Halle. He received his education at the Cistercian Abbey of Vaucelles, near Cambral. Adam was destined for the church but he eventually married. His patrons were Robert II, Count of Artois, and Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX. Adam was one of the oldest secular composers whose literary and musical works include chansons and poetic debates. He was a trouvére, poet and musician, whose literary and musical works include chansons and jeuxpartis (poetic debates) in the style of the trouveres, polyphonic rondel and motets in the style of early liturgical polyphony. His musical play, ―Jeu de Robin et Marion‖ was considered the earliest surviving secular French play with music. His works include: 1. Le Jeu de Robin et de Marion 2. La Chanson du roi de Sicile

Music of the Medieval Period (700 – 1400) The Medieval period is also known as the Middle Ages or ―Dark Ages‖ that started with the fall of the Roman Empire. During this time, the Christian Church influenced Europe’s culture and political affairs. Monophonic plainchant was named after Pope Gregory I, who made this the approved music of the Catholic Church. Pope Gregory’s action made monophonic plainchants popular. Although it was originally transmitted orally, scholars agreed to put it in notation to assist dissemination of chants across Europe.