Periods of Composition in Music

Renaissance or Polyphonic Period


Early Renaissance - 1400 to 1467
Middle Renaissance - 1467 to 1534
Late Renaissance - 1534 to 1600


SACRED
..
Tallis (English)
Palestrina (Italian)
Byrd (English)
Gibbons (English)
de Victoria (Spanish) 
(da Vittoria - Italianised form)
Tye (English)
Weelkes (English)
Janequin (French)
Gabrieli (Italian)
  ....
FORMS
   .. ..
The Mass
The Motet (an anthem)
  ..
   ....
SECULAR
..
Caccini (Italian)
Peri (Italian)
Dowland (English)
Monteverde (Italian)
  ..
   ..
   ..
    ..
   ...
 ..
   ..
FORMS  ..
  ..
Early Opera
Provençal Song
The Madrigal
Lute Song

INSTRUMENTS

Unaccompanied voices (a capella)
Early keyboard - virginal, clavichord
The lute
Early string combinations (consort of viols)
Medieval brass consorts
Medieval recorder consorts
(+ other woodwind instruments, e.g.
krummhorn, cornemuse, gemshorn)
 

DEVICES

mainly polyphony with much use of imitation

embedded track: Motet "Jesu, rex admirabilis" (Palestrina)

INDEX