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59
a. collection of popu lar dance types
b. ronde: originated as a country dance, circle or
line dance
3. LG 9: Susato, Three Dances from Danserye
(published 1551)
a. three rondes, each in binary form (A- A- B- B)
b. repeated sections: improvised embellishments
(melodic decorations)
c. dances flow from one to the next
d. loud civic- style wind band: shawm, sackbut,
cornetto, tabor, tambourine
e. lively duple meter, homophonic texture
f. consonant harmony; Ronde 2, modal
g. final chord: players bow to each other
OVERVIEW
Dance music is introduced here as closely connected to
instrumental traditions throughout the medieval and Re nais-
sance eras. Se lections from Susato’s Danserye introduce
Re nais sance dance music and the art of instrumental impro-
visation and embellishment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To become familiar with instrumental traditions and
genres of the medieval and Re nais sance eras
2. To understand the importance of dance music and genres
in notated instrumental music during the Re nais sance
3. To understand the importance of form, improvisation,
and embellishment in the composition and per for mance
of Re nais sance dance music
OUTLINE
I. Instrumental Music in the Middle Ages and
Re nais sance
A. Early Instrumental Music
1. oral tradition: not notated
2. relied on improvisation of players
B. Instruments
1. soft (bas, indoor) instruments
a. wind: recorder
b. plucked string: lute
c. bowed string: rebec
2. loud (haut, outdoor) instruments
a. instruments of civic wind bands
b. tournaments, pro cessions
c. shawm, sackbut, cornetto
d. trumpets used to heighten grandeur
e. percussion: tabor, nakers
3. some instruments originate in Middle East
C. 16th century: purely instrumental music developed
1. published dance music readily available
2. books of dances, amateur and professional players
3. instrumentation not specified
a. determined by occasion
b. flexibility in per for mance
4. variety of dance types: pavane, saltarello, ronde
D. Susato and his Danserye
1. Tielman Susato (c. 1515– c. 1571)
a. Flemish composer, instrumentalist, printer
b. composed, arranged secular and sacred works
c. played all brass and woodwind instruments of
his day
d. member of Antwerp city band; expert
improvisers
2. Danserye (1551)
CHAPTERfi20 Instrumental Movements: Medieval
and Re nais sance Dance Music
60 | Chapterfi20
SUPPLEMENTAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
McGee, Timothy, comp. Medieval Instrumental Dances. Bloom-
ington: Indiana University Press, 1989. A comprehensive collec-
tion of medieval dances in transcription, with background on
the sources and information on per for mance practice (including
improvisation and embellishment).
YOUR TURN TO EXPLORE
on the basic patterns, whether through melody, texture, or
timbre? What do you find most expressive about the union
of movement and sound in these dances?
MODEL RESPONSE
percussive and more rhythmically active koto melodies
(though the movement and music are more closely aligned in
the slow section beginning at 4:10). Based on a single view-
ing, it is sometimes difficult to identify patterns in either the
music or the choreography; where these patterns do exist, it
seems as if repetition in movement is meant to call attention
to changes in the music, and vice versa. Since the koto is lim-
material.
LECTURE SUGGESTIONS
1. Play an example each of a pavane, saltarello, and ronde
from Susato’s Danserye, and ask your students to
describe the energy generated by the rhythms of each of
these dances. After inventorying student responses, play
2 . Invite jazz (or rock, blues, country, etc.) instrumentalists
to class to illustrate how musicians improvise embellish-
ASSIGNMENT SUGGESTIONS
1. Practice identifying the forms of other dances from
Susato’s Danserye. Use Listening Guide 9 as a model for
your analy sis, making sure to indicate when you hear
sections of the form repeat (and if you hear any embel-
TEACHING CHALLENGES
Hearing the same embellishments from repeated listenings
to the same recordings of the Susato dances might diminish
the effect of spontaneity that is so impor tant to improvised
SUPPLEMENTAL REPERTORY
Music in Words | 61
PART 2: MUSIC IN WORDS
Thomas Weelkes Since Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and Little John
1. Create a simple listening outline.
What to Listen For
MELODY: mostly conjunct and tuneful, with a medium range
RHYTHM/METER: qua dru ple meter, one section in triple meter
HARMONY: major key harmonies, consonant
0:00 predominantly homophonic, conjunct
0:13 section repeats at softer dynamic level
0:25 brief switch to triple meter and dotted rhythms to evoke a dancelike melody (word- painting)
RUBRIC
melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, genre, and performing group.
• Student’s descriptions should reflect terminology for the ele ments of music learned in PartI.
° character, range (medium) and movement of melody (conjunct) should be described
° rhythm should be identified as qua dru ple (possibly duple) meter, with one line in triple meter
2. Consider how you might describe this song to a friend . . .
This is a lovely dancelike song sung in En glish by three voices without instruments. The text contains many fun rhymes,
RUBRIC
• Student is free to use subjective language (“sounds pleasant,” “dancelike”). Note that Chapter 13 urges the student to
“respond objectively and subjectively.”
• Student should note characteristics distinctive to the piece, not just the genre (e.g. specific description of the melody).
3. Short paragraph describing the work as you might for a concert report . . .
Thomas Weelkes’s Since Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and Little John is in keeping with the character of many En glish mad-
rigals with its tuneful melody and light- hearted expression. Like John Farmer’s Fair Phyllis, the work makes good use of
RUBRIC
• Student should synthesize responses to questions 1 and 2, using some terminology (in bold) and writing expressively.
• Student should refer to contextual information from Chapter17 (amateur per for mance, types of text, etc.).
62 | Part 2
PART 2: CLASSROOM- READY ACTIVITY 1
Activity Description
This group activity provides students the chance to engage with Re nais sance social singing as explored in Chapter 17.
Together, students are asked to recompose the scenario and text of Farmer’s Fair Phyllis to reflect a shared experience of their
con temporary world in a way that fosters interaction among social groups.
Instructions
Have the class form groups of three or four students and allow them about five minutes to summarize the scenario of Farmer’s
Fair Phyllis. Instruct them to write their summaries down on the worksheet provided. Ask the groups to share their summa-
STUDENT WORKSHEET
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Farmer: Fair Phyllis
Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone,
Feeding her ock near to the mountain side.
2. How does the music reflect the text?
3. Recompose the text of the madrigal to reflect a con temporary experience:
Fair Phyllis: New madrigal:
4. Summarize the scenario of the new madrigal:
64 | Part 2
Classroom- Ready Activity 2 | 65
PART 2: CLASSROOM- READY ACTIVITY 2
Activity Description
This group activity illustrates the compositional mastery of Josquin des Prez as evidence that Re nais sance composers
became increasingly concerned about investing their sacred music with a sense of personal expression in the spirit of
Instructions
Chapter18 depicts Josquin as an example of a Re nais sance composer mapping a personal identity onto a musical composi-
tion. One way Josquin achieves this is by paying close attention to the words and ensuring that the music of his motet Ave
Maria . . . virgo serena reflects the meaning and message of the text. This motet celebrates the five main events of Mary’s life
(the Immaculate Conception of Mary and her birth, the Annunciation, the Purification [pre sen ta tion of Jesus to the Temple],
Stanza 1 (Call to prayer): “Ave Maria” = chant fragment
Stanza 6 (Assumption): “our glorification” = shift to triple meter (holy)
Stanza 7 (final personal plea): “O Mother of God, remember me” = strict homorhythm (absence of polyphony = direct, intimate,
sincere communication)
STUDENT WORKSHEET
Name: _______________________________________________________________
Stanza 2 (conception of Mary):
Hail, whose conception,
Full of solemn joy,
Fills the heaven, the earth,
With new rejoicing.
Word- painting:
Word- painting:
Stanza 4 (Immaculate Conception [of Jesus]):
Hail, pious humility,
Fertility without a man,
Whose annunciation
Was our salvation.
Word- painting:
66 | Part 2
Classroom- Ready Activity 2 | 67
Stanza 7 (Final plea to the Virgin):
O Mother of God,
Remember me.
Amen.
PART 2: LISTENING QUIZ
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Hildegard of Bingen: Alleluia, O virga mediatrix
2. Hildegard of Bingen: Alleluia, O virga mediatrix (opening)
3. Notre Dame School: Gaude Maria virgo
4. Machaut: Ma fln est mon commencement
Which of the following signals that this piece is a chanson (rondeau) by Machaut?
5. Monteverdi: Si ch’io vorrei morire
This excerpt is an example of a ____________________________.
6. Farmer: Fair Phyllis (0:00–0:13)
What kind of textural interplay do you hear in this excerpt?
7. Josquin: Ave Maria . . . virgo serena (03:04–03:55)
Which of the following best describes the musical style of this passage?
68 | Part 2
8. Josquin: Ave Maria . . . virgo serena (03:57– end)
What kind of message is expressed in this musical passage?
9. Palestrina: Pope Marcellus Mass, Gloria (0:09–2:43)
Which of the following best describes the musical style of this passage?
10. Susato: Three Dances
Part 3: The Baroque Era
