Music History - The Renaissance Part 2

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The underlying principles all Renaissance art was its artistic honesty to nature, as opposed to tradition, which had been the style of pre Renaissance art.

This principle was deduced from the study of the new found learning, being spread throughout Italy by Greek refugees, and the consequent awakened interest with which people regarded the remains of ancient architecture, sculpture and other art forms, constantly being unearthed in their own country.

With the adoption of the classical principle of truth to nature, naturally came the adoption of a second, that of the study of the antique as the true path to excellence in art or letters. We cannot fail to recognise these twin principles at work in the writings of the masters of the musical Renaissance.

A parallel to that truth to nature, which the painters and sculptors of the Renaissance proper acquired from the study of Greek art, may be traced in the efforts of the composers of the Renaissance, to make their music more and more flexible and responsive to the varied play of human sentiment.

Musicians as well as sculptors and painters studied antique art. Although for musicians not as profitable, the lessons to be learned from antiquity by musicians were not for educational purposes but more for inspiration and creativity.

Palestrina has already been mentioned as typifying the culmination of the musical development of the early ages, and now, in taking up the consideration of a new period, we have, in the first place, to concern ourselves with a man who was already forty eight years old when Palestrina was born. The Flemish composer Adrian Willaert, chapel master of St. Mark's at Venice.

Willaert may be considered as belonging at the same time to the old order and the new, for while, in common with his fellow citizen, Orlando di Lasso, some may say he was one of the last and greatest of the Flemish masters. At the same time, he must be reckoned as a forerunner of the musical reformers of the Renaissance.

Willaert, although he did not originate any new forms in music, may lay claim to have been one of the first to give musical expression to that love of colour, movement, and general spirit of adaptiveness, which are such outstanding characteristics of the Renaissance period.

The forms he employed were those used by his contemporaries and immediate predecessors. The Mass, Psalm, Motet, and Madrigal. However, in them all his colour sense was very strong, comparatively speaking, that is, for that tonal splendour, which led the Venetians in their enthusiasm to term the works of their cherished "Messer Adriano" aurum fotabik or "drinkable gold" might not be so readily apparent to a modern audience.

Although to a musician, instituting a comparison between the works of Willaert and those of earlier writers, the effects gained through the use of broadly contrasting harmonies by the Flemish master cannot fail to appear strikingly original.

While dealing with Venetian music mention must be made of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrielli, uncle and nephew, who represent a later development of the style of Willaert. Giovanni Gabrielli (1557-1612) carried his experiments in tone colour into the region of pure instrumental music; and his "Symphonic Sacrse," the first volume of which was published at Venice in 1597, entitles him to rank as one of the earliest of writers for the orchestra.

In the first volume of this work, there are sixteen pieces for from eight to sixteen instruments, and in the second volume, there are canzonets for as many as twenty-two instruments. These compositions are written for violins, cornets (not the cornets of modern times, but wooden instruments), and trombones.

After the time of Willaert and the Venetians, were the actual workers in the Renaissance of music, and the first of their achievements, the invention of the Music Drama or Opera.

Mike Shaw is an organist and keyboard player and owns music websites, http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk, http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk and http://musical-instruments-uk.mikesmusicroom.co.uk/

El Greco - A Post-Byzantine, High Renaissance, Mannerist Wave of Creativity

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El Greco, real name Domenikos Theotokopolous, is recognized as one of the most innovative artists in the art history. He was born in Candia, Crete (then a part of Venice (Italy) & now in Greece), in 1541, in a well to do Greek orthodox family. It was rumored that Domenikos converted to Catholicism sometime after he travelled to Europe at the age of twenty-six. Very little is known about his family except that his father Georgios Theotokopoulos was a merchant and tax collector and he had an elder brother Manoussos Theotokopoulos. The artist acquired the nickname Greco (the Greek) during his stay in Italy, as the citizens there found it difficult to pronounce his name. Later, when he moved to Spain his name was finalized as El Greco. His

El Greco's talents ranged from painting, sculpting, & engraving to architecture. His initial learning started as an icon painter at the Cretan School. He studied Greek & Latin literatures, and got well versed in the Post-Byzantine Art. By 1563, he had achieved mastery in his field. Around 1567, he went to live in Venice, Italy. Here he furthered his artistic skills under the great masters of High Renaissance, like Titian (1490-1576) and Tintoretto (1518-94). Theotokopolous' prominent work that finished before 1567, 'The Dormition of the Virgin,' displayed a touch of Mannerism blended with the Byzantine elements. In 1570, he travelled to Rome and set up a workshop there. The same year, he made a portrait of his friend and the great Italian Miniaturist Giorgio Giulio Clovio (1498-1578), which established his talents as an extraordinary portraitist. Giulio Clovio even once described the painter as 'a rare talent in painting.'

Greco finally settled in Toledo, Spain, in 1577. Here he received his very first commission for the Church of San Domingo el Antiguo at Toledo. During 1977-79, he made nine paintings for them, including 'The Assumption of a Virgin' (1577-79) and 'Trinity' (1579). El Greco lived with his Spanish female companion Jeronima de Las Cuevas. She was also the mother to his only son Jorge Manuel Theotocopuli (1578-1631). Greco and Jeronima never married, as it was believed that the artist had an estranged wife in Italy.

Greco's son became one of his few followers. The artist even had a brief stint at the Spanish Court, where he painted the 'Allegory of the Holy League' (1578-79), and 'Martyrdom of St Maurice' (1580-1582). Unfortunately, King Phillip did not approve of the artist's flamboyant style & anti naturalist approach and soon he was replaced.

El Greco was in the habit of signing all his works with his full Greek name. His works were mostly based on religious themes. He had a great love for color and exaggerated expressions. Michelangelo (1475-1564) greatly inspired Greco. The artist never actually gained much popularity in his time. His fantastical paintings with elongated figures, vibrant coloring, and bold brushwork were often met with perplexity and ridicule. Considered a forerunner of Expressionism and Cubism, it was only by the 20th century that the art world (including writers) began to appreciate Greco's highly individualistic and evolved style, far apart from traditional art. 'The Burial of Count Orgaz' (1586) is considered as one of his greatest masterpieces. He also learned about the Roman Architecture.

El Greco fell seriously ill while working on his last commission for Hospital Tavera. He passed away at the age of 73, on April 7, 1614. He was buried in the Church of Santo Domingo el Antigua. His home in Toledo, Spain, which was also his workshop, was later converted into a museum.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.