Common Trope In Renaissance Polyphonic Music

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There is a common trope in music theory during the past twenty years that suggests that tonal voice-leading principles developed not solely through the contingencies of history but are also rooted in and constrained by physical and psychological phenomena. Much of this research explicates the specific ways in which perceptual priorities are reflected in compositional practice with particular regard to the tonal system. Given that tonality is the legacy of Renaissance and Medieval practices, it stands to reason that a close look at modal compositional practice can likewise suggest the perceptual priorities of composers and listeners of Renaissance polyphonic music. This essay will briefly examine some aspects of aural perception and the ways …show more content…

I will begin by discussing the perceptual principles most relevant to the topic at hand, after which I will proceed to demonstrate the ways in which composers exploited these principles to accomplish particular goals. However, it is important to make a few precautionary points so that undue conclusions are not drawn. First, it should be remembered that the psycho-acoustical points discussed below are only considered in terms of the effects particular pitch/rhythmic organizations have with regard to perceptual principles; the assumption being that composers exploited these techniques purposefully. As far as rhetorical agendas, text depiction, modal affects, and intertextual allusions are concerned, little can be said or assumed from the following discussion and any analysis along these lines will be similarly limited in scope. Likewise, it is well-known that composers were interested in incorporating symbolic features in their music that may or may not have been intended to be heard but should nonetheless be appreciated. Additionally, it should also be remembered that the Renaissance was a time of exploration and great change in practice. Many of the values held by musicians today were introduced or further developed during …show more content…

It is this perceptual observation and its concomitant prohibition of the overuse of perfect consonances that lends credence to the claim that voices were truly intended to be heard as distinct auditory streams (independent melodic strands) as opposed to harmonic configurations.
Lastly, Huron notes that stream segregation is also undermined by melodic lines that move in positively correlated directions. In other words, parallel motion is less desirable than similar motion, itself being less desirable than oblique or contrary motion, granted the independence of each line is regarded as a primary goal. Since this injunction is highly valued in the style, it is safe to assume that independence between melodic strands, stream segregation, truly was a goal of the compositional

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