French Renaissance Research Paper

During the 1400s to 1600s the Renaissance was an important part of society to France. The Renaissance was the rise of the modern world and cultural rebirth of European history. Throughout this era paintings, such as the Mona Lisa, Sainte Anne, and Saint Jean Baptiste created by Leonardo da Vinci, were popular. Architecture of the Renaissance in France was important also, including the establishment of the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. The French Renaissance introduced constructive innovations to music through publications, instruments, and artists, especially Pierre Clereau.

Music of the French Renaissance was inaugurated through popular publications and it’s different sound. During the 16th century, the music of France was breaking away from

the Medieval era into an era of understanding of humanity in the world. Many French songs, or better known as chansons, during this time was polyphonic motets, which are made up of several simultaneous melodies. This music was composed for the use of churches and court chapels. By the year 1501, Ottaviano Petrucci, a Venetian printer, published the first significant collection of polyphonic music. Later other publications such as, Chansons Nouvelles by Attagniant, Le parangon des chansons by Jacques Moderne, and Cantiques spirituels by Pierre Clereau. All of these components of publications, new genre, and brilliant artists of this time became the core of the French Renaissance. Not only did these components create a significant change to music during this era, but it created a pathway for future choral pieces.
The brilliant chansons during this time would have not been superior without its instruments.

The French Renaissance instruments were often built in families, or consort by sizes to cover different ranges. The five consorts included winds, plucked strings, bowed strings, bowed strings, keyboard, and percussion. The wind instruments were instruments that caused a reed to vibrate to create a sound, such as the cornett, sackbut, and shawm. The plucked strings and bowed string instruments are both string instruments, while one’s strings is plucked while the other is played with a bow. Examples of an plucked string instrument includes a lute, harp and cittern,and bandora, while fiddles, lira da braccio, and voils are bowed strings. The keyboard consort is an instrument that different notes can be sounded by pressing a keys, buttons, or levers, like large church organs, Clavichord, and Harpsichord. Lastly the percussion group, which is any instrument that can be played by being struck, such as a tabor, kettle drums, cymbals, triangles. The instrument during the French Renaissance was the core of the beautiful music made during this

time.
One of the important artist during the French Renaissance was Pierre Clereau.

He was known to be a composer, choirmaster, and organist. His pieces of music were sacred, earthly, and secular including masses, motets, and chansons that were repetitive. Most of his works were based on other artist such as by Pierre Certon, Thomas Crecquillon and Jean Maillard. His secular chansons such as La lune est costumière, Comment au départir, and Rise up in Festive Song are made up of three voices. Clereau’s only work including four voices is Cantiques spirituels. His music was mostly published in Lyons and Paris in Latin, French, and Italian. Clereau is a talented artist during the French Renaissance whose music also made an impactful change on choral

music.
In conclusion, The French Renaissance illustrated new innovations to music through publications, instruments, and artists, especially Pierre Clereau. During this time paintings and architecture were important such as the Mona Lisa and the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. Popular publications during the French Renaissance included Chansons Nouvelles, Le parangon des chansons, and Cantiques spirituels showed the new sound of polyphonic masses. These chansons would not be completed without the instruments of winds, plucked strings, bowed strings, bowed strings, keyboard, and percussion. Lastly, the finishing touch to these brilliant pieces are artists such as composer, choirmaster, and organist Pierre Clereau. All of these components pave the way for current choral musical pieces to be as unique and brilliant.