Secular Music In The Renaissance, Baroque And Classical Period In History

All the music that is heard on the radio today all began during the fifteenth century or middle ages. Secular music as it’s referred to be music not associated with the church and does not contain any sacred text. These songs were meant for the purpose of entertaining, love songs, dances, political satires and dramatic productions were just some of the categories that secular music falls into. The movement from liturgical music to the beginning of secular music in the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods in history can be heard through the new developments, techniques and new composers that each historical period brings.
The Renaissance begins in the late 15th century and ends in the beginning of the 17th century, specifically 1450 marks an important date in music, with the creation of the printing press making composers and writers able to distribute music and news. The renaissance was a time of rebirth and exploration, it focused on the time of humanism which looked at Greek and Roman teachings. This all led to the end of organum music, what is important to note is that the modal characteristics of Renaissance music did not begin to break down until the end of the period with the increased use of fifths which allows the music to become more tonal.
The frottola was dominant secular genre in courts of royal and regarded families in the renaissance. The frottola consisted largely of homophonic four-voice with the highest voice sings the melody this is known as monody which is the instrumental accompaniment like a lute or viol that was played by the singer.” The melody predominated, and if it were suppressed, the other three voices lost their significance” (Goldron 37). The frottola was a light sound, often ironic and bant...

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...sso. This musical form was set in the ritornello form, where the theme is reoccurring it is usually in the first of last movement of the piece. The concerto grosso often used a technique called basso continuo, this provided a harmonic foundation for the musical piece, usually performed by a harpsichord or organ and a cello. The concerto grosso was set up with a small orchestra a concertino which played against a large orchestra or ripieno. This is the main feature in the concerto grosso.
The classical period extended from the 18th century to the 19th century. The classical period is marked by its appealing and understandable music that is associated with the shift from polyphonic music in the baroque to the use of homophonic textures in the classical period. Concertos and Sonatas were more distinct and had more specific rules that they had during the Baroque Period