Humanities Homework Help

1. Si ch-io vorrei morire (2 pts)

a. Genre (read about this in your book – the answer is NOT ‘classical’):

.b. Which element of music stands out the most in this example? Explain your answer:

c. Note a “signpost” counter time (of a part that stands out to you). Why does this part stand out?

d. Read the book to learn about the sexual subtext in this (and many) madrigal example. How do you feel this compares with references to sex in modern music?

2. Fair Phyllis (2 pts)

a. Genre:

b. How can you tell this is an English madrigal, rather than an Italian madrigal (read the book for differences)?

c. Which example of word painting is the most visual for you, and why? List the counter time where you find it: __________ (note – the recording we listen to does not match counter times with the book). You can describe an example found in the book, or one that you heard even though it wasn’t listed.

d. Which madrigal did you find most appealing – the Italian or English madrigal? Explain your answer:

3. Ave Maria (2 pts)

a. Genre:

b. Where can you imagine hearing such music?

c. Which elements of music do you think makes this example sound so aesthetically appealing (if you don’t find this aesthetically appealing, why not?)

d. Look at the two images of the Virgin Mary on pg. 95. One is medieval, one is from the Renaissance. Which of those depictions matches best with this musical example? Explain your answer.

4. Gloria (1 pt)

a. Genre:

b. This music was written to create ‘heavenly sounds’, and was meant to be sung by professionals, making it more spiritually powerful. Did Palestrina succeed at doing this? Explain your answer:

c. How does Palestrina make it easy to understand the words (yes, I know they are in Latin, but you can follow along), thus appeasing the Council of Trent?

5. Three Dances (1 pt)

a. Genre:

b. Listen to the timbre (the unique sound) of these period instruments. How do they sound to you, as compared to modern instruments?

c. Since this was music meant for dancing, what do you think Renaissance dancing might have looked like, after listening to this example?

6. Have You Seen But A Bright Lily Grow (2 pts)

a. So – should a rock star sing a song from the Renaissance? Why or why not?

b. This song is accompanied by a lute. What does the lute sound like to you?

c. If you read the poetry, knowing what you know about Renaissance secular music, what do you think this song is about?

d. Compare this example with modern music. In what ways is it the same? In what ways is it different? List at least one similarity and one difference: