Music in the Renaissance Era

Renaissance Era

The Renaissance Era, lasting from about 1430 to 1600, is known for its emphasis on discovery, creativity, and growth. People who lived during this era thrived on learning and creating things, whether it be a sculpture or a musical composition. Therefore, this time period went under a lot of revolutionary changes. During the Renaissance era, cultural changes that influenced artistic and musical styles included an increase in curiosity and exploration, introduction of new techniques for visual arts, and easier ways to reproduce and circulate music.

The term ‘Renaissance’ literally means rebirth. Everything, from art to the perception of the world, underwent an educational overhaul. For example, before the Renaissance, the concept of there being other lands outside of Europe and Asia was not a popular opinion. However, Christopher Columbus changed this when, attempting to find a shortcut to India, he stumbled upon what is now the Caribbean islands and the Americas. This discovery was huge and shook the scientific and geographical communities. People now knew there were other large land masses other than Europe and Asia but didn’t know where they were or how many there were. In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan set off to circumnavigate the globe in an attempt to map the world and be the first to make an around-the-world voyage. These ideas are just a small example of how the world was growing, literally and figuratively.

The visual arts underwent a creative transformation as well. Artists of the Renaissance discovered new ways to depict human emotion in their paintings and the facial expressions in these paintings greatly improved. For example, in Raphael’s School of Athens, emotions of curiosity and interest are evident in the faces of the students. The men relaxing actually look realistic in their faces and genuinely looked relaxed. Artists also began experimenting with depth in their paintings. In Giuseppe in Egitto by Pontormo, the people in the...