The Renaissance era, lasting from the mid 1400s to about 1630, is one of the most distinctive and revolutionary periods in the arts, and music is no exception. Composers like Dufay, Josquin, Tallis, Victoria, Palestrina, Gabrieli, Praetorius, and Byrd were visionaries whose transformational music developed alongside the paintings and sculptures of Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. In this remarkable book, a companion to Performance Practices in the Classical Era and Performance Practices in the Baroque Era, noted scholar and conductor Dennis Shrock draws from primary sources to document and explain authentic performance practices of Renaissance era music - in many cases eye opening and rarely employed today. Insightful chapters cover topics including vocal and instrumental sound, tempo, articulation, phrasing, ornamentation, and expression. Like a restorer uncovering the original brilliance of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Shrock's work reveals the rich and colorful nature of this wonderful music as originally intended. Performing Renaissance Music - together with Shrock's companion recording Renaissance Reborn - is an insightful, colorful, and comprehensive portrait, certain to assist anyone who seeks to better understand the music of the great Renaissance composers. This book is a vital resource for any conductor, performer, or aficionado of Renaissance music.
