Musical Development During The Sixteenth Century

Musical Development During the Sixteenth Century

Major Impacts 

John Dunstable 

In the Northern Renaissance, music had grown vastly due to visual arts becoming more and more popular during the sixteenth century. John Dunstable had a major impact for future music that would later on be created by other famous composers. For instance, the textbook had stated “By bringing English music into the mainstream of continental developments, Dunstable helped prepare the way for his Elizabethan successors” (Cunningham 347). The Elizabethan Age was considered one of the highest points of their history. Elizabethan’s music became more and more popular and Dunstable was the stomping ground for her success in music specifically. Elizabethan’s music was also drawn out by the career of Thomas Tallis who was a writer for Latin motets and Catholic masses. 

In the sixteenth century, another famous composer during the time was a man named John Downland. Downland had a crucial impact by being the greatest virtuoso of his day on the lute. The lute is a plucked instrument that is somewhat similar to a guitar. Downland had ties with Elizabethan by her music being “...the ayres (simple songs for one voice accompanied by either other voices or instruments) of John Downland” (Cunningham 349). Downland being so impactful in music during the sixteenth century had a big impact on the interest of guitars and other similar instruments. The guitar or similar instruments grew more popular because of John Downland's music he had created with them.

John Downland holding a lute 

Sacred and Secular Music

Sacred music is a type of music that was involved in motests and masses. For example, G. Edward Stubbs wrote an article called “Secularization of Sacred Music”, and wrote It is then not surprising that among the majority of people there is, and perhaps will be, a disagreement of opinion as to the real nature of music, and the wisdom and unwisdom shown in the application of its different forms to sacred worship” (Stubbs). There was a debate on whether or not sacred and secular music can tie in together. Secular music overall involved any form of music that was not written specifically for churches. Secular music had led to the rise of instrumental music as well as dance music. 

https://www.britannica.com/art/choral-music/Secular-music

--

Works Cited

FamousComposers. “John Dowland - Composer Biography, Facts and Music Compositions.” FAMOUS COMPOSERS, 2021, www.famouscomposers.net/john-dowland.

“John Dunstaple.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dunstaple.

Stevens , Denis William. “Secular Music.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2021, www.britannica.com/art/choral-music/Secular-music.