Dr. C.

Simonot University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT TWO: RENAISSANCE PERIOD—THE MADRIGAL

* This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade. Please note that the original due date for this assignment was
Monday, October 30 (in syllabus). The due date is now changed to Friday, November 10. Unlike Assignment One, this
assignment must be submitted online. *

NAME__________________________________________ STUDENT NUMBER_________________________

INSTRUCTIONS: This assignment focuses on the madrigal, which became the most popular and most significant
secular genre of the Renaissance period. It originated in Italy but ultimately spread to England. Please use all
class resources to complete this assignment (textbook, anthology, PowerPoints, lectures, recordings, etc.).

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS Please use complete sentences!

1. What was the most popular poetry used in the madrigal and how was it structured? (2 points)

2. What was the musical structure of a madrigal? (1 point)

3. How many people were required to sing a madrigal? (1 point)

4. Madrigal composers created close connections between music and text by using a technique called
“text painting” (also called “word painting,” “text depiction,” or “madrigalism”). Define this term. (1
point)

5. In what social context was the madrigal performed? (1 point)

6. Why did publishers like madrigals? (1 point)

Dr. C. Simonot University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music

7. What did madrigals have to do with relationships and sex? (2 points)

ANALYSIS: TEXT PAINTING

In this section of the assignment, you are required to do a close reading, or analysis, of two madrigals in order
to identify instances of text painting. We will start with an English madrigal and then move to an Italian one.
Please follow the instructions below:
a. If the madrigal is not in English, read the English translation. Make sure you understand what the text is about
and note the imagery, metaphor, etc. (If the madrigal is in English, go to part c.)
b. Write the English translation into score below the Italian text so you can compare the text meaning with the
musical expression.
c. Listen to the madrigal.
d. Find instances of text painting and fill in the charts below.

1. Thomas Weelkes As Vesta Was (NAWM 56) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95DJ7oqTWK8

Identify five instances of text painting in this work by indicating a) where it is with the measure
number(s) and the voice part from the anthology score, b) the text associated with the text painting,
and c) a description of the musical gesture (make sure to be clear how the description of the musical
gesture and text meaning are connected). Listening to the madrigal will be helpful, and the
commentary in the anthology can guide you if you are stuck. (15 points)

Measure
Text Musical Gestures
Numbers/Voic
e
Dr. C. Simonot University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music

2. Cipriano de Rore Da le belle contrade d’oriente (NAWM 48) https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Nd5K2AQvOsg
Identify two instances of text painting in this work by indicating a) where it is with the measure
number(s) and the voice part from the anthology score, b) the text (and translation) associated with
the text painting, and c) a description of the musical gesture (make sure to be clear how the description
of the musical gesture and text meaning are connected). Listening to the madrigal will be helpful, and
the commentary in the anthology can guide you if you are stuck. (8 points)

Measure
Original Language English Translation Musical Gestures
Numbers/Voic
e

COMPARISON: MADRIGAL AND CHANSON

Now that you have an idea of how madrigals work, let’s compare them to the chanson by filling in the following
table. An audio example of the Rore is above, while the Sermisy can be heard here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD7qRFELl8w. (8 points)

MADRIGAL, NAWM 48: Cipriano de CHANSON, NAWM 51: Sermisy Tant que
Rore Da le belle contrade d’oriente vivray
Describe the text
setting (syllabic,
melismatic?)

Describe the
texture (is it mostly
polyphonic or
homophonic?)
Dr. C. Simonot University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music

Describe the
structure.

Does the piece

have text painting
or not?

GRADING SUMMARY

SHORT ANSWER /9

ANALYSIS: TEXT PAINTING /23

COMPARISON: MADRIGAL AND CHANSON /8

TOTAL /40 = % /15