How did music function in Renaissance Florence? How did people in the Renaissance express their value of music? Who was able to listen to music? What did one have to do if he or she wanted to listen to music in the Renaissance? What kinds of costs were involved? To what extent was music part of daily life in Renaissance?
Amoroso foco
On our second night in Florence, Marina Bartoli performed a series of traditional Italian Renaissance arias, accompanied by Michael Leopold on the theorbo. The songs were homophonic and dramatic, depicting the progression of music over the reign of the Medici bloodline. The concert was similar to what would have been performed for a wealthy patron in the 17th century. Although we listened to recordings of various Renaissance pieces in class, the live concert made the music far more accessible for a generation where these instruments and artists are scarce. Seeing the theorbo in person and learning about it from an accomplished musician enhanced our appreciation for its unique sound. Additionally, the live song performance helped us understand the emotion of the various compositions, and as a whole, the experience was a portal to the past.
-Anthony & Thomas
-Anthony & Thomas
Private concert Experience
To go along with Anthony and Thomas's post, we wanted to include our own change of perspective in the music of the Renaissance. While listening to the songs in class, we noticed the specific details, such as whether it was homophonic, fast or slow, intense or joyful, etc. When we were at the concert, we were amazed by the beauty of the songs and the subjective values. Marina's voice was incredible, making the concert even more memorable. The theobo added a new swing on music, that was new to our culture of music. Seeing Marina's emotions throughout the concert made it easier to understand the expression and purpose of the songs. Getting to experience the renaissance dancing styles after was also enriching. Dance has a way of bringing people together even if they don't speak the same language, and we were able to be absorbed by the true Italian life.
-Becky and Patrick
-Becky and Patrick
Social dancing
By some random miracle of the right place and timing, our class was able to experience social dancing that many Italians used to and still do. The instructor of the social dancing teaches daily, but on Sundays, after the dance, the group members participate in a potluck, which we all were so graciously invited to. One local Italian woman explained that these dances are often what helped bring members of a community together, often forming romantic relationships. These social events, such as dances, aided in connecting young singles with each other, because the type of dancing requires the participants to move from partner to partner quite often. After a while, you begin to notice certain individuals with whom you have danced, start to make small talk, and maybe even begin to spark interest in a certain person. The touching through dance can create a little flame of intimacy and kindle the start of new relationships. The local Italian told me that many of the couples who were in attendance at the dance had met through the dance, and are now happily together, and even married.
Even though many of the Italian social dance participants could not speak English, it seemed as if that did not have the slightest impact on the great amount of fun that occurred. Once past the initial awkwardness of dancing with strangers, true excitement was created, but more importantly, memories that will last a lifetime. Many moments in our lives will be lost due to memory or lack of attention; however, the hours of dancing with local Italian men and women will be a moment in my life that cannot simply be forgotten. Experiencing the real authentic Italian culture is something that cannot be done sitting at a desk in America; rather, it is something you must participate in and experience first hand, dancing in an old dance studio, in Florence, Italy.
-Kaitlyn
Even though many of the Italian social dance participants could not speak English, it seemed as if that did not have the slightest impact on the great amount of fun that occurred. Once past the initial awkwardness of dancing with strangers, true excitement was created, but more importantly, memories that will last a lifetime. Many moments in our lives will be lost due to memory or lack of attention; however, the hours of dancing with local Italian men and women will be a moment in my life that cannot simply be forgotten. Experiencing the real authentic Italian culture is something that cannot be done sitting at a desk in America; rather, it is something you must participate in and experience first hand, dancing in an old dance studio, in Florence, Italy.
-Kaitlyn
Music on White Night
Not only were we fortunate to be apart of the concert, but during our stay in Florence we took part in an event called White Night. The streets were packed with people and street performers. We saw several types of shows and genre of music. One that was particularly interesting was a Native American pan flute show. Today it is so easy for us to access music, so it is hard to remember that not everyone could hear it during Renaissance times, and those who could experienced a much smaller range of music than we can access today. During classes we studied motets and madrigals and particularly the evolution of madrigals. We perhaps experienced somewhere around 4 different genres, motets, 14th century madrigals, carnival music, and 16th century madrigals. Today we have access to hundreds of genres of music with such ease that it's hard to understand the impact on song could have. One song back then could cost a fortune to make and another to play, and even more if you were sending people to the coronation of the Pope. While today its almost free to send a song and hear it on YouTube.
-Becca
-Becca