The Italian Renaissance - II
Renaissance
A cultural period in Europe
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The seeds of the Renaissance were sown amidst the aftermath of the devastating Black Death pandemic in the mid-14th century. The decline of the feudal system and the emergence of a wealthy merchant class created a favourable environment for cultural and intellectual advancement. During this time, Italy experienced economic prosperity, and cities flourished, becoming centers of commerce and patronage.
Literature
With the invention of the printing press, the ideas of Humanist scholars and Protestant reformers filled books and pamphlets, marking a new age of Literature. Playwrights and poets reached a wider audience, since their most popular works weren't limited to performances, but could be printed and distributed. Most importantly, writing was no longer limited to 'scholarly' languages like Latin. Speakers of Italian, German, English, etc., wrote in their own languages. Before this period, people spoke in a number of regional dialects and spellings varied tremendously. With the new books, editors and authors began to make the first attempts at standardising spellings, grammar, and other aspects of languages.
Vernacular Literature
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In 1400, there was no standard form of English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian. But as Renaissance authors wrote and published their books, editors and officials began to take a leaf from the works of masters to form the basis for their national language. Martin Luther's German translation of the Bible in the early 16th century sold over half-a-million copies in that century.
This is simply amazing, given that most people in that age didn't know how to read! Luther's East Middle-Saxon manner eventually became standard German. Italian was largely founded on the works of three authors-The Poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), The Philosopher Francesco Petrarch, and The Humanist Writer Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375).
Sixteenth-century writers adopted their Tuscan way of writing for all of Italy. William Tyndale's English Bible, the 1611 King Jame's Bible, and William Shakespeare's masterful works deeply influenced English Writers. Spain adopted the Castilian style after Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) published his brilliant book Don Quixote.
Music
Around 1330, an italian school of music developed in northern cities of the region. This include Padua, Verona, Bologna, Florence, and Milan. The verses were often in Italian. Leading composers such as Leonardo Giustiniani (1398-1446) and Marsilio Ficino would make verses as someone played the lute. Such experiments led to the invention of contrapuntal music- Music that hinged on the pleasing interplay of two melodic lines. The Flemish composer Josquin des Prez (c. 1440-1521) was considered the greatest of the age.
Josquin des Prez wrote masses, chansons, and motets. The works of Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina (c. 1525-1594) and Orlando di Lasso (c. 1532-1594) represent the zenith of Renaissance music.
Precursor versions of many familiar modern instruments (including the violin, guitar, lute and keyboard instruments) developed into new forms during the Renaissance. These instruments were modified to respond to the evolution of musical ideas, and they presented new possibilities for composers and musicians to explore. Early forms of modern woodwind and brass instruments like the bassoon and trombone also appeared, extending the range of sonic color and increasing the sound of instrumental ensembles. During the 15th century, the sound of full triads became common, and towards the end of the 16th century the system of church modes began to break down entirely, giving way to functional tonality (the system in which songs and pieces are based on musical "keys"), which would dominate Western art music for the next three centuries.
From the Renaissance era, notated secular and sacred music survives in quantity, including vocal and instrumental works and mixed vocal/instrumental works. A wide range of musical styles and genres flourished during the Renaissance, including masses, motets, madrigals, chansons, accompanied songs, instrumental dances, and many others. Beginning in the late 20th century, numerous early music ensembles were formed. Ensembles specializing in music of the Renaissance era give concert tours and make recordings, using modern reproductions of historical instruments and using singing and performing styles which musicologists believe were used during the era.
The Madrigal
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The Renaissance saw the development of a special kind of song called the Madrigal. It was sung by small groups of people. Each person would carry a different part in the song. Occasionally, the lines would be played by an instrument.
Madrigals were adored across Europe. By far the most popular one was The White and Gentle Swan by the Flemish composer Jacob Arcadelt. English composers who excelled at the madrigal included Thomas Weelkes, William Byrd, Thomas Morley and Orlando Gibbons. The most accomplished Italian madrigal composer was Claudio Monteverdi, who also developed the first Major Operas
Sculpture
Italian sculptors of the Renaissance were often multi-talented, working as smiths and carvers of a variety of materials. The period is often considered to begin with the famous competition for the doors of the Florence Baptistery in 1403.
Renaissance sculpture is understood as a process of recovery of the sculpture of classical antiquity. Sculptors found in the artistic remains and in the discoveries of sites of that bygone era the perfect inspiration for their works. They were also inspired by nature. In this context we must take into account the exception of the Flemish artists in northern Europe, who, in addition to overcoming the figurative style of the Gothic, promoted a Renaissance foreign to the Italian one, especially in the field of painting. The rebirth of antiquity with the abandonment of the medieval, which for Giorgia Vasari "had been a world of Goths", and the recognition of the classics with all their variants and nuances was a phenomenon that developed almost exclusively in Italian Renaissance Sculpture. Renaissance art succeeded in interpreting Nature and translating it with freedom and knowledge into a multitude of masterpieces.
French Sculpture
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Renaissance influence was first seen in French Sculpture in Tours. Its main proponent was the amazing Michel Colombe. His 1508 relief sculpture of St. George and the Dragon was made for the high altar of the Chateau de Gaillon. It blends a Gothic theme with Italian modelling. Under Queen Catherine de'Medici, the royal house of France brought greater Italian influence into French art. The three great sculptors of this time were Pierre Bontemps, Jean Goujon, and Germain Pilon.
Spanish Sculpture
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The period 1530-1570 marked the zenith of Spanish Renaissance sculpture, This Era was led by the amazing Alonso Berruguete whose works show deep, religious emotions. Berruguete was a student of Michelangelo's. His most important works are the retable of the Mejorada, the retable of San Benito de Valladolid, the choir-stall reliefs in Toledo Cathedral, and the fantastic tomb of Cardinal Tavera.
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Architecture
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Renaissance architects of Italy revived Classical Roman and Greek designs for buildings. Classical focussed on set ideas of harmony, symmetry, and proportion in all structures, whether it was single building or an entire city. The earliest innovators of Renaissance architecture were engineers like Filippo Brunelleschi who worked in Florence.
The High Renaissance found its home in Rome, with geniuses like Donato Bramante, who served as chief architect in the construction of St, Peter's Basilica. Over the 15th and 16th centuries, Renaissance architecture spread to the rest of Europe, where it combined with native styles to produce entirely unique buildings.
Renaissance architecture followed mathematically calculated rules of geometry and proportion. On the outside, buildings looked austerely beautiful with repeated rows of columns, round arches, blind arches, medallions, and sometimes, even statues. Three types of Classical columns-Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian-were popular. Statues were used to decorate nooks and rooftop. Town plans radiated from a central point that had important buildings like a baptistery and Colosseum.
Filippo Brunelleschi
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A talented and technically skilled architect, Brunelleschi is best known for his amazing dome at the Duomo di Firenze (Cathedral of Florence). It is the first octagonal dome in history. Brunelleschi invented some of the machines that helped construct the dome! Brunelleschi is also famous for re-inventing the rules of perspective, which allowed artists to realistically portray three-dimensional spaces and objects on flat, two-dimensional paper.
Donato Bramante
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One of the masters of the Italian High Renaissance, Bramante brought the unique architecture to Rome when, under orders from Pope Julius II, he designed the Tempietto (small temple) of San Pietro in 1502. Surrounded by slender columns and mounted by a dome, the small building is almost like a sculpture. Yet, it has all the grandeur and correct proportions of classical construction. Within a year of its completion, the impressed Pope asked Bramante to undertake the grandest architectural work of 16th century Europe-the complete rebuilding St.Peter's Basilica
The Italian Renaissance ledt an incredible mark on global history and culture. Its influence spread across Europe, influencing the Northern Renaissance and shaping the path of Western civilization. The period's emphasis on individualism, human achievement, and the harmony between art, science, and philosophy continue to resonate today.
In conclusion, the Italian Renaissance was a period of remarkable cultural, intellectual, and artistic achievement. It laid the groundwork for the modern world and had a profound influence on subsequent artistic movements and intellectual endeavors. The revival of interest in classical knowledge, the flourishing of art and literature, and the advancements in science are just a few examples of its impact. The Italian Renaissance continues to inspire and captivate, reminding us of the extraordinary potential of human creativity and accomplishment.
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