Renaissance Music example essay topic

Renaissance background report. The word renaissance means "rebirth" or "reconstruction", The Renaissance era was a time for the revival of learning. The Renaissance took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; it was a period in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions. As part of the culture or beliefs that existed in the renaissance ages, baths were only taken when prescribed by a doctor because it was believed that water would open pores allowing bacteria to enter causing diseases such as the plague.

Scented linens and sponges were used to hide smells that followed such horrible hygiene. Water was only used on the hands and face or for very refined women of that time. Toilets were simply just cubes in wood or stone with a whole in the middle of it, and were usually found near the stairs in a dark corner to keep smells away from the houses. As crazy as it may sound, it was a great belief that the moon and the sun had to do with the organs of the people during this time. Jewels were often used to help heal and gold was often used against leprosy. Clothing of the renaissance was very unique; the materials often used were sheep's wool, mohair, plant fibers from the cotton plant, and silk.

For color, natural materials became ground colors: brown, white, cream, or black. For shades of brown, red or orange, the Madder root was used. Embroidery included running, chain stitches, or a buttonhole. Dangling jewelry and tassels added color and movement to many of the costumes worn at that time.

Renaissance men as well as women wore extraordinary clothing decorated with gold and precious jewels. During this period a person's wealth was shown by the amount of gems sewn onto his clothing. Changing shirts was considered to be bathing since water was rarely used for hygiene, and by the end of the 15th century changing shirts became a daily act. During the Renaissance one of the main foods was bread. To start off every meal, toast would be eaten. Shortly after the bread was eaten porridge or salad is served followed by a very large roast.

It was not common to drink mineral water because it was thought to be very unhealthy. People of the renaissance ate hearty meals and drank milk or wine. Servants were often times used to taste the food of important people because of the possibility of it being poisoned. Unlike German people, it was common for the French to keep their mouths at least half opened while eating. Plates were introduced for the first time in 1536 and were made out of gold or silver. Around 1550 people started to eat individually.

Guests that attended these large feasts were not allowed to turn their head to see what the other individual next to them was eating, they could not gnaw on bones or throw food under the table and they could scratch themselves. Before eating everyone had to wash their hands in a bowl filled with tepid water and they had to keep their nails neat and extremely clean. The setup of the dining table was very simple, the bread and knife were on the left of the plate and the glass stood in front of it. The spoon was first used to eat cakes, and then later was used to serve different varieties of foods. Knives that had a bone or ebony handle were considered to be more luxurious. One thing that everybody loves is entertainment.

During this time period entertainment played an enormous role whether it was acting, singing, dancing, or attending festivals or plays. Games were organized to entertain many members of the court such as water fighting, masquerades, and fireworks. To prevent members of the court from getting bored many bored games were played such as chess, dice or lotteries. Hunting was outrageously popular amongst kings and lords and as prey vultures or falcons were used. Weapons such as the bow, crossbow, and musket were used for hunting. As bait for their only weapon children would hunt for cormorants in local ponds.

After dinner member of the court danced most of the night away to religious and Italian music. The harp, lute, and violin were only three of the major instruments used in the music that was played during these dances. Sports included many different types of fighting such as fencing or sword fighting, the hunting mentioned above was also considered to be a well-known sport of the renaissance. Music was another important factor of this time period. Unlike most of the music listened to today Renaissance music was classical also referred to as "early music". The madrigal was one of the most influential and most well known forms of music during the Renaissance.