Early English Composers and the Credo (Routledge Research in Music)

This book develops an innovative approach for understanding the relationship between music and words in the works of five major composers of the English Renaissance: John Taverner, Christopher Tye, John Sheppard, Thomas Tallis, and William Byrd. Focusing on these composers’ settings of the Latin Credo, the author shows how musical and linguistic emphasis can be used to understand the composers’ theological interpretations of the text. By combining markedness theory with style analysis, this study demonstrates that the composers used their musical skills to not only create beautiful music but also raise certain elements of the text to the foreground of perception and relegate others to supporting roles, inviting listeners to experience the familiar words of the liturgy in unique ways. Providing new insights into the changing musical and religious world of the sixteenth century, this book is relevant to anyone researching music or religion in early modern England, while offering a flexible and widely adaptable tool for the analysis of musical-textual relationships. "This book develops an innovative approach for understanding the relationship between music and words in the works of five major composers of the English Renaissance: John Taverner, Christopher Tye, John Sheppard, Thomas Tallis, and William Byrd. Focusing on these composers' settings of the Latin Credo, the author shows how musical and linguistic emphasis can be used to understand the composers' theological interpretations of the text. By combining markedness theory with style analysis, this study demonstrates that the composers used their musical skills not only to create beautiful music, but to raise certain elements of the text to the foreground of perception and relegate others to supporting roles, inviting listeners to experience the familiar words of the liturgy in unique ways. Providing new insights into the changing musical and religious world of the sixteenth century, this book is relevant to anyone researching music or religion in early modern England, while offering a flexible and widely adaptable tool for the analysis of musical-textual relationships"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Charts List of Examples List of Tables Preface List of Abbreviations 1 Musical-Linguistic Perspectives on Sixteenth-Century Credos Introduction Basic Concepts Linguistic Theory and Music Style Analysis as a Framework Conclusion 2 Musical-Linguistic Emphasis as Interpretation Introduction Theory of Emphasis as Interpretation Conclusion 3 John Taverner’s Credos Introduction Background Context Foreground Content Musical-Textual Concrescence Conclusion 4 Christopher Tye’s Credos Introduction Background Context Foreground Content Musical-Textual Concrescence Conclusion 5 Thomas Tallis’s Credos Introduction Background Context Foreground Content Musical-Textual Concrescence Conclusion 6 John Sheppard’s Credos Introduction Background Context Foreground Content Musical-Textual Concrescence Conclusion 7 William Byrd’s Credos Introduction Background Context Foreground Content Musical-Textual Concrescence Conclusion 8 Conclusion Approach Application Assessment Conclusion Appendix: Credo Text Index