Text declamation
Encyclopedia
Text declamation refers to the manner in which a composer sets words to music. Aesthetically declamation is conceived of as "accurate" (approximating the natural rhythms and patterns of human speech) or not, which informs perceptions about emotional power as expressed through the relationship between words and music.
(aka text painting or tone painting) to make musical notes illustrate word meanings, trying literally to paint visual images with sonic materials. Thomas Weelkes
' madrigal
"As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending" uses word painting throughout to declaim textual meaning:
mm 1-9: "Latmos hill" - "hill" is always set with the highest note in the phrase
mm 8-9: "descending" - uses descending scales and leaps
mm 12-22: "ascending" - uses ascending scales
mm 36-46: "running down the hill" - uses quickly descending scales in imitative polyphony
mm 48-49: "two by two" - two voices sing
mm 50-51: "three by three" - three voices sing
mm 51-52: "together" - all six voices sing
mm 56-57: "all alone" - top voice sings alone
mm 84-100: "Long live fair Oriana
" - low voice begins with longa
, continues with long, sustained notes
Renaissance Composers and Word Painting
Late Renaissance composers in particular were concerned with matching text up with music in such a way that the latter could be said to express the former. Madrigalists used a declamation technique known as word paintingWord painting
Word painting is the musical technique of writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song. For example, ascending scales would accompany lyrics about going up; slow, dark music would accompany lyrics about death.Tone painting of words goes at least as far back as Gregorian chant...
(aka text painting or tone painting) to make musical notes illustrate word meanings, trying literally to paint visual images with sonic materials. Thomas Weelkes
Thomas Weelkes
Thomas Weelkes was an English composer and organist. He became organist of Winchester College in 1598, moving to Chichester Cathedral. His works are chiefly vocal, and include madrigals, anthems and services.-Life:Weelkes was baptised in the little village church of Elsted in Sussex on 25...
' madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
"As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending" uses word painting throughout to declaim textual meaning:
mm 1-9: "Latmos hill" - "hill" is always set with the highest note in the phrase
mm 8-9: "descending" - uses descending scales and leaps
mm 12-22: "ascending" - uses ascending scales
mm 36-46: "running down the hill" - uses quickly descending scales in imitative polyphony
mm 48-49: "two by two" - two voices sing
mm 50-51: "three by three" - three voices sing
mm 51-52: "together" - all six voices sing
mm 56-57: "all alone" - top voice sings alone
mm 84-100: "Long live fair Oriana
Oriana
Oriana is primarily a female given name, widespread, even if not very common, in European languages.-Possible roots of the name:Its etymological origins are probably mixed...
" - low voice begins with longa
Longa
Longa can refer to any of the following:* The longa is a musical note twice as long in duration as a breve, appearing primarily in Early music.*Longa, a genre in Turkish and Arabic music* Longa is the name of a town and river in Angola....
, continues with long, sustained notes