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An increased interest in the arts especially music, began soon after the Wars of the Roses ended in 1487, and reached a climax in the reign of Elizabeth (1558-1603). Of all the arts, music was about to have a major face-lift which would increase its popularity from the listeners, and the composers.
This increased artistic activity of the Elizabethan age compares with the Renaissance age of Italy, and Elizabethan England owed a great deal to the Italian examples for new and exciting creativity of all art.
Music in particular was about to transform dramatically with the introduction of a new musical style called the Madrigal, a music form most associated with that of Elizabethan music. This type of music was first created in Italy and like many art forms from that region made its way west to England.
As already mentioned the Madrigal was a very popular and a highly regarded music form in Italy, and a great number of Italian writers and composers wrote many excellent compositions.
Apart from a few hit and miss, not very well constructed examples, which had already appeared and failed to capture people’s imagination, its probably safe to say that the first proper introduction of the Madrigal to English music lovers was the publication of Nicholas Yonge’s “Musica Transalpina,” in 1588.
This publication of the “Musica” created the massive interest in this kind of music. People suddenly to notice and started to listen to this kind of music. Composers were just as enthusiastic and wanted to write in this style. Within the next quarter of a century, nearly every composer of all abilities had published one or more sets of madrigals.
Thomas Morley (1557-1604) published a set in 1594. The madrigals of Thomas Weelkes appeared in 1597. Those of John Wilbye, esteemed the greatest of English madrigal writers, appeared in 1598.
Madrigals by John Benet appeared in 1599 and in 1601; there appeared a very remarkable monument of the madrigal writer’s art the “Triumphs of Oriana.”
Oriana was one of the names under which the poets and courtiers of Elizabeth’s reign would sing her praises, and the “Triumphs” was a collection of prize madrigals in her honour by twenty-six English madrigal composers of the day.
The interest in Madrigals gradually decreased after this, but Thomas Bateson, organist of Chester Cathedral, and the first to receive the degree of Mus. Bac. from the University of Dublin, Michael Este, and Orlando Gibbons, great in almost every department of music, all produced sets of madrigals during the early years of the reign of James I.
Mike Shaw is an organist and music teacher who has produced a selection of downloadable music books for anyone who wishes to learn to play the piano, organ or keyboard. To find out more visit his websites http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk, http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk and http://musical-instruments-uk.mikesmusicroom.co.uk/