Music Revision

Thomas Weelkes: Context

• Leading English Composer of madrigals.
•  Possibly published 1598 in a collection entitled ‘Balletts and Madrigals to five voices with one to six voices)
• Late Renaissance Period

Thomas Weelkes: Instrumentation

• Soprano 1: Cantus, range from F sharp to G a 9th above
• Soprano 2: Quintus, has exactly the same overall range as Soprano 1 and often crosses above it
• Alto: Probably for woman's voice rather than male alto, range from middle C to C an octave above 
• Tenor: Range from D below middle C to G an 11th above
• Bass: Range from low G to D a 12th above, top D is reserved for places where Bass imitates Tenor at the unison

Thomas Weelkes: Texture

• Contrapuntual and Imitative: (B9-B11 through Bass Sop 2 and Sop 1)
• Frequent imitative entries, imitative entry passes through all 5 voices (B2-27)
• Four bar homophonic sections beginning of couplet 2 and 3 (B22-25)
• Music often alternates between simple chordal style and interweaving contrapuntual style, using imitation to weave together and create a continuously flowing texture 
• Composers aimed to blend together the strands of music rather than to contrast one part with another. Especially in Sacred music

Thomas Weelkes: Tonality

• G major, features of modal writing 
• no key signature
• Two types of diatonic scale – major and minor
• Systematic use of modulation as an important structural device
• Limited way of the value of tonal contrast, cadences away from G at ‘Keep the ground’ with perfect cadence in D major
• Music is largely based on the medieval modes

Thomas Weelkes: Harmony

• Late renaissance chords (1 to 5) (B1 and B2) mainly in root position with 1^st inversions.
• Long Tonic Pedals (B77-B83 Alto Part)
• Suspensions (B52) : Provide extra rhythmic movement and mild harmonic tension. Mainly on penultimate chords or cadences (B7)
• Here have no expressive purpose (can be used in depiction of dark text in serious madrigal)
• Diatonic
• Consonant 4ths
• Unaccented passing notes , numerous in descending scalic patterns used at ‘Whist we his praised sound’ sometimes two parts have passing noted simultaneously in 3rds or 6ths (B25) 
• Perfect cadence, plagal cadence, imperfect cadences
• A consonant style prevails, few discords and dissonances 
• Great awareness of harmony and the flow and progression of chords
• Minor third is avoided at cadences by writing either an open triad or substituting it for a major thid (tierce de Picardie) 

Thomas Weelkes: Melody

• Mixture of stepwise motion and leap to the octave
• Two motifs with dotted rhythms, opening bars dominate the music
• Even music written to be played on instruments still tend to remain comparable within vocal ranges
• Weelkes uses: 
• Much conjunct (stepwise) movement including scalic passages, especially at ‘Whilst we his praises sound’). 
• Leaps of a 3rd  in particular the descending 3rds first heard at ‘Content is our treasure’. 
• Leaps of a 4th or 5th notably where the bass outlines perfect cadences and other chord successions with roots a 4th or 5th apart. 
• A few larger leaps (almost all octaves)  

Thomas Weelkes: Rhythm

• Dancing dotted rhythms (B5)
• Syncopation (B7 alto part)
• Hemiola in approach to cadence (B20-21) 
• Generally Weelkes uses straightforward triple-time rhythms with an obvious beat and dance-like quality (after all, the ballett originated in the dance)
• Strings of quavers in the second fa-la (in tenor and bass) bring Section 2 to a lively conclusion. 
• The frequent quavers at ‘Whilst we his praises sound’ may be intended to reflect joy and praise

Thomas Weelkes: Structure

• Binary Form AB, A is repeated, ‘Fa la’ refrain at end of each section

Section 1: B1-22 (first time bar)

• B1-8: Single rhyming couplet with imitation, feeling of homophony
• B8-22: The fa-la refrain mostly contrapuntual 

Section 1: B1-B22 repeated exactly

Section 2: B22-B53

• B22-B43: Setting of first line is homophonic 'Sweet Love shall keep the ground,' , second line is contrapuntual 'Whilst we his praises sound

The overall structure might be described a binary, with two sections each repeated but it lacks tonal contrast of most binary structures in the Baroque period.