The Renaissance Madrigal Trivia Quiz

Answer: December

"But in her heart, a cold December!"

Answer: Innsbruck

"Innsbruck, Nun Muss Ich Lassen", the melody of which is also used for the Lutheran evening hymn "Nun Ruhen Alle Walder". This has been harmonized by J.S. Bach and appears (with different text) in the "Johannes-Passion".

Answer: True

Lassus wrote many fine madrigals, including "Matona, Mia Cara", "Occhi Piangete", "La Nuit Froide et Sombre", Sauter, Danser". "Mon Couer", though a very lovely piece, is in a rather mannered, naive style unlike the sophisticated style typical of Lassus. Most scholars agree that it is probably by another, anonymous composer.

Answer: Cricket

"El Grillo e' buon cantore, che tiene longo verso" (The Cricket is a fine singer who can hold very long notes"). One of Josquin's most endearing madrigals, which makes use of "very long notes", as well as rapid patter.

Answer: Orlando Gibbons

The madrigal is about a dying swan (swans were believed to be able to sing only at the point of death) who laments the fact that "More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise." As Gibbons was himself in the twilight of his career at this time (he died in 1624- the madrigal dates from about 1612), this may have been his way of saying "Apres moi, le deluge".

The Rennaisance itself, and with it the madrigal as Gibbons knew it, was drawing to a close.

Answer: Elizabeth I

Oriana, or Gloriana was a name given to Elizabeth (Benjamin Britten wrote an opera about her entitled "Gloriana"). Several great English madrigalists contributed to this work, including Thomas Weelkes and John Bennet.

Answer: Il Bianco e Dolce Cigno

The text of this madrigal, in English, is "The white and gentle swan dies in song, and I, in tears, reach the end of my life."

Answer: Lasciatemi Morire!

Monteverdi's music bridges the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This lament from his opera "Arianna" was wildly popular in its day, which is probably what prompted his arranging it for chorus. Ironically, the rest of the score of "Arianna" appears to have been lost, though most of Monteverdi's other operas survive in their entirety.

Answer: It Was a Lover and His Lass

This song is from Morley's "First Booke of Ayres", 1600. It is sung in Act III, scene 5 of Shakespeare's play.

Answer: Clement Jannequin and Phillipe Verdelot

This lengthy madrigal is the equivalent of a tone poem for mixed voices. The vocal writing depicts the playing of fifes, sackbutts, and drums, the blare of trumpets, noises of battle (including the firing of cannons and the stomp of marching feet), and the final cries of "Victoire".

The piece was written to celebrate the victory of King Francois in the battle of Marignagno in 1515. It is mostly by Jannequin; the fifth part was contributed by Verdelot.

Answer: The ship's pump

This madrigal is of a type known as "ensaladas" (literally "salad", so-called probably for it's mixture of different tunes and sound effects). It was, oddly enough, written for the Christmas season at the court of the Duke of Calabria. The panic-stricken sailors struggle to keep their vessel afloat, calling upon St. Elmo and St. Gines (patrons of sailors) and to the Virgin Mary under the titles of Our Lady of Monserrate, Loretto, and Guadalupe.

They are, at length, saved by a passing ship, offer thanks to God, and, once on land, hold a festival.

Answer: The ringing of church bells.

The text is a conversation between the bell ringers; the ringing of the bells is depicted in the vocal writing.

Answer: The street criers of London.

"The Cryes of London" is a wonderfully evocative piece for five voices and bas viol. It musically depicts hawkers selling everything from sausages and meats, fish and oysters, onions, cucumbers, and salt.

Answer: Flora and Amaryllis

The madrigals are "Flora Gave Me Fairest Flowers" and "Adieu, Sweet Amaryllis". Flora was the ancient Roman goddess of the spring; Amaryllis was a common name for country lasses.

Answer: True

Palestrina had written a number of secular madrigals in his younger days. Later in life, when he had become the doyenne of church music, he regretted having written these "profane" pieces. His "madrigali spirituali" use the form and the same style of text as the secular madrigal, but have lyrics that are in extravagant praise of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, etc.

Other composers, such as the English composer William Byrd and the Spanish composer Francisco Guerrero, wrote similar pieces.

Answer: True

Examples are Josquin's mass "L'homme Arme" and Lassus' "Missa 'Entre Voue, Fille". Such compositions were known as "parody masses"; usually they were "parodies" of sacred motets, but madrigals were often used as well.

Answer: Chickens

The clucking of the hens ("Cu-cu-cu-cu-cu de") as her huband feeds them amuses the woman in the song, resembling, as it does, the word "cuckold".

Answer: Robin Hood and Maid Marian

In this remarkable work, the top voice sings a text (in Italian) about unrequited love, while the tenor and countertenor voices sing (in French) the words "Petite Cammusette, you have brought me close to death. Robin and Marian go off to the green wood, they go off arm in arm and fall asleep. Petite Cammusette ... etc".

Answer: Drinking songs

"La Tricotea", popular in both Spain and France, is a rowdy drinking song using some nonsensical lyrics and phrases such as "Niqui, niquidon, formagidon, formagidon". "Vitrum Nostrum Gloriosum" ("Our Glorious Goblet") is of German origin and may have originated in a monastery.

Answer: May

The madrigal is "Now is the month of Maying".

Answer: John Dowland

Most of Dowland's songs were of a melancholy nature; his motto, in fact, was "Semper Dowland, semper dolans" ("Always Dowland, always sorrowful").

Answer: "Flow, Crystal Teares" by John Dowland

The Dowland madrigal sings of the tears of a rejected lover; the other three are songs of mourning for the death of someone. "Nymphes des Bois" was written upon the death of the composer Johannes Ockeghem and incorporates the text and melody of "Requiem Aeternam" as a counter melody.

The Monteverdi piece, whose title in English means "Lament of a lover at the tomb of his beloved" was written upon the death of a young female student of his. The Ramsey piece was written for an unknown person.

Answer: True

Victoria had studied with Palestrina and collaborated with St. Philip Neri. Some consider his music to be more moving and expressive than Palestrina's. His output is notable for containing absolutely no secular music.

Answer: Orazio Vecchi

Vecchi was born in Modena in the 16th century. His works include two books of madrigals, sacred works, and the 'madrigal comedy', "L'Anpifarnaso".

Answer: He had his wife and her lover killed after finding them together.

In 1590 Gesualdo discovered his wife and her lover "in flagrante" and had them both killed by his servants; their bodies were left for all to see on the palace's grand staircase. At the time, such a "crime of passion" was considered a husband's right under the circumstances and Gesualdo escaped punishment by the law. Gesualdo's music, known for its advanced use of harmony and harmonic shifts, was championed in the 20th century by the great composer Igor Stravinsky and his associate Robert Craft; together, these two were responsible for the first known recordings of some of Gesualdo's works.