The Renaissance brought about major change in Europe, and subsequently the rest of the world as well. Merriam-Webster defines the Renaissance as, “the period of European history between the 14th and 17th centuries when there was a new interest in science and in ancient art and literature especially in Italy.” Much of the change in music can be attributed to the changes in mindsets brought about by the Enlightenment and the Reformation. Music became less sacred, and more secular--although certain composers stuck with religious texts. However, some composers such as Francesco Landini in Italy, wrote no sacred works; whereas Machaut wrote fewer sacred works than composers in the past. The importance and influence of religion slowly declined in this period.
Motets in the fifteenth century and early sixteenth century differed vastly from the ones preceding them in the late middle ages: “The years [circa] 1480-1520 witnessed an explosion in quantity and stylistic variety in motet production. Motets from this time period may have three to six voices; texts can be from the Old Testament, New Testament, liturgical rites, books of hours, …show more content…
Wickham also said of Ockeghem that he was a “relatively orthodox polyphonist, but [...] also a radical experimenter.” He easily fits into the genre before the Renaissance, because this was a period before the Enlightenment and the Reformation of the Catholic Church. Ockeghem bridged the gap between the strict form of the Catholic Church and the newfound freedom that came with the Reformation post-Martin Luther. His compositions and style echoed the movement of the times in that he was beginning to think for himself and develop his own particular and distinct style--much like the people in these times and the founding of churches such as the Lutheran church, the Anglican church, and the Calvinist