The Council of Trent, in 1562, decreed that music in churches should avoid anything 'lascivious or impure' and that words should be clearly understood, leading to significant changes in sacred music.
Instruments
The bass lute-cittern, an unusual instrument with a mean-tone temperament, was conceived by an Austrian or German instrument-maker in the late 16th century, combining features of the lute and cittern.
Compositional Technique
The compositional technique of 'falsobordone' (false bass), based on a recited 'cantus firmus' with vocal polyphony, was favored by the Counter-Reformation for its simplicity and intelligibility.
Historical Context
Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan from 1560, initiated a social and artistic revolution in 1565 to enforce Counter-Reformation principles, including strict rules for church music.
Composer Biography
Vincenzo Ruffo, a prolific madrigal composer and maestro di cappella at Milan Cathedral, radically changed his style in 1565 to compose religious music in line with Counter-Reformation decrees.
Compositional Technique
Aquilino Coppini, a Latin scholar and friend of Monteverdi, not only replaced secular texts with sacred ones but also used rhetorical imagination to adapt the music's emotional power for religious devotion.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Federico Borromeo, Carlo Borromeo's cousin and successor, commissioned Aquilino Coppini to create 'contrafacta' by replacing secular texts of popular madrigals, including Monteverdi's, with sacred ones to serve religious purposes.
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