The significance of the venue for a piece of music to be played is emphasized with regard to various genres and, therefore, can be referred to when analyzing different pieces. Thus, for example, “Jesu, the virgin’s crown, do thou,” created by St. Ambrose, can be used for this purpose. This music selection is from Renaissance, and the fact that it was written by a German church father clearly speaks of its intended use (St. Ambrose). Considering its origin, one can come to the conclusion that it is solely appropriate for playing in Western cathedrals and designed specifically for this type of venue (St. Ambrose). In this case, the location matters since Gothic architecture is explicitly intertwined with the music played in the buildings.
Hence, the chosen piece of music aimed at a particular kind of space strictly follows the rules applied to this context. In this situation, the primary factor is the effects of space which allow for only compositions with long notes as opposed to their more rhythmic counterparts (TED-Ed). Therefore, this hymn, which contains a spiritual meaning in the first place, is written accordingly (St. Ambrose). Moreover, the key of this song does not change, and this characteristic is confirmed to be one of the Western churches and Gothic cathedrals of the Renaissance in particular (TED-Ed). Meanwhile, playing this piece in any other setting, whether it is a home or a bar, will not be as effective as in religious places. This attempt will simply bring dissonance and reduce the overall power of components suitable for the selected venues (TED-Ed). Thus, the relationship between music and space can be confirmed using such examples from the chosen period of time, and the effect of sound in specific locations cannot be underestimated.
Works Cited
“How Architecture Helped Music Evolve – David Byrne.” YouTube, uploaded by TED-Ed, 2013, Web.
St. Ambrose. “Jesu, The Virgin’s Crown, Do Thou.” Hymnary, Web.