Music had some major changes during the Renaissance. The violin was developed, and older instruments such as the flute and organ were improved. Music began to be part of the entertainment for the theater and court. Before the Renaissance, music was performed primarily in churches.
The lute was a popular stringed instrument at the beginning of the Renaissance. By the early 16th century the first violin appeared. Soon after this the viola, cello, and double bass were developed.
Later, Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) became the most famous of the violin makers. His instruments are collector's items.
Giovanni Gabrieli and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck wrote many pieces for the organ.
Around the 1500's madrigals became popular. These were vocal settings of Italian poems. Many were written by Thomas Morley of England and Luca Marenzio of Italy.
Near the end of the Renaissance, around 1600, a group of musicians and writers in Florence, Italy, was trying to revive Greek drama. Instead they produced something very new: the opera. Opera needed a great number of singers and players to perform. Music from 1600 to 1750 is called Baroque music.
