What distinguishes Renaissance music from Medieval music, and how, in the broadest terms, do musical innovations of the time fit together with cultural upheavals at large?

First they were from different eras, second medieval music was based on religion, whereas Renaissance music was not religious at all. Third, the music of renaissance was polyphonic, which means that it had sacred vocals such as Gregorian chants, while the medieval music was mostly monophonic, which means that it had a single melodic line.

They did not fit with cultural upheavals at large. In fact the two types of music were aligned with the values and behaviors of each era. The medieval songs portrayed the power of Church domination and the Renaissance music was related to the power of the monarchy.

robz62 robz62 · Answer 2 · 2019-10-20T02:54:10+02:00

The medieval and Renaissance periods each witnessed a critical transition in the structure of Western music. During the Middle Ages, monophony evolved into polyphony (see Musical Texture). During the Renaissance, the shell harmony of the Middle Ages was succeeded by true harmony.

TRANSITIONS IN THE STRUCTURE OF WESTERN MUSIC
Middle Ages Renaissance Baroque
monophony > polyphony shell harmony > true harmony church modes > major/minor scales
Throughout the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, Western art music was based on two kinds of scales: major and minor (see Tonality). Medieval and Renaissance music, on the other hand, was based on a set of eight scales, known as the