Renaissance music is typically characterized by polyphony, emphasis on melody, and use of counterpoint, not homophony.

Claudio Monteverdi is known for his opera "Orfeo", which is considered one of the earliest operas in the Western classical tradition.

Counterpoint is the technique used in Renaissance music to combine multiple independent melodic lines.

The lute was a commonly used instrument in Renaissance music, known for its versatility and ability to produce a wide range of sounds.

Josquin des Prez is known for his mass "Missa Pange Lingua", which is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Renaissance polyphony.

Choristers, or choir singers, typically performed Renaissance polyphonic music.

Thomas Morley is known for his madrigal "Now Is the Month of Maying", which is a popular example of Renaissance secular music.

Opera emerged in the late Renaissance and became popular in the Baroque era.

Thomas Tallis is known for his motet "Spem in Alium", which is a complex and technically demanding work.

Villanella is a musical genre that developed in the Renaissance and is characterized by its use of dance rhythms and melodies.

John Dowland is known for his lute music, which is characterized by its melancholy and expressive melodies.

Motet is a musical form that emerged in the late Renaissance and is characterized by its use of contrasting sections.

Thomas Weelkes is known for his madrigal "When I Am Laid in Earth", which is a poignant and reflective work.

Ricercar is a musical genre that developed in the Renaissance and is characterized by its use of imitative counterpoint.

Giovanni Palestrina is known for his mass "Missa Papae Marcelli", which is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance polyphony.