Final answer:
The Renaissance period continued to build upon the musical foundations of the Medieval era, witnessing the development of polyphony and the continued use of modes, while gradually incorporating greater harmony and smoother textures in compositions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Renaissance Music and the Continuity of Medieval Traditions
While the Renaissance period introduced significant changes in the realm of music, it maintained several musical principles established during the Medieval period. This era, marked by a transition from monophonic to polyphonic textures, witnessed the rise of polyphony which resulted in more elaborate musical compositions and the need for larger ensembles as well as instrument sets that harmonized across all vocal ranges.
Medieval music included both sacred and secular forms, with monophonic Gregorian chant dominating the early medieval period. Polyphonic music began to flourish in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, epitomized by the Ars nova. However, in the Renaissance, harmony and polyphony were guided by medieval rules, but with even more focus on chordal progression and modal harmonies.
The increased use of thirds, which had previously been considered dissonant, and a greater vocal range allowed for smoother textures and more independent musical lines. Principal liturgical forms such as masses and motets persisted throughout the Renaissance. Ultimately, the modal system began to break down, paving the way for tonal characteristics that would define subsequent musical periods.