Final answer:
Pre-Trent liturgies varied, characterized by regional differences and liturgical realism. They primarily included masses and motets, with late incorporations of secular music forms. The Council of Trent imposed significant changes, affirming traditional Catholic doctrines and practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristics of pre-Trent liturgies were diverse as they evolved over centuries before the standardization that occurred as a result of the Council of Trent. These liturgies were marked by a variety of regional practices and texts. Liturgical realism was a notable feature where church art would depict contemporary ritual and material culture.
Principal forms of liturgy included the mass and the motet, which endured throughout the Renaissance period. Near the end of this period, sacred music composers began incorporating secular forms into the liturgy, such as the madrigal, for their compositions.
The outcomes of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) significantly affected liturgical practices by denying Lutheran teachings such as justification by faith alone and affirming the Catholic Doctrine of Merit, the existence of Purgatory, the importance of all seven sacraments, religious art, and the authority of scripture along with church teachings and traditions.