Final answer:
The term 'Franco-Flemish' applies to a style of Renaissance music that originated from composers based in the Flanders region during the 15th and 16th centuries, known for their polyphonic style and influential compositions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term “Franco-Flemish” as it applies to Renaissance music refers to a significant style and school of composition that emerged in the Renaissance period, particularly in the 15th and 16th centuries. This school represented a group of composers who were based in the region of Flanders, which today corresponds to parts of modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. These composers were known for their advanced polyphonic style and were central to the musical innovations of the time, influencing the development of Renaissance music across Europe.
The Franco-Flemish school's polyphonic music was characterized by the use of imitative counterpoint, a technique that involves the interweaving of independent melodic lines that emulate each other. Their music also illustrated a movement towards smoothness in voice leading and an increased use of the interval of the third, which was a shift from the medieval practice where thirds were deemed dissonances. The works of Franco-Flemish composers possessed a richness in texture, often employing four or more vocal parts.
Many Franco-Flemish composers, such as Josquin des Prez and Orlando di Lasso, were highly influential in their time and were notable for the increased expressiveness and emotion in their music. This school played a transformative role in the transition from medieval to early modern musical practice, and its influences were evident in the later development of baroque music. With the invention of the Gutenberg press, their music was more widely disseminated across Europe, vastly impacting the music of the Renaissance and beyond.