Final answer:
It is true that during the Renaissance, music was used for emotional healing and was prescribed by physicians. Renaissance music had significant cultural and health-related influences in society, characterized by its polyphonic texture and modal use.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that music during the Renaissance was not only used as a remedy for melancholy and despair, but also prescribed by physicians as preventative medicine is historically true. During the Renaissance, the impact of music on emotional and physical health was acknowledged. Physicians sometimes recommended music to improve health and treat various ailments. This use reflects the broader cultural belief in the power of music, which was an integral part of the humanistic thought emerging at the time.
Renaissance music was characterized by its polyphonic texture and use of modes. The period saw an increased distribution and diversity of secular music through the invention of the Gutenberg press, making music more widely available to the emerging bourgeoisie. Music education flourished in the region's many churches and cathedrals, leading to music becoming a common language of expression and a key component in societal functions.
The modal characteristics of Renaissance music began to decline towards the end of the period, leading to the development of tonality, which is one of the foundations of Western classical music.