Final answer:
The role of musicians and composers during the Renaissance was integral to developing polyphonic music, with improved distribution due to the Gutenberg press and raised demand from the bourgeoisie. Training and work opportunities across Europe, such as in Italy, influenced the era's music, leading to opera's emergence and broad changes in musical styles and practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of musicians and composers during the Renaissance was pivotal in the evolution of music, marked by significant developments such as the invention of the Gutenberg press, which facilitated the wide-scale distribution of music and musical theory.
The Renaissance period, often dated from around 1400 to 1600, saw a transformation in the musical landscape with the rise of the bourgeois class and the corresponding increase in demand for music as both entertainment and an activity for educated amateurs. Musicians were trained in a flourishing system of music education, particularly in the Low Countries, and their skills were highly desired throughout Europe, leading to positions as composers and teachers, especially in Italian churches and aristocratic courts.
During this period, the style of polyphonic music, characterized by multiple independent vocal or instrumental lines, became the defining feature of Renaissance music. This was expressed through genres such as chansons, motets, and masses, and in the works of renowned composers like Palestrina, Lassus, Victoria, and William Byrd.
Music was based on modes, textures in music were richer, and there was a greater concern for chord progression and harmony. Cities like Venice and Rome became vibrant centers of musical activity, and opera began to emerge in Florence with the intent to revive ancient Greek music traditions.