A Perfected Art:

A Perfected Art: Church Polyphony in the Late Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries

Josquin des Prez (ca. 1450–1521) • “Master of the notes: They must do as he wills” – Martin Luther

• Creator of the Ars perfecta “to which nothing can be added, after which nothing but decline is to be expected” – Henricus Glareanus (1488–1563)

Humanism • Renewed interest in the study of Ancient texts • Music as a branch of poetic eloquence

Dodecachordon (1547) • Glareanus • Recognition of four additional modes – Ionian, Hypoionian – Aeolian, Hypoaeolian

Josquin’s Career • From 1475: chapel choir of René, King of Sicily and Duke of Anjou, in Aix-en-Provence • 1489: papal choir in Rome • 1502: music director for Duke Ercole d’Este, in Ferrara – Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae – Soggetto cavato dalle vocali (theme carved out of vowels)

A Model Masterpiece • Josquin’s Ave maria [Anthology 1-47] – Words and melody from the Annunciation sequence – Equal-voice polyphonic setting – Declamation, syntax, and semantic

Imitations • Ludwig Senfl (ca. 1486–1543), Ave Maria …Virgo serena • Antoine de Févin (ca. 1470–1512), Mass on Ave Maria … Virgo serena – Imitation Mass

• Josquin, Benedicta es, coelorum [Anthology 1-48] – Six-voice motet based on chant sequence for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin – Cantus firmus writing

All Is Known • Ars perfecta • Le istitutioni harmoniche (1558) • Gioseffo Zarlino (1517–1590) • Triad as “harmonia perfetta” (“The Perfect Harmony”)

The “Post-Josquin” Generation • Jacobus Clemens (1510–1556) “Clemens non papa” – Souterliedekens • 150 Psalms paraphrased into Dutch verse • Metrical psalms • contrafactum

The “Post-Josquin” Generation • Adrain Willaert (1490–1562) – Benedicta es, coelorum regina (published 1545) [Anthology 1-50] – Motet

The New Instrumental Music • ricercare • Cori spezzati (split choirs)

Palestrina and the Ecumenical Tradition • Gionvanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594) – Worked in papal service under 11 successive popes – 104 complete settings of the Ordinary – Approximately 400 motets – Vesper hymns and a complete cycle of Mass Offertories – Two books of madrigals

Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli • From second book of Masses (published 1567) • [Anthology 1-51a,b,c] • Council of Trent

• Palestrina’s Tui sunt coeli [Anthology 1-52] – From the book of Offertories (published 1594)

“Stairway to Parnassus” • stile antico “old style” • Gradus as Parnassum (1725) – Johann Joseph Fux (1660–1741) – Music theory treatise derived from Palestrina’s style

Alternatives to Perfection • • • • •

Henry VIII Anglican Music Church of England John Taverner (1490–1545) Thomas Tallis (1505–1585)

The Recusant William Byrd (1543–1623) • Catholic serving in the chapel royal • Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur – Published jointly with Tallis (1575) – Motets

The Recusant William Byrd (1543–1623) • Settings of forbidden liturgical texts • Mass Ordinary settings • “Agnus Dei” from Mass in Four Parts [Anthology 1-53a] • “Agnus Dei” from Mass in Five Parts [Anthology 1-53b]