The Music of the Codex Calixtinus
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800:521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. L._ Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. Order Number 1349424 A study of early polyphony: The music of the Codex Calixtinus Aguirre, M. Yolanda, M.A. The American University, 1992 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. A STUDY OF EARLY POLYPHONY: THE MUSIC OF THE CODEX CALIXTINUS by M. Yolanda Aguirre submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Music Signatures of Committee: Chair: ^ ^ I 'fijbbvtk ( Dean of fche College s J i°l f Date 1992 The American University 73/^r Washington, D.C. 20016 THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LTPTf#^ Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT by M. Yolanda Aguirre 1992 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. In memory of my loving father Dr. Carlos Aguirre Rodriguez (O.B.E.) Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. A STUDY OF EARLY POLYPHONY: THE MUSIC OF THE CODEX CALIXTINUS BY M. Yolanda Aguirre ABSTRACT The Codex Calixtinus is a twelfth-century manuscript written in homage to St. James and located in the cathedral library of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The codex contains liturgical services for the vigil and feast of St. James, a guide for pilgrims that came to Santiago, a written record of the miracles of St. James, and a significant collection of monophonic and polyphonic music. This thesis, after a brief survey of the contents of the manuscript, has as its principal emphasis the research conducted to date on the polyphonic music. Matters discussed include attributions of the musical works, notation, rhythm, stylistic characteristics of the music, types of organum, and performance practice. Included is a list of facsimiles and transcriptions of the polyphonic works, selected transcriptions of the three-part Conqaudeant catholici. and information on audio and visual recordings of the polyphony. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT......................................................ii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION............................................. 1 2. SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA.............. 4 The Establishment of the City and the Building of the Cathedral.................................. 5 The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela........... 10 3. CODEX CALIXTINUS (LIBER SANCTI JACOBI)................ 14 Contents of the Manuscript and Musical Repertoire..16 4. THE POLYPHONIC REPERTOIRE.............................. 22 Notation............................................. 26 Rhythm............................................... 30 Types of Organum.....................................39 Stylistic Characteristics........................... 41 Performance Practice................................ 51 5. CONCLUSION.............................................. 57 Appendices 1. TABLE OF POLYPHONIC COMPOSITIONS ................ 60 2. TRANSCRIPTIONS OF CONGAUDEANT CATHOLICI............... 75 Bibliography........................... 81 Audio/Visual Sources....................................... 89 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Codex Calixtinus is a remarkable manuscript that was compiled in the twelfth century. This work was inspired by a religious movement that began in the ninth century and drew thousands of persons to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain each year. They came to pay hommage to the remains of St. James the Apostle. The codex served as a commemorative document of the travels, the liturgical celebrations, and a testament to the existence of the sacred relics. The codex contains a collection of liturgical services for the vigil and feast of St. James, a guide for use by pilgrims to Santiago, a written record of the miracles of St. James, and a significant collection of monophonic and polyphonic music. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a survey of the research that has been undertaken to date on the polyphonic works contained in the manuscript and to compare the different points of view regarding the theoretical aspects of the music. In addition, information will be provided on the cultural importance of the codex as a whole. Scholars have studied the Codex Calixtinus from 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 different cultural, social, and musical perspectives. Musicologists have typically analyzed the codex on the basis of the evidence found in the musical contents, while not examining closely other significant aspects of the codex. Some scholars have concluded that on the basis of the musical contents the codex is merely a peripheral source as compared to other contemporary collections in the French repertory. Further, they have not placed this manuscript in the context of Spanish cultural history. General historians, however, have considered the codex to be a primary source for the understanding of the culture of the medieval period at that time, and that the manuscript has to be examined in all of its aspects in order to place this work in its proper historical position. For this reason, the first two chapters provide necessary background for a full understanding of the manuscript. Important Spanish sources have been consulted for a better understanding of this subject. Chapter two focuses on the life of St. James, the establishment of the city of Santiago and the construction of the cathedral, and the pilgrimage to the shrine. Chapter three includes a general description of the manuscript and its physical characteristics. Each of the five books that make up this codex are discussed in detail. Important aspects such as the miracles of St. James, the legend of the relics, the Pilgrim's Guide, and an introduction to the musical contents are described. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter four is a detailed discussion of the musical contents with primary emphasis on the polyphonic works. Examined are attributions, notation, theories regarding the rhythm, stylistic characteristics of the polyphonic pieces, types of organum found in these works, and performance practice; information on current ensembles that perform pieces from this repertory and their recordings is included. The twenty-two polyphonic works contained in the Codex Calixtinus have been studied by many scholars, but without consential agreement as to exactly how these works ought to be transcribed, especially regarding the rhythm and the placement of the voices. Accordingly, chapter three includes a comparison of various approaches to transcribing these works. Conqaudeant catholici, the only three-voice work in the collection, is used as the example for the purposes of this discussion. Readers should refer to Appendix II for the transcriptions. This thesis also includes the first comprehensive table (Appendix I) of facsimiles and transcriptions for the polyphonic works contained in the codex. This appendix systemically lists the location of the pieces in the manuscript, the attributions, title translations, types of pieces, facsimile editions, and transcriptions. Reproduced with permission of the copyright