A Comparison of the Sixteenth and Twentieth Century Styles in Roman Catholic Music

A comparison of the sixteenth and twentieth century styles in Roman Catholic music Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Capps, Ferald B. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 25/09/2021 04:59:10 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553548 A COMPARISON OF THE SIXTEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURY STYLES IN ROMAN CATHOLIC MUSIC ; - . by ....._ . PeraId B. Capps . , A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Voice in partial fulfillment of the requiremonts for the degree of , r-.™ Master of Music , _ in the Qrtolwte 'College ]___ University of Arisons ... 1941 Approved: araerass & t so n caatte YHimiao Trm-:^ am cieur ouoKT.io fit/xes xi Xd ! . A sd3 lo *£fct oi bsSflMtitte <vSU • ' (leqeO 9t$> i i m ; »ttiaq nJ &imt:' iO #a*fie& sJaabaia edit sut mctpMt'Xf: te flfcteievlaS m x eisvoaqqA 92 oeiln : • <^9V9/ /9"K/ , ,2- TABLE OP CONTENTS Chapter Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................ 1 INTRODUCTION ....................... 11 I. THE MASSES AND THEIRAUTHORS ............ 1 Giovanni Pierluigi - Palestrina ..... 3 Pietro A. Y o n ....................... 10 II. THE MASS ............................... 14 The Form of Yon’s and Palestrina ’a Masses .......... 25 III. A TECHNICAL COMPARISON OP A SIXTEENTH CENTURY MASS WITH A TWENTIETH CENTURY M A S S .................................. 29 Chord Progressions ................... 29 Cadences...... 35 Chord Types .................. 47 Passing Notes ............ 50 Suspensions ........................ 55 Chord Notes In Comparison with Passing Notes .......... 61 The Use of Voices ................... 65 Melodic Intervals .......... 69 Rhythms U s e d .................. 73 Modulations ...................... 77 IV. CONCLUSIONS............................ 82 BIBLIOGRAPHY 90 v i 4 1 0 1 0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Slater Aloysla, of St. Mary1s Hospital, Tucson, Arizona, and Sister Eulalia, of St. Joseph's Academy, Tucson, Arizona, for their help and advice in locating music typical of the two centuries which would be suitable for this analysis; to Reverend Robert Brennan, director of music in the Catholic Church at Los Angeles, California, for the final recommendation of two Masses which would be acceptable music in the Catholic Church and at the same time representative of the two ■' ■■■ - ■ - . • : ' ' : centuries; and to professors John L. Lows11 and Rollin Pease for their time and pertinent criticisms so freely given during the course of this analysis. 1 INTRODUCTION The sixteenth century is generally recognized, as one of the greatest periods in music. For five hundred years preceding the sixteenth century, the art of polyphony had been growing and putting forth new forms until they over spread all Western Christendom. During the years 1550 - 1600, a small group of composers centered in Rome brought this growth to a climax in the form of contrapuntal com positions that are still unrivaled in the twentieth century. Of this group of composers, one in particular stands out as a master of contrapuntal technique — Paleatrina. His compositions reveal unity, strength, tenderness, expressiveness, and, above all, contrapuntal writing for the voice that has not since been equaled. A sampling of Roman Catholic Music in the twentieth century reveals that there is little, if any, music that is consistently written in the style of the sixteenth century. It is true, however, that characteristics of this period are to be found because this was one of the great periods in music and the basis of all contrapuntal technique was laid during this time. The sixteenth century insisted on order, strict con formity to rule, directness, and naturalness. Since 11 many changes have occurred during the past 300 years — the establishment of two definite modes, the flowering of romanticism, the increased use of harmonies and modulation including a freer use of them, and the wider freedom per mitted in general theoretical construction — it is practically impossible to find music today that is con sistent with the sixteenth century style. Because vocal compositions of the twentieth century do not appear to follow the great polyphonic style of the sixteenth century, the author wished to make a teehhldsl comparison of a sixteenth century Maas with a twentieth century Mass to determine how much of the sixteenth century style remains in the twentieth century style and what differences there are between the styles of the two centuries. ' - " ' ' ill CHAPTER I THE HASSES AHD THEIR AUTHORS To make this analysis, it was necessary to find two Masses that would be moat representative of the sixteenth century Roman style and the twentieth century style. Father Robert Brennan, the direnter of music and Arch Diason of the Catholic Chureh at &os Angeles, California, very generously recommended two Masses that wore acceptable music in the Catholic Church and also quite representative of the two centuries. Upon his recommendation, the writer has chosen as a worK characteristic of the sixteenth century style the "Mlssa sine nomine0 by Palestrina. The title nMissa sine nomine" was undoubtedly chosen to con ceal the secular sources of the melodic theme upon which the Hass was constructed as the main theme of the Mass la taKen from the French folK-song nJe aula disheritie.n The Mass embodies the finest Palesfcrinian characteristics — unity, strength, tenderness, and expressiveness. As a Hass representative of the twentieth century, the "Kiasa Solemnis” by Pietro Yon was chosen. The analysis will attempt to bring out the differences between the sixteenth century style of writing and that of 2 the twentieth century style. It is difficult to draw any definite and set conclusions from the analyzation of just two works, but since the Palestrinian worK eenfcsins many of the characteristics of the sixteenth century Roman style and Yon is recognised as one of the better composers in the twentieth century, these two Masses are quite characteristic of the two styles. Roman School A small but select group of composers centered their aetlritiea in Rome. Some of them belonged strictly to a Roman school; others came from distant points in Europe to remain in Rome for long periods. The Roman school was truly a cosmopolitan one, but it was in a city which the Church and Churchmen dominated. Of this group of composers, tire, Ghristobal Morales and Tomas Luis de Vittoria, came from Spain. They con tributed much to the Roman school because they were able to maintain a vigorous polyphonic style, tinged with the color of their own nationality, against the onslaught of secularism. Vittoria emphatically refused to write secular mueie. The racial qualities which made Spain more con genial than Venice for an artist liKe El Greco are clearly dlseemable in the music of Vittoria*s ”Ave Maria.* The contrapuntal ohorua music of the Middle Age reached 3 its maturity in the middle of the sixteenth century. For five hundred years this art had been slowly, but constantly growing, putting forth new forms until they overspread all Western Christendom. It now remained for a school of great composers to erystalize in a body of great music the full achievement of this long revolutionary process. Thlm func tion was fulfilled by the Roman school between 1550 - 1600, and particularly by Palestrina. • ' ' ' ' ■. ■ i-> ■ v . -' . V . \ . - ' ' ' Giovanni Pierluigi - Palestrina It was given to this one man, Giovanni Pierluigi, called Palestrina f r m the place of his birth, to put the finishing touches upon this wonder of mediaeval genius, and to impart to it tonal beauty, majesty, and elevated devotional expression. Palestrina was b o m probably in 1524 or 25 and died in 1594. Be spent almost all of his art-life as director of music at Rome in the service of the people. Ageless Quality Palestrina1s rauaio has that ageless quality which is one of the hall-marKs of great art, but externally it belongs unmistaKably to its own day, to what is rather loosely termed the ^polyphonic school.1 The fundamental principle upon which the musical style of Palestrina is ■ ■ - . ■ ■■ ■ ■ : - ' • ' : , ■ ■ based is the decorative one, and it Is to be found in 4 plain chant Itself.1 Debussy, who made an Intensive study of sixteenth century music, puts1 the matter admirably. SpeaKing of /that musical arabesque or rather principle.. of' ornament2 3 which is the baa la of all forms of art,1 he gee# on to say: "The primitives, Palestrina, Orlando de . Lassus and others, made use of this divine arabesque: they discovered the principle In the Gregorian chant; and they strengthened these delicate traceries by strong counter point. It is not the character of the melody which moves us but rather the tracing of a • particular line, often indeed of several lines whose meeting, whether by chance or design, makes the appeal. ... ......v ... .... Flexible Decoration Within this essentially formal and decorative scheme Palestrina wrote music which shows a wonderful flexibility and freedom in its melodic linos - diverging, converging, crossing, running parallel, imitetlng, echoing, at times elaborate, at other time's simple, even almost coming to rest in homophonlc passages idiose broad effects seem to foreshadow the latter method of using ’vertical1 effecta of harmony. Sometimes the decoration sweeps into big, expanding outlines that give the music a quality of grandeur on the largest scale, Although he waa as in- 1. ' Gdatea, Henry, Palestrina. 2. This word, as Deoussy explains, is, of course, not used in the same sense as when employed in text-books on musical Btotation. 3. Coates, Henry, op. clt. 6 genlous a oontrapuntalist as any of M s contemporaries, Palestrina always subordinated the use of scholastic de vices such as canon or fugue to the considerations of beauty of musical effect.

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