the performance of polyphony in early 16th-century italian ...the sacrae cantiones quinque, septem,...
TRANSCRIPT
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LaurieStras
Theperformanceofpolyphonyinearly
16th-centuryItalianconvents*
Thirtyyearsago,inachapterthatliftedtheveilonthemusicalworldofmedieval
conventsinEurope,themusicologistAnneBagnallYardleycalledfor‘an
increasedsensitivity…tothemusicalactivitiesofnuns’.1Sincethen,interestin
conventmusichasflourished,yetlacunaestillexist—particularlyinrespectof
the16thcentury,bothintermsofperformanceandscholarlyliterature.
Performinggroupsappeartohavemorefreedomtoexploreoneithersideofthe
HighRenaissance:whilenumerousensembles(Sequentia,Anonymous4,
EnsemblePeregrina,EnsembleKorymbos,TrioMedieval,Reverdie,tonamebut
afew)investigatenuns’musicuptothe15thcentury,andperhapsfewer(for
example,CappellaArtemisia,NewberryConsort,CappellaClausura,Schola
PietatisAntonioVivaldi)concentrateonthe15thand18thcenturies,thesonic
worldof16th-centuryconventmusichasremainedlargelyclosedtoourears.
Musicology,too,hasfoundthe16th-centuryconventdifficulttofathom.
ThiscouldbedowntowhatNatalieZemonDaviscalled‘thefictionofthe
archives’;thatis,theideathatthestorieswecantellareinevitablyshapedbythe
completenessoftheavailableevidenceandhowitisrecorded.2Evidencerelating
tomusicalpracticeatItalianconventsinthefirsthalfofthe16thcenturyis
mostlyfragmentary,rarelyconcentratedinanextendedrunofdocumentsora
coherentmusicalsource.3Yetwemayneverthelessconsiderhownunsmight
havedealtwiththelegacyofFranco-Flemishpolyphony,performingbothvoci
piene(‘fullvoices’orfullrange)andvocipari(‘equalvoices’orrestrictedrange)
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works,bothbyusingtechniquesthatareattestedincontemporarytreatises,and
bycloserreadingofwhatdocumentsdoexist.Thisessaybringstogethera
varietyofsources,someofwhichhavealreadybeendiscussedinscholarship,
andplacesthemindialoguewitheachother—offeringnewperspectives,andat
timeschallengingexistingones,onhowtheymightbeinterpreted.
Themusicalinstitutionsof16th-centuryconventswerenourishedand
admired,despitetheeffortsofsomereformerstosilencethem,andwhereaselite
malechapelchoirswereheardonlybythefew,nuns’musicwasavailableto
everycitizen,onadailybasis.Nunsregularlyperformedpolyphonybothduring
liturgicalworshipandoutsidechapel,whetheritwaswrittenexpresslyforthem,
oradaptedfortheiruse.Theysangatthecommandofpopesandnobility,and
wereevenusedasexamplestoinspire(orshame)lessermusicians.4Restoring
femalevoicesto16th-centurypolyphonyhasthepotentialtotransformour
modernconceptofthesoundoftheHighRenaissanceintooneinwhichboth
maleandfemalevoiceshaveauthority.
Documentaryevidenceofconventpolyphonyinthe16thcentury
Practicalevidence,intheformofmusicmanuscriptsorprintsdirectlylinkingthe
compositionandsingingofpolyphonyinItalianconvents,isnotplentifulpriorto
theendofthe16thcentury.5Thefirstmusicalpublicationattributedtoanun,
theSacraecantionesquinque,septem,octo,&decemvocibusdecantandebythe
FerrareseSuorRaffaellaAleotti,didnotemergeuntil1593.6Inthesecondhalfof
thecentury,however,thereisarelativelysmallnumberofdedicationstonunsin
printedbooksofbothsacredandsecularmusic(Table1).Fromthesewelearn
thatnunsinmanyItaliancitieswerefamiliarwiththeperformanceofpolyphony
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intheirdailylives,bothinchapelaspartoftheirdevotionandrecreation.For
instance,thededicationofTiburtioMassaino’sSacricantusquinqueparibus
vocibus...libersecundus(Venice:Gardano,1580)statesthatthemotetswerea
commission,andthattheywereintendedtobeusedbothinchurchandin
privatemusic-making:7
EtperchefosserocantatiinChiesa,etpercheservisseronellehoredelriposo
perunhonestointrattenimentoàquellehonorategiovani,chesottolasanta
disciplinadellaR.vostra…fuihonoratodasuoicomandamentiàcomporre
comehofattodiversiMotettiàvocepari…
AndbecausetheymightbesunginChurch,andbecausetheymightserve
duringthehoursofreposeasadecententertainmentforthosehonourable
maidensthatareunderthedisciplineofyourReverence…Iwashonouredby
yourcommandtocomposeasIhavedoneseveralmotetsinequalvoices…
--InsertTable1nearhere[fileonS1]--
Theearliestofthesebooksis,infact,secular:theFerrareseFrancesco
dallaVioladedicatedhisPrimolibrodemadrigaliaquattrovoci(Venice:Gardano,
1550)toSuorLeonorad’Este(1515–1575),onlysurvivingdaughterofDuke
AlfonsoId’EsteandLucreziaBorgia.8Butthispublicationisanoutlier:liturgical
settingsonlybegintoappearinthelasttwodecadesofthecentury,andby1600
theyarestillbarelyindoublefigures.Therealexplosionofconventualmusicin
printbeginsinearnestattheturnofthe17thcentury,withmorebooks
emerginginthefirstdecadethanhadbeenissuedinthepreviouscentury.9This
burgeoningofconventcultureisperhapsindicativeofthesocioeconomicreality
ofanexpandingconventpopulation,fortherewasasteepincreaseinthe
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numberofnoblewomenmonachizedduringthesecondhalfofthecentury.10
Morewell-educatednuns,increasedcompetitionbetweenconventstoattract
bothdowriesandmemorialbequests,andasubtle(ornotsosubtle)pressure
frompost-Tridentinereformerscouldallhaveincreasedthedemandfornew
bespokecompositionsthatsatisfiedboththeneedforprestigeandmoreself-
evidentadherencetomusicaldecorum.And,ofcourse,themoreaccomplished
themusicatanyparticularconvent,thebetterforitsowneconomichealth:itis
bynomeansacoincidencethattheconventswiththefinestmusical
establishmentsoftenattractedwomenfromtheupperechelonsofpatrician
society,withappropriately-sizeddowries.11
Yetdespitetherelativepaucityofdirectlyverifiablemusicalmaterials
relatingtoconventpolyphonypriortothislate-centuryflowering,wecanbe
certainthatitwasmanifestedmuchearlierinurbancentresacrossItalythrough
evidencegleanedfromthedocumentaryrecord.Frequently,accountsofvisitsby
dignitaries,royaltyornoblesrevealtheimportanceofthemusical,asmuchas
spiritual,experiencetotheevent.Thesevisitswerevisibleevidenceof
institutionalsupportforconvents,asnodoubttheyculminatedindonationsand
patronage,buttheconventswerealsoofferingaquidproquo:nuns’continual
prayerwasconsideredvitaltothespiritualhealthofthecity.12
EspeciallypopularforpublicattendancewereVespersservices,when
congregationscouldgatherintheouterchurchtohearthenuns’singingthrough
thegrillesthatseparatedtheouterchurchfromtheinnerchoir.13In1475Sixtus
IVwenttotheClarissanconventofSanCosimatoinTrasteveretohearVespers,
anditwasreportedthatthenuns’singingmovedhimtotears.14Attimes,visitors
wereinvitedtostayafterwardstoreceiverefreshment,andmayalsothenhave
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beenentertainedfurther:forinstance,on2January1492theFerrareseDuke
ErcoleId’EsteattendedtwoVespersservices(‘quellodelaMadon[n]aprimaet
poiquellodelSignore’)atCorpusDominiinBologna,andafterwardswitnessed
sixnunssinginglaude.15InVenice,nuns’musichadalsobeenattractingattention
sincethemid-15thcentury:EmperorFrederickIIIvisitedtheBenedictine
conventofSanZaccariain1469,andwasdelightedbythenunssingingpsalms
andlaude;in1502Isabellad’EsteandElisabettaGonzagaweresimilarly
impressedbytheAugustiniancanonessesofLeVergini.16Inthe1520sthediarist
MarinSanudorecommendedthesetwoconventsastouristattractions,
equivalenttotheDoge’spalaceandthePiazzaSanMarco.17Musicalcuriosityand
pietycouldbesatisfiedinasinglevisit:themostimportantClarissanhousein
Veniceduringthelate15thandearly16thcenturieswasattachedtothepopular
pilgrimagechurchofSantaMariadeiMiracoli,wherethechoirwasplacedabove
theentrancetothechurch,heardbutnotseen.18
Thepresenceoforgansinconvents’innerchoirs,evenasthe16thcentury
dawned,suggeststhatthepracticeofpolyphonywaswidespread.Organswere
notnecessaryforchant,yettheyplayedavitalroleinfacilitatingwomen-only
performanceastheycouldprovidesupporttothewholeensemble,principally
bycoveringordoublinganyofthevoices—inparticularthelowestpart.Asearly
as1480,theFerrareseambassadortoFlorencenotedinhisdispatchesthatthe
qualityofbothsingingandorganplayingattheBenedictineconventofLe
Muratewasequaltothatheardina[ducal]chapel.19Wemightthenconclude
thattheEstes’subsequentsupportintheformoforganbuildingand
maintenanceatnearlyallofthecity’sconvents—whichcontinuedthroughout
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the16thcentury—wasperhapsprompted,oratleastsustained,bydynastic
rivalry.20
Duringthelastdecadeofthe15thcentury,Florentinenuns’familiarity
withpolyphonycameinforspecialcriticismfromGirolamoSavonarola,who
deemedtheiruseoforgansparticularlyfrivolous,evenheinous.21Yet
Savonarola’sowndetractor,AngelodaVallombrosa,disagreedthatthesisters
wereneglectingtheOfficebychoosingpolyphonyoverchant.Inwhatseemsa
deliberatechallengetothosewhousedSt.Paul’swords‘Mulieresinecclesiis
taceant’(1Corinthians14,verse34;‘Womenshouldbesilentinchurch’)to
argueagainstconventpolyphony,FraAngeloselectsanalternativePauline
dictum,suggestingthatthenuns’singingwasanappropriatewaytopraiseGod,
edifyingtheircongregationthroughsheerpleasureatthesound.Heisclearthat
thenunsofFlorencewereskilledpractitioners,musicallyadvancedenoughto
singpolyphony‘inimitationofthePope’schapel’:22
inalcunimonasteriilesanctemonialieranoconsuetelaudareDioconcanto
figuratoadimitationedellacappelladelpapavicariodiDio.Essipropheti
hannotantogridatoaquellecheloroperignorantiafeminilesonomancate
dacosìlaudabileoficio,perqualecessandoneseguitaragrandidelicti,cum
sitchemoltiallectidalladulcedineditalemusichalasciavanoligiuochi,
bestemmie,lascivieetfurti,etandavanoaudirequella:ilchemancatosi
dannoavitii.Persuadenoaquellesemplicimonachecheeranoandatiperché
intalmodocantavanoperpiaceregl’huomini.Cheprocededagrande
presumptioneaguidicarelementedegl’huomini,cognitaalsuoDio:etionon
existimochesitruoviunotantoignorantechegiudichicheessemonache
fondassinolasuamenteprincipaleintaleerroremainlaudareDiosiein
piaceredegl’huominiseguitandoladoctrinadelloapostoloRomaxv:
unusquisqueplaceatproximoinbonumadaedificationem.
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InsomeconventstheholysisterswereusedtopraisingGodwithpolyphony
inimitationofthechapelofthePope,thevicarofGod.Thoseprophetshave
shoutedmuchatthenuns,thatthey—throughtheirfeminineignorance—are
neglectingthatmostpraiseworthyOffice,andceasingitwouldleadtogreat
offences,sincemany,attractedbythesweetnessofthismusicleavetheir
games,theirblaspheming,whoringandthieving,andcometohearit:butifit
werelackingtheywouldgivethemselvestovice.They[i.e.theprophets]
triedtopersuadethesimplenunsthatthepubliccamebecausetheywere
singinginthatwaytopleasemen.Thisiswhatcomesofthegreat
presumptionofguessingthemindsofmen,knownonlytotheirGod.AndI
don’treckonthatonecouldfindanyonesostupidastobelievethatthese
nunsgroundedtheirprimarythinkinginsucherror,butinpraisingGodand
inpleasingmen,followingthedoctrineofRomans15,‘leteachpleasehis
neighbourforhisgood,toedification’.
Practicalconsiderationsforfemale-voicepolyphony
Singingpolyphonyrequiredsomeknowledgeofmusictheory,inparticularthe
hexachordalsystemandtherulesregardingmusicaficta.Tuitionwasoften
providedbyoutsiders;in1512,Isabellad’EsterequestedthatthesistersofSan
GiovanniinMantuareceiveinstructionfrom‘learnedanddiscreet’teachers,as
theirinexpertsinging‘offended’herears.23TheBenedictinesistersatLeMurate
inFlorence,whohadcultivatedthelearningofpolyphonyfromatleastthe
middleofthe15thcentury,alsobenefittedfromthetuitionofpriests.24Asmall
groupofnunswouldgatheratthegratetoreceivesinginginstruction,
chaperonedbyseniormembersoftheconvent;thesesisterswereexpectedthen
toteachtheothers.Thissystemofcascadedlearningbecamethenormfor
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maintainingandextendingmusicalexpertiseinconvents.Bythelater16th
centurymanycommunitieswereexpectedtobeself-sufficient,eitherthrough
teachingin-houseorbyrecruitingyoungwomenwhohadalreadyreceiveda
thoroughmusicaleducation.25
15th-centurymusiciansattemptingtoschoolyoungnovicesinthe
fundamentsofmusicaltheorymighthavefoundappropriateteachingmaterials
hardtocomeby.26Yetin1508theMilanesetheoristandcomposerFranchinus
GaffuriusbroughtoutavernaculartranslationandcondensationofhisPractica
musicaeandMusicatheorica,theAngelicumacdivinumopusmusicae…materna
linguascriptum.TheAngelicumacdivinumexplainshexachords,themodes,
mensuralnotationandmetre.Itsopeningparagraphevenstatesthatthe
translationwouldspecificallybenefitnuns,amongotherswhowerenotableto
readLatin:
Perchemoltiilliteratifanoprofessionedemusica:etcongrandedifficultade
pervenganoalaveracognitionedelipraeceptiharmonicipernonintenderele
operenostreetdealtridegniauctorilatiniqualesonscripteconqualcheornato
etalquantoobscurostillo:havemoconsyderatosubvenirenonsolamentealor
votietdesiderii:maanchoraaladevotionedemoltedonnereligioseintentead
laudareloeternoDiocontuttalacorteceleste:imitandoleangeliceIerarchie:et
adornamentodelcultodivino…descrivaremoinlinguamaternaconbrevitade
moltedegneconsyderationenecessarieacheestudiosodeperveniread
perfectacognitionedequestaangelicadoctrina.
Becausemanyilliteratepersonsmakeaprofessionofmusic,andwithgreat
difficultyarriveatthetrueunderstandingoftheharmonicpreceptsbecause
theydonotunderstandourworksandthosebyotherworthyLatinauthorsthat
arewritteninasomewhatornateandobscurestyle:wehavethoughttosubmit
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notonlytotheirwishesanddesires,butalsotothedevotionofmanywomen
religiousintentonpraisingtheeternalGodwithallthecelestialcourt,imitating
theangelichierarchies,andtotheornamentofthedivineworship…wewill
describeinthemothertonguewithbrevitymanyworthyconsiderations
necessarytoonewhoisstudioustoarriveataperfectunderstandingofthis
angelicdoctrine.27
AfterGaffurius,directallusionstonunsmakingmusicdonotappearin
didacticliteratureagainuntilOrazioVecchimakesafleetingreferenceinan
undatedmanuscript,writtentowardstheendofthecentury.28Nonetheless,nuns
couldfindtheinformationtheyneededintreatisespublishedforgeneraluse,in
particularthosethatexpoundatlengthonperformance,suchasthosebyNicola
VicentinoandGioseffoZarlino.Thesetreatisesmakeclearsomeofthechallenges
thatfacedconventchoirs,andthepracticalsolutionsthatwereavailable.
Regardlessoftheerainwhichtheyflourished,Italy’snunmusiciansfacedthe
samefundamentalissuewhenitcametoperformingmuchoftheexisting
polyphonicrepertoire.Themostprestigiousconventswereabletoscoutfor
singerswithlowvoices,butthesewomenwerealwaysexceptional.29Sochoirs
wouldhavetoadaptexistingmusic,unlesscomposedspecificallyinatessitura
appropriatetohighvoices,inordertorenderitsuccessfully.Inpractice,this
meantachoiceofeitherinstrumentalaccompanimenttosupplyorsupplement
thelowervoicesortranspositioninordertobringthemusicintotherightrange;
inmanyinstancesbothtechniquesmightbeused.
ThechaptersontranspositionatthekeyboardinZarlino’sLeistitutioni
harmonicherevealapracticalunderstandingofmusic-makinginreligioushouses
wheretherangesofchoirsmightberestricted:
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Trasportationisonovtili,etsommamentenecessarieancoadogniperito
Organista,cheseruealleMusichechoriste;etadaltriSonatorisimilmente,
chesonanoaltresortidiistrumenti,peraccommodareilsuonodiquellialle
Voci,lequaliallevoltenonpossonoascendere,odiscenderetanto,quanto
ricercanoiluoghipropijdelliModi…30
Transpositionsareusefulandaboveallalsonecessaryforeveryskilled
organistwhoserveswithchoirs;andsimilarlytootherplayersthatplay
othersortsofinstruments,toaccommodatethepitchtothatofthevoices,
whichsometimescannotascendordescendfarenoughtoreachtheproper
placeofthemodes...
Zarlinosuggeststhattranspositionwassobasictomusiclearningthatonlythose
organistswhohadnotreceivedacompletemusicaleducation(suchasthosewho
learnttheircraftinaconvent,perhaps)wouldfindhisinstructionshelpful,
particularlyinthesingingofdailyoffices:
Lassohoragiudicareadogn'vnoperitonellaMusica,quantopotràessere
vtiletalecognitioneadogniOrganistanoncosibeneistruttonellaMusica:
conciosiachedallimostratiessempipotràvedere,etconoscerequello,che
haueràafare,quandogliaccascaràditrasportarealcunacantilena,quando
seruiràalleCapelle,ouesicantanovariecantileneappartinentiallichori,non
solonelleMesse,etnelliVesperi;maanchenell'altreHore,tantodiurne,
quantonotturne.31
Ileaveitnowtothejudgmentofanyonelearnedinmusichowmuchthis
knowledgeisusefultoanyorganistwhohasnotbeenwellinstructedin
music…whenitfallstothemtotransposewhateverpiece,whentheyare
servinginchapelswherevariousworkspertainingtothechoiraresung,not
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justinMassesandinVespers,butalsoinotherHours,bothdiurnaland
nocturnal.
Zarlinodiscussesthreekindsoftransposition:attheoctave;upordowna
fourth;orbyatone.32Stepwisetransposition(forallbutmodes3and4)couldbe
accommodatedrelativelyeasilywithinthemeantonetuningsystem,andmight
bedonetoimprovethesingers’comfortortone;itrequiredpracticeratherthan
achangeofnotation.33Hexachordaltransposition—thatis,transpositionatthe
fourthfromthenaturaltosofthexachordorviceversa—wasgenerally
expressedasatranspositionofthework’smode,whichgoverneditsmelodicand
harmonicorganization,andrequiredalterationoftheclefsinwhichthevoices
werewritten.Hexachordaltranspositionwasparticularlyimportanttonunsasit
wasthemostefficient,theoreticallygroundedmethodforbringingvocipiene
piecesintoaworkablefemalerange,althoughthebasswouldstillneedtobe
supportedorprovidedbyanorganorviol.OrazioVecchiexplainsthis
transpositionintermsofadaptingpolyphonyforstrings,‘colfavordellacorda’
(Examples1aand1b).34
--Example1anearhere,fullpage-width--
--Example1bnearhere,fullpage-width--
Althoughchiavinaturali(lowclefs:C1-C3-C4-F4)wereestablishedasthe
normforvocipienepolyphonyearlyoninthe16thcentury,chiavialti(highclef:
G2-C2-C3-F3)works,usingthedispositionofVecchi’stransposedexample,also
appearregularlyintheirownright.35High-clefworkshaveposedapractical
problemwithinthetraditionalnarrativeofpolyphonygiventhatmany,if
attemptedatnotatedpitch,arenotoptimal—orindeedareevenunsingable—for
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male-voiceensembles.Agreatdealofevidencehasbeencompiledrelatingto
stipulationsin17th-centurytheory(andthenextrapolatedbackwardtothe
16th)regardingmandatorydownwardtranspositionofhigh-clefworksbya
fourthorafifth,supportedbypracticalexamplesfrominstrumentalmanuals,
downward-transposedintabulations,andscores.36Butnoneofthe17th-century
advicespecificallyfocusingontheproblemofhighclefs,orindeedthe
scholarshipithasinspired,considersperformancebyfemale-voicechoirs.37This
isdespitethefactthathigh-clefvocipienepolyphonyisreadilyperformable—
withouttransposition—bywomen,ifthebassissuppliedbyorreinforcedwith
instruments.Somehigh-clefworksmayevenhaveoriginatedasworksfor
conventperformance,andnotjustthosethatappearinvolumesdedicatedto
nuns.Whileitwouldbedisingenuoustosuggestthatallsuchworkswerewritten
forfemalevoices,itwouldbeequallyill-advisedtoexcludethatpossibilityfor
individualworkssolelyontheassumptionthathighclefsmustalwaysbe
transposed,andthereforehavenosignificanceintermsofperformancepitch.
Anearly17th-centuryworkdedicatedtoanunrevealsthatdownward
transpositionofhigh-clefpieces,farfrombeingmandatory,isjustoneofasetof
options;andinthiscase,atleast,itspecificallybringsmusicwrittenforwomen
intoalowerrange,suitableformen.PompeoSignorucci’s1603Salmi,
falsibordonietmotettiatrevoci,whichwasdedicatedtohisex-pupil,SuorUritia
SerguilianioftheconventofSantaMargheritainBorgoSanSepolcro,contains
psalmsettingsinthreevoices—twohigh,onelow—whichcanbesungassolos,
duetsortrios.Theprintedrubricsonthecontinuopartgivetheoptionof
downwardtranspositionforallpieces,notjustthoseinhighclefs.Forinstance,
theopeningwork,‘Endilectusmeus’—notatedinlowclefs—hastherubric‘In
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tuonoetallaquartabassa’(‘atpitch,andatafourthbelow’).38Atwrittenpitch
theuppervoicessitcomfortablyforfemalevoices(Example2a),butdownward
transpositionbyafourth(Example2b)bringsthemintoamaletenorrange
(whilemakingthelowestvoiceunsingable).Adviceregardingdownward
transposition,then,canbeseenasprimarilyrelevanttomale-voiceensembles
andaspartofaflexibleperformancepractice,ratherthansomethingthatshould,
orevencan,berigidlyapplied.
--Example2anearhere,fullpage-width--
--Example2bnearhere,fullpage-width--
Afurtherfeatureofhigh-clefvocipienepolyphonyrendersitevenmore
suitableforconventperformance.Asignificantnumberofhigh-clefworks
compresstherangebetweenthehighestandlowestvoicesbyraisingthe
tessituraofthelowestvoicebyathird(typically,G2-C2-C3-C4insteadofG2-C2-
C3-F3),sothatnotationallythisvoicesitsaninthbelowthecantusandathird
belowthetenor.39Compressedcleffingoptimizesvocipienepolyphonyfor
maturemaleensemblesthatlackfalsettistsorboys,butinhighclefsitalsooften
bringsallthevoicescomfortablyintotherangeofamaturefemaleensemble—
particularlyifthechoirincludesspecialistfemaletenorsorbasses.
Octavetranspositionandthevociparidisposition
Nunmusiciansnegotiatedissuesofperformancepitchandrangeonadailybasis,
usingtranspositionandaccompanimentastheirprimarytoolsforadaptationof
existingrepertoire;butnotallpolyphonywasreadilyadaptable.Ifthebassand
tenorvoicescrossfrequently,forexample,theadditionalweightoninstruments
onthebasslinecanmakeitseemasiftheharmonyinvertswhenthebassis
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higherthanthetenor.Forsomeworks,solvingproblemsofrangeinonevoice
createstheoppositeproblemattheotherextreme,andfortheseselective
transposition—thatis,transposingonlysomeofthevoicesbyanoctave—might
beanacceptablesolution.40Determiningthebestsolutionforindividualworks
wasamatteroftrialanderror:late16th-centurysourcesconfirmthat
preparationandrehearsalwerekeytothesuccessofconventmusic.41
Transpositiontechniquescouldalsobecombined,asOrazioVecchi
recommendsinrelationtoconventpractice:
Oravediamounamanieraditrasportationechesifaun'ottavapiùaltoperB
molle,laqualeèmoltoattapercanzonette,napolitane,arie,eper
composizionidamonache,operconcertarfanciulli,perchél'armonia
ristrettaetunitanell'acutoèmoltoallegra;oltrecheallevoltepercarestiade
bassi,taicomponimentisonocomodissimi.42
Nowweturntoamanneroftranspositionthatismadeanoctavehigherwith
Bflat,whichisveryaptforcanzonette,napolitane,songs,andfor
compositionsfor[orby]nuns,orforchildren’sensembles.Becausethe
harmony[is]restrictedandunitedinthehighregister,itisveryconvivial;
moreover,onoccasionswhenthereisalackofbasses,suchcompositionsare
veryhandy.
Todemonstrate,Vecchitreatshisprevioustranspositionupafourthtofurther
selectiveoctavetransposition.Heleavestheuppermostpartaloneandbrings
thelowerthreeupanoctave,creatingpolyphonyforthreeequalhighvoicesand
a‘bass’voiceinarangeafifthlower,notatingtheexampleinaG2-G2-G2-C2clef
arrangement(Example3).
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--Example3nearhere,fullpage-width--
Vecchi’stranspositioncreatesadispositionforthevoicesthatisseen
sporadicallyinthe15th-and16th-centurypolyphonicrepertoire,called
variouslyvocipari,vocimutate,orvocesaequalesintreatises,ontitlepages,and
inrubricstoindividualcompositions.43ThisdispositionisdiscussedbyPietro
Aron,Zarlino,andVicentino—invariably,however,asacombinationoflower
voicesnotatedinlowerclefs.44Itismostfrequentlyseenwithaslightlywider
compassandwiththerangesoftheinnervoicesduplicated,typicallyemploying
G2-C1-C1-C3orC3-C4-C4-F4clefs.LikeVecchi,Vicentinoshowshowthe
dispositionmayarisefromoctavetransposition:eitherbycomposingacantus
partspecificallyfordownwardtransposition(sopranomutabile),oratenorpart
thatmaybetransposedup(tenormutabile).45
Vociparipolyphony—mostlyfrequentlyfoundinthreeorfourvoices,but
sometimesinfiveorevensix—appearsinmanyearly16th-centurypublications,
sometimeswitharubricbutmostoftenundifferentiatedfromthevocipiene
works.However,around1540,Venetianpublishersbegantoissuespecialized
collectionsofvocipariworks,possiblytocaterforthemarketprovidedby
religiousestablishments.46Vociparipolyphonyisidealfornuns’ensembles;
indeed,theearliestsacredpublicationsdedicatedtonunsindicateontheirtitle
pagesthattheworksareinequalvoices(seeTable1above).Whilesomevoci
pariworksarenotatedinhighclefs,most,eveninrepertoireunequivocally
associatedwithconventuse,arepublishedwiththehighestvoiceinC3orC4clef,
obligingfemalechoirstotransposeinordertobringtheworktoperformance.
Curiously,itisnotuncommontofindasmallnumberofcompressed-clefworks
inotherwisevociparipublications.47Thissuggeststhatpublishers(and
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purchasers)understoodthetitle-pagelabelvociparidifferentlytotheorists:
moreasapracticalindicationthattheworksaresuitableforsingle-sex
ensemblesthanasaprecisedescriptionoftheirclefdisposition.
Refininganunderstandingof16th-centurynuns’repertoire:two
manuscriptsexplored
Whileevenasmallnumberofprintscantellusagreatdealaboutnuns’
polyphonicpractice,thetextstheypreserveareinevitablymediatedbythe
publisher,andchangesintroducedatthepublicationstagemightwellobscure
detailsthatwouldotherwisebeinformative.Forinstance,Gardano’sapparent
desiretorationaliseclefcombinationsinordertomakehispartbooksmore
uniformledhimtotransposevocipariworksoriginallypublishedinhighclefs
downanoctavewhenreissuingthemsomeyearslater.48Manuscripts
commissionedandusedbyconventsmayrevealmore,butsuchvolumesare
scarce.Nevertheless,twomanuscriptslinkedwithItalianconvents—Verona,
BibliotecaCapitolareMs761(c.1495)[VeronaMs761]andBrussels,
BibliothèqueduConservatoireRoyaldeMusiqueMs27766(c.1560)[Brussels
Ms27766]—corroboratetheideathatnunsinthefirsthalfofthe16thcentury
foundsuitablerepertoireincompressed-clefandvocipariworks.Atthesame
time,theyalsoshowthatthoughuntransposedlowclefswerenotabarrierto
performance,highclefnotationwasmorepractical.
VeronaMs761
VeronaMs761joinsthemusicoftheSistineChapeltoiconographicalevidence
ofnunssingingpolyphony.49Themanuscriptpreservesmasses,credos,andaTe
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17
Deum,andincludesworksbyJosquin,Brumel,Martini,BusnoysandObrecht,
severalofwhichalsoappearinVaticanchoirbooks.50Basedonitsopening
heraldicilluminations,JudithBenfieldarguedthatthemanuscript
commemoratedtheweddingofIsabettaBrenzoniandGiorgioMaffeiin1495.51
Usingthisdateasapointofdepartureforhisowninvestigation,JoshuaRifkin
thenidentifiedthescribeasoneGirolamoBeltrandi,asingerwhowasemployed
atbothSanPietroandtheSistineChapelinRomeinthe1490s.52Whilethere
mightbeanotherexplanationfortheheraldicilluminations(seethediscussion
ofBrusselsMs27766below),1495alsosawtheestablishmentoftheLeagueof
Veniceon31March,aneventthatwasmarkedinVeronawiththreedaysand
nightsofcelebration.53Aconnectionwiththiseventwouldaccountwellforthe
manuscript’scontents,includingthreeL’hommearmémasses(byBusnois,
FauguesandBrumel),ananonymousMissaDapacem,andtheTeDeumsetting,
aswellastheexhortationfromPsalm88featuredonthefirstopening,‘Beatus
populusquiscitjubilationem’(‘blessedisthepeoplethatknowsthejoyful
sound’).
--Illus.1nearhere(Fig1onScholarOne),fullpage-width,colour--
Acertaindissonancebetweenthismanuscript’scontentsandits
iconographyhascausedcontroversyinmusicologicalcircles.Itsprominent
illuminationsincludeaportraitofanunontheopeningpage,andbelowonthe
samepageisaminiatureofagroupofnunsandnovicessingingaroundalectern
supportingachoirbook,inwhichapolyphonicworkisclearlyindicated(illus.1).
Benfieldnotedthatearlierscholarshiphadassumedthatthemanuscriptwas
ownedbyaconvent,thoughshediscountedthetheory.54However,usingthe
symbolismembeddedintheillumination,HowardMayerBrownshowedthatthe
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18
nunisFebbroniaBrenzoni,abbessoftheBenedictineconventSantaLuciasopra
ilChievobetween1492and1511;hethussuggestedthatthemanuscriptwas
compiledforconventualuse.55FollowingBenfieldindisputingthattheimage
hadanysignificanceforthemanuscript’sprovenance,JoshuaRifkinspeculated
insteadthatthecollectionwasintendedforthenewchoirschoolattheduomo,
basedonitscontemporaneitywiththeestablishmentoftheschool’sstatutes,the
connectionsofitsscribetooneofthecathedral’scanons(amemberoftheMaffei
family),anditslongpresence—sincethe17thcentury—inthecathedrallibrary.
Thereare,however,goodreasonswhyavaluablemusicmanuscript
belongingtoSantaLuciacouldhavechangedownershipevenasearlyasthefirst
halfofthe16thcentury.ThemusicaltraditionsfosteredatSantaLuciaduring
Brenzoni’srulewouldundoubtedlyhavebeendisruptedbytheImperialwars,in
whichtheconvent’s‘moltograndi,emagnifici’churchandbuildingswereso
comprehensivelydamagedthattheyhadtobedemolishedin1518.56Thenuns
wereforcedtomovetoamuchlesssalubriouscomplexinthecity,anditisat
thismomentthatthemanuscriptmighthavemovedtobehousedatthe
cathedral.Moreover,in1539,theBishopofVeronabannedconventpolyphony
outrightthroughoutthediocese,atwhichpointthemanuscriptmighthavebeen
surrendered.57
ItisentirelypossiblethattheBrenzoni-Maffeiweddingtookplaceat
SantaLucia,andindeedthatIsabettaBrenzonihadsomeyouthfulexperienceof
theconvent.58Yetthedecidedlyrisquécontentofsomeofthechansonmodels
forthemassesperhapsmakesthemanuscriptappearinappositeforconventuse.
ThechansonOrsus,orsus,themodelforoneofthemassesbyMartini,mocks
bridegroomswhobecomecuckolds,whilethemodelforJosquin’sMissaL’ami
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19
Baudichonrelatesalewdproposition(delicatelyskirtedbythescribe,whoomits
asinglewordofanatomicaldetail).TheincipitofOrsus,orsusandthe(nearly)
completetextofL’amiBaudichonareeachinsertedunderthetenorcantus
firmusoftheirrespectivefirstKyriesectionsand,inthecaseofJosquin’sMissa
L’amiBaudichon,atthebeginningoftheGloriaaswell.59Nevertheless,itisfar
fromcertainthatthesetextsareintendedtobesung—theyareincomplete,and
itissimpletosupplythecorrectOrdinarytextateachpoint,evenextempore.
Moreover,othermanuscriptsproducedby16th-centurynunsalsoinclude
suggestive,evenobscenematerial,showingthatnunswerenotimperviousto
secularhumour.60
BrownobservedthattheworksinVeronaMs761arenotsuitablyscored
forfemalevoices,andassumedthattherepertoirewasassembledwithout
regardtowomen’sranges.Henoted,forinstance,thattheoverallrangein
Martini’sMissaMaboucheritisA-e''.61However,hisdataweretakenfrom
moderneditions.Inthemanuscriptitself,thebassusonlydescendstoAat
cadences,andthenoteisgivenwithanoptionalanotatedabove.Thelowest
noteotherwiseisc,andgiventhatthee''isalsoexceptional,thewholecould
easilybetransposedupaminorthirdorevenafourth,bringingitwithin
comfortablefemaleranges.Brownalsoreasonablysuggestedthatinstruments
mightbeusedtosupportthelowervoices.Thiswouldbeinkeepingwithwhat
weknowofFlorentinepractice,andfurtherexaminationofthemanuscript
suggeststhemassesmayhavebeenchosenwithexactlythispracticeinmind.
--Table2nearhere[fullpage,through90degrees;useversioninGoogleDocs]--
Fifteenoutofseventeenmassesareineithervocipariorcompressed
cleffing:Table2showstheprincipaldispositionusedforeachmasscycle,and
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20
notesothersthatoccur.Thevociparimassesmighthaveneededtransposition,
dependingonthepitchstandardintheconvent;butconspicuousinallthe
massesthatarenotvocipariisthenear-universaluseofpairedinnervoicesthat
sita5thbelowthesuperius,andeithera5th(inonecasea7th)abovethe
bassus—ineffect,doublingthealtusrangeratherthanthetenor.Onlythefinal
massandtheCredosthatconcludethemanuscriptdonotconformtothis
pattern.Whilethisisnotararedispositionfor15th-centurypolyphony,the
consistencyisstriking,andtheseparationbetweentheuppervoicesandthe
bassmakesinstrumentalsubstitutionofthatpartmorepractical.DonAngeloda
Vallombrosa’sdescriptionofthenunssinginginimitationofthepapalchoir,
quotedabove,makestheconventualuseofVeronaMS761historicallyplausible.
Mycontentionisthatthemusicalqualitiesofthemanuscript’smasses,taken
togetherwithitsexceptionaliconography,supportBrown’stheorythatthe
manuscriptwasindeedcompiledfornuns.
BrusselsMs27766
AuniqueFlorentinemanuscript,dated1560andcompiledfortwoFlorentine
Clarissannuns,SuorAgnoletaBiffoliandSuorClementiaSostegni,BrusselsMs
27666(c.1560)isperhapsthemostcomprehensivedocumentthathasyet
emergedtoshedlightonthemusicalpracticesof16th-centurynuns.62Aswith
VeronaMs761,theheraldicemblemsoftwofamiliesareprominentinthe
illuminations;however,thenuns’namesarealsoembossedinthebinding,
makingitclearforwhomthemanuscriptwascompiled.BrusselsMs27666was
described,catalogued,anditsClarissanassociationsidentified,byLuciaBoscolo
in1996,butithasreceivedlittlefurtherattentionoranalysis.63Therepertoirein
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21
thevolumeimpliesthatSuorAgnoletaandSuorClementiabelongedtoahouse
withastrongmusicaltraditionthathadevolvedoveraperiodoftime.Mostof
theworksareanonymous,thoughthemanuscriptopenswithamassbasedon
themotet‘RecordareVirgoMater’,whichisfollowedimmediatelybythemotet
itself(aworkelsewhereattributedtoJosquin).64Afewmoreattributablepieces
byCompère,Festa,Mouton,deBillon,Willaert,BocchinoandAntonioMoroshow
thatthecollectioncontainsotherFranco-FlemishandItalianrepertoireboth
contemporarytoitscompilationandfromseveraldecadesbefore.
Thetextscorrespondtothesamefeasts,celebrations,andactivitiesthat
wereimportanttoconventsinbetterdocumentederas:Christmas,HolyWeek,
Marianworship,vestition/professionrites,thenighthoursofVespersand
Compline,andprivatedevotion.TheworksthatpointmostclearlytoaClarissan
contextaretheclustersofantiphonsandhymnsfortheFeastofStClare,
includingbothVespersIandII,andLauds.Thesepropersarenotderivedfrom
theBreviarumromanum,butfromthethirteenth-centuryrhymedofficeofSt
Clare,writtenbyJulianofSpeyer.65Theofficeistransmittedinasmallnumberof
Franciscanbreviariesandantiphoners,withonlytheMagnificatantiphonfor
VespersII,‘SalvesponsaDei’,enteringthepublishedpolyphonicrepertoire—and
eventhenonlytwiceinthe16thcentury.66
ThemusicofBrusselsMs27766showsthatthenunshadarichmusical
life:thevarietyofperformativeapproachestochantisstriking,including
alternatimhymns,psalmsandantiphons;falsobordonepsalmsettings;cantus
firmuspolyphony(includingonemotet,‘VenisponsaChristi’—perhapsthemost
importantchantinnuns’liturgy—inwhichthecantusfirmusisgiveninsquare
notation);andtheremarkablepolyphonicchantsettingof‘SalvesponsaDei’,for
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22
whichallfourvoicesaregiveninsquarenotationandinlowclefs(C4-C4-F3-
F4).67Thebookincludesnotonlyliturgicalpolyphony,butalsoanumberof
spiritualsongsandprayersthatcouldhavebeenusedinprivateorpara-
liturgicaldevotion.Some,likeasettingofPetrarch’scanzoneVerginebellaand
theSavonarolanhymn‘Eccequambonum’,mirrormusicalexpressionsofpiety
thatwerepopularoutsidethecloister.Othersaremorecloselyrelatedtoregular
devotion,andappearinmultipleversions:forinstance,aChristmascarolbased
ontheantiphon‘Verbumcarofactumest’hasthreesettings,oneinfourvoices
andtwointhree.
Whilemostofthe78worksitcontainsarewrittenforequalvoices,
roughlyafifthareinvocipieneandcompressedcleffing:therearetwovocipiene,
thirteencompressed-cleffing,andsixty-threevocipariworks,ofwhich22havea
dispositionthatplacestwoorthreeequalvoicesagainsta‘bass’voiceatleasta
fifthlower.Aroundtwo-thirdsoftheworksarecopiedatapitchsuitablefor
femalevoices,usingG2C1andC2fortheupperparts,buttheremainingthird—
includingsomevocipariworks—usethelowerCclefsandevenFclefs(F3and
F4),clearlyrequiringoctavetranspositionand/orinstrumentalaccompaniment.
Themanypsalmsincludechantincipitsinvarioustranspositions(upafourth,
fifth,seventh,octave,andeleventh)andafullrangeofclefs.Oftenthe
transpositionoccurswithouta‘keychange’—thatis,withouttheadditionofa
flatatthebeginningofeachsystem(seeillus.2).
--Illus.2(Fig.2onScholarOne)nearhere,fullpage--
BrusselsMs27766isintimatelyboundwiththemusic-makingatasingle
convent,butwhileitscontentsaregenerous,theyarenotcomprehensive.The
conventmusthavehadafullerrepertoire,perhapsinothermanuscriptsbut
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23
likelyalsofoundinprints:afterall,thecollectionshowsthatthenunscould
drawonworksinthefullrangeofclefdispositions,sotheoreticallytheycould
choosetheirmusicfromwhateverprintswereincirculation.Nevertheless,the
majorityofitsworksareinvocipari,includingtheearliestoftheattributable
works;itfollows,then,thattheprintedequal-voicerepertoireisnoless
legitimateaplacetofindtracesofconventpolyphonyinthefirsthalfofthe
century.
Wemayalsoseekoutsettingsoftextsthatweresignificantfornuns,
particularlyifthosesettingsthemselvesarevocipari:thevestitionantiphon
‘VenisponsaChristi’,forinstance,orliturgicaltextslike‘SalvesponsaDei’,with
stronginstitutionalsignificanceforparticularorders.Andthentherearetexts,
suchasthosedrawnfromtheSongofSongs,thathaveaclearrelevancefor
religiouswomencelebratingtheirunionwithChrist.68BrusselsMs27766points
thewayhere,too,byshowinghowsettingsofawellknowntextmight,incertain
circumstances,revealspecificresonanceswithconventualpractice.The
manuscriptcontainstwofour-voicesettings,byFrancescoBocchini(G2-G2-C1-
C1)andAntonioMoro(C1-C1-C1-C3),oftheprayer‘SanctaMariasuccurre
miseris’,whichisincludedinavarietyofMarianoffices:69
SanctaMaria,succurremiseris,
juvapusillanimes,refoveflebiles
orapropopulo,interveniproclero,
intercedeprodevotofemineosexu;
sentiantomnestuumjuvamen
quicumquecelebranttuamcommemorationem.Alleluia.
HolyMary,succourthepoor,
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24
aidthefaint-hearted,revivethosewhomourn.
Prayforthepeople,intervenefortheclergy,
intercedeforwomenconsecratedtoGod.
Mayallexperienceyouraid
whocelebrateyourholycommemoration.Alleluia.
Centraltothistextisthepassagewhichreferstothenunsthemselves
(‘intercedeprodevotofemineosexu’).Bothcomposersrespondtothenuns’
oration,highlightingitthroughspecificdevices.Bocchiniusesdurationand
melisma:thepeoplegetthreebreves,theclericsfour,andthenunsfourteen
(Example4).Moro,meanwhile,usesachangeindeclamationandchromatic
alteration(Example5,especiallyatbb.31and34);whileitisnotunusualtosee
E[flat]sintransposedDorianmodeworks,inthissettingtheyonlyappearonthe
word‘femineo’.70Thesecharacteristicsmayhaveexistedinthesettingspriorto
theirinclusioninthemanuscript,buttheirappropriatenesstoconventualuseis
clear.
--Example4(seeS1)nearhere--
--Example5(onS1)nearhere--
*
Seekingoutsuitablepolyphonyforall-femaleperformancemaybeno
morecomplicatednowthanitwasfora16th-centuryconventmaestra:while
someworksneednomodification(highcompressed,orequalclefs),others
requireintervention(accompaniment)oradaptation(transposition),
approachesthathavesoundbasesincontemporarytheoryandpractice.
UnderstandinghowconventsmademusicisvitaltotheunderstandingofItalian
16th-centurymusicalcultureasawhole.Acknowledgingtheroleoffemale
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25
voicesinthehistoryofpolyphonywillinevitablychangeourperceptionofhow
themusicsoundsandhowitworks.Butitwillalsorestoreabalancetoourown
musicalculture,andgiveustheopportunitytohearonceagainhowthenuns
mighthavefollowedFraAngelico’sPaulineexhortationinusingtheirvoicesto
pleasetheircitiesfortheirgood,andtotheiredification.
LaurieStrasisProfessorofMusicattheUniversityofSouthampton,andco-
director,withDeborahRoberts,ofMusicaSecretaandthefemale-voicechoir,
CelestialSirens,withwhomshewasawardedtheAmericanMusicological
Society’s2016NoahGreenbergAward.Sheistheauthorofnumerousessays
andarticlesonsixteenth-centurypolyphony,andsheisco-editor,withBonnie
Blackburn,ofEroticisminEarlyModernMusic(Farnham,2015).Hermonograph,
WomenandMusicinSixteenth-CenturyFerrara,isforthcomingwithCambridge
UniversityPress.
*Agreatmanyscholarsandmusicianshavecontributedtomybetter
understandingofmusicinearlysixteenth-centuryconvents.Iamindebtedto
CraigMonson,CandaceSmith,RobertKendrick,PaulaHiggins,andBonnie
Blackburnfortheirinsightsandsupport;anditalmostgoeswithoutsayingthat
themusiciansofMusicaSecretaandCelestialSirenshavebeenindispensablein
thisendeavour:particularthankstoDeborahRobertsandSallyDunkleyfortheir
continuousenthusiasmandwisdom.Alltranslationsaremyownunless
otherwiseindicated;manythankstotheanonymousreadersfortheirinvaluable
suggestionsontheseandothermatters.
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26
1A.BagnallYardley,‘“Fullweelshesoongtheservicedyvyne”:thecloistered
musiciansinthemiddleages’,inWomenmakingmusic:thewesternarttradition,
ed.JaneBowersandJudithTick(Urbana,1986),pp.15–38,atp.30.Another
chapterinthebookalsocontainedthefirstpublishedmodernscholarshipon
earlymodernnuns:JaneBowers,‘TheemergenceofwomencomposersinItaly,
1566-1700’,inWomenmakingmusic,ed.BowersandTick,pp.116–67.
2N.ZemonDavis,Fictioninthearchives:pardontalesandtheirtellersin
sixteenth-centuryFrance(Stanford,1987),pp.2–3.
3NotethespecificexceptionofstudiesbyCraigMonson,RobertKendrickand
LuciaBoscolo;C.Monson,‘ElenaMalvezzi’skeyboardmanuscript:anew
sixteenth-centurysource’,EarlyMusicHistory,9(1990),pp.73–128;R.L.
Kendrick,celestialsirens :nunsandtheirmusicinearlymodernMilan(Oxford,
1996),pp.48–75;L.Boscolo,‘L’antologiapolifonicafiorentinadel1560nel
CodiceBruxelles27766’,Rassegnavenetadistudimusicali,11/12(1996),
pp.177–267.
4GiovanniMariaArtusiclaimedthatthenunsofSanVitoinFerrarawerethe
finestensembleinallofItaly;GiovanniMariaArtusi,L’Artusi,ovverodelle
imperfettionidellamodernamusicaragionamentidui(Venice,1600),fol.1v.
5Yardleycompiledalistofmedievalmanuscriptsofpolyphonicmusicfor
convents;Yardley,‘CloisteredMusicians’,pp.15–38.
6RaffaellaAleotti,Sacraecantiones:quinque,septem,octo&decemvocibus
decantandae(1593),ed.C.A.Carruthers(NewYork,2006).Theyhavebeen
recordedbyCappellaArtemisia,LeMonachediSanVito(TactusTC570101,
2012).
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27
7TiburtioMassaino’sSacricantusquinqueparibusvocibus...libersecundus
(Venice:Gardano,1580).
8SuorLeonorad’EstewasabbessoftheClarissanconventofCorpusDominiin
Ferrara.ShewasalongstandingcorrespondentwithGioseffoZarlino,andtheir
relationshipprovidedinspirationforhis1588treatiseSopplimentimusicali;see
K.Schiltz,‘GioseffoZarlinoandtheMisereretradition:AFerrareseconnection?’,
EarlyMusicHistory,27(2008),pp.181–216,atpp.212–14.NicolaVicentino
praisedhermusicalability,includingherunderstandingofthethreegeneraof
ancientmusic,shortlyafterdallaViola’sbookwaspublished;NicolaVicentino,
L’anticamusicaridottaallamodernapractica(Rome,1555),fol.10r.
9Apartialpictureofthescaleofthisprintinginitiativecanbegainedfrom
searchingtheprincipalonlinedatabasesforearlymodernsacredmusic:RISM,
‘PrintedSacredMusicinEurope1500-1800’[accessed29July2016];J.G.KurtzmanandA.Schoebelen,‘A
CatalogueofMass,Office,andHolyWeekMusicPrintedinItaly,1516-1770’,JSCS
Instrumenta,Volume2[accessed29July2016].
10G.Zarri,‘Monasterifemminiliecittà(secoliXV-XVIII)’,inStoriad’Italia.Annali.
LachiesaeilpoterepoliticodalMedioevoall’etàContemporanea,ed.Giorgio
ChittoliniandGiovanniMiccoli(Turin,1986),pp.357–429,atpp.361–5.
11Theexistingliteratureonearlymodernconventmusiccontainsrichdetailon
itseconomics;see,forinstance,C.Monson,Disembodiedvoices :musicand
cultureinanearlymodernItalianconvent(BerkeleyandLondon,1995);
Kendrick,Celestialsirens;C.Reardon,Holyconcordwithinsacredwalls :nunsand
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28
musicinSiena,1575–1700(Oxford,2001);K.J.P.Lowe,Nuns’chroniclesand
conventcultureinrenaissanceandcounter-reformationItaly(Cambridge,2003);
K.Harness,Echoesofwomen’svoices:music,art,andfemalepatronageinearly
modernFlorence(Chicago,2006);J.K.Page,Conventmusicandpoliticsin
eighteenth-centuryVienna(Cambridge,2014).
12ForcommentsonthecivicpurposeofconventsseeLowe,Nuns’chronicles,
pp.213–18.
13Lowe,Nuns’chronicles,pp.214–15.
14Thevisit‘wasoneofthemostsolemnandimportantoccasionsin[the
convent’s]history’;K.J.P.Lowe,‘FranciscanandPapalpatronageattheClarissan
conventofSanCosimatoinTrastevere,1440–1560’,PapersoftheBritishSchool
atRome,68(2000),pp.217–239,atp.228.
15Letterdated3January1492fromSivieroSivieritoEleonorad’Aragona,
transcribedinT.Tuohy,HerculeanFerrara:ErcoleD’Este(1471–1505)andthe
inventionofaducalcapital(Cambridge,2002),p.482.
16K.J.P.Lowe,‘PowerandinstitutionalidentityinrenaissanceVenice:the
femaleconventsofS.M.DelleVerginiandS.Zaccaria’,ed.K.J.P.LoweandA.
Korhonen,thetroublewithribs:women,menandgenderinearlymodernEurope,
Collegium:StudiesacrossDisciplinesintheHumanitiesandSocialSciences,2
(2007),pp.128–152,atpp.138–41.
17Heunderlinedthisentryinhislistof‘sightsshowntoimportantvisitors’three
times,inred;MarinoSanudo,Venice,CitàExcelentissima:selectionsfromthe
renaissancediariesofMarinSanudo,ed.P.H.LabalmeandL.SanguinetiWhite
(Baltimore,2008),p.392,n.85.
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29
18D.ChambersandB.Pullan,withJ.Fletcher(eds),Venice:Adocumentaryhistory,
1450–1630(Toronto,2001),p.10.
19Lowe,Nuns’chronicles,pp.273,278.
20E.Peverada,‘Documentiperlastoriaorganariadeimonasterifemminili
ferrarese(sec.XVI-XVII)’,L’Organo:Rivistadiculturaorganariaeorganistica,30
(1996),pp.119–93.
21Lowe,Nuns’chronicles,p.273;PatrickMacey,Bonfiresongs :Savonarola’s
musicallegacy(Oxford,1998),pp.95–6.
22AngelodaVallombrosa,EpistoladelloheremitadeValleOmbrosadellostato
dellaChiesa(Florence,1496),fol.6v;partiallyquotedinPeverada,‘Documenti’,
p.119.
23W.F.Prizer,‘Una“virtùmoltoconvenienteamadonne”:Isabellad’Esteasa
musician’,TheJournalofMusicology,17/1(1999),pp.10–49,atp.24.
24Lowe,Nuns’chronicles,p.272.
25SeeBowers,‘Theemergenceofwomencomposers’,p.130;Monson,
Disembodiedvoices,p.48.
26PaulaHigginspointstoalate15th-century‘instructionmanualabout
polyphonicmusic’writteninthevernacular,thatmayhavebeenusedbynuns;P.
Higgins,‘TheotherMinervas:creativewomenatthecourtofScotland’,in
Rediscoveringthemuses:women’smusicaltraditions,ed.K.Marshall(Boston,
1993),pp.169–185,atp.181.Thetreatiseisavailableinamodernedition:
Anonimi,Notitiadelvaloredellenotedelcantomisurato,ed.A.Carapetyan,
CorpusScriptorumdeMusica5(s.l.:AmericanInstituteofMusicology,1957).
Theeditorconcludesthatthemanuscriptwascompiledforconventusebasedon
-
30
aninscription,‘ausoperSr.Landomina’.BonnieBlackburnhasnotedthatthis
namemightbe‘Laudomia’,anameassociatedwiththeMediciinthe15th
century;mythankstoherforthisintriguingsuggestion.
27FranchinusGaffurius,Angelicumacdivinumopusmusice.FranchiniGafurii
laudensisRegiimusici:ecclesiequeMediolanensisphonasci:maternalingua
scriptum(Milan,1508),sig.Bir.
28Bologna,Bibliotecadellamusica,C.30;modernedition,OrazioVecchi,Mostra
dellituonidellamusicatrattatoinedito,ed.M.Pollastri(Modena,1987).Vecchiis
knowntohavetaughtataconventinModena;itisconceivablethatheusedthis
treatisethere.
29Forinstance,in1525LeMurateadmittedagirlfromapoorfamily,SuorMarta,
‘becauseshepossessedthe“raretalent”ofabassvoice’;Lowe,Nuns’chronicles,
p.275.
30GioseffoZarlino,Leistitutioniharmoniche(1588),facsimilereprint(NewYork,
1965),p.319.
31Zarlino,Leistitutioni,p.320.
32Zarlino,Leistitutioni,pp.319–20.
33SeethediscussioninKendrick,Celestialsirens,pp.201–2.
34Vecchi,Mostradellituoni,pp.3–6.
35A.Johnstone,‘“High”clefsincompositionandperformance’,EarlyMusic,
xxxiv/1(2006),pp.29–53,atpp.31–5.Asmallnumberofworksinthe16th-
centuryrepertoireweredisseminatedinbothhigh-andlow-clefsystems;see
Johnstone,‘“High”clefs’,pp.35–40.
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31
36Thisliteratureincludes,butisnotlimitedto:A.Parrott,‘Transpositionin
Monteverdi’sVespersof1610:an“aberration”defended’,EarlyMusic,xii/4
(1984),pp.490–516;J.G.Kurtzman,‘Anaberrationamplified’,EarlyMusic,xiii/1
(1985),pp.73–76;P.Barbieri,‘ChiavetteandmodaltranspositioninItalian
practice(c.1500–1837)’,Recercare,3(1991),pp.5–79;R.Rasch,‘Modes,clefs,
andtranspositionsintheearlyseventeenthcentury’,inThéorieetAnalyse
Musicales(1450–1650),ed.B.J.BlackburnandA.-E.Ceulemans(Leuven,2001),
pp.403–32;J.G.Kurtzman,‘Tones,modes,clefsandpitchinRomancyclic
magnificatsofthe16thcentury’,EarlyMusic,xxii/4(1994),pp.641–65;R.
Bowers,‘An“aberration”reviewed:thereconciliationofinconsistentclef-
systemsinMonteverdi’sMassandVespersof1610’,EarlyMusic,xxxi/4(2003),
pp.527–38;A.Parrott,‘Monteverdi:onwardsanddownwards’,EarlyMusic,
xxxii/2(2004),303–17;Johnstone,‘“High”clefs’;R.Bowers,‘“TheHighandLowe
KeyesComeBothtoOnePitch”:reconcilinginconsistentclef-systemsin
Monteverdi’svocalmusicforMantua’,EarlyMusic,xxxix/4(2011),pp.531–45;A.
Parrott,‘Highclefsanddown-to-earthtransposition:abriefdefenceof
Monteverdi’,EarlyMusic,xxxx/1(2012),pp.81–6;A.Parrott,‘Abriefanatomyof
choirs’,inTheCambridgeCompaniontoChoralMusic,ed.AndrédeQuadros
(Cambridge,2012),pp.7–26.AndrewParrottcitesthedownwardtransposition
inthekeyboardpartituraoftwohigh-clefmotetsinAquilinoCoppini’s1607
Musicatoltacontrafacta(madrigalswithLatintextssubstitutedfortheoriginal
vernacular)insupportofmandatorytransposition,withoutmentioningthe
otherninehigh-clefmotetsinthebookthatarenottransposedinthekeyboard
score;seeParrott,‘Monteverdi:onwardsanddownwards’,p.314.Downward
-
32
transpositioninkeyboardintabulationmayequallyreflectamoreconvenient
dispositionforsoloperformance.
37Parrottlimitshiscoverageofconventensemblesinhis‘briefanatomyofchoirs’
totwopagesoutoftwenty,andbeginshisdiscussioninthe15thcentury;Parrott,
‘Abriefanatomyofchoirs’,pp.22–4.
38PompeoSignorucci,Salmi,falsibordonietmotettiatrevoci,commodissimiper
cantare,etconcertarenelOrgano,conognisortedistrumento(Venice,1603),
fol.2r.
39Johnstonecallsthiscompresseddisposition‘ubiquitous’inhigh-clefworks;
Johnstone,‘“High”clefs’,p.44.
40Selectiveoctave-transpositionhasthelongestandbest-documented
associationwithmonasticfemaleensembles;seeKendrick,CelestialSirens,
pp.188–203.For18th-centurypractice,seeM.Talbot,‘TenorsandBassesatthe
Venetian“Ospedali”’,Actamusicologica,66/2(1994),pp.123–38.
41ErcoleBottrigari,IlDesiderio,overo,Deconcertidivariistrumentimusicali.
DialogodiAlemannoBenelli,etc.(Venice,1594),p.58;Artusi,L’Artusi,fol.3r.
42Vecchi,Mostradellituoni,p.6.
43SeeO.Kinkeldey,‘Equalvoicesintheacappellaperiod’,inEssaysonMusicin
HonorofArchibaldThompsonDavidson(Cambridge,MA,1957),pp.101–9;F.
Carey,‘Compositionforequalvoicesinthesixteenthcentury’,TheJournalof
Musicology,9/3(1991),pp.300–42.Neitherconsidertheperformanceofsacred
musicbyfemalevoicesindetail(Careynotatall).Aforthcomingchapter
considersCiprianodeRore’svociparimotets(again,withoutreferencetofemale
voices);K.Schiltz,‘CiprianodeRore’savociparimotets:sources,context,style’,
-
33
inCiprianodeRoreatthecrossroads,ed.J.A.OwensandK.Schiltz(Turnhout,
2017),pp.191–227.
44SeeCarey,‘Compositionforequalvoices’,pp.301–12.
45Vicentino,L’anticamusica,fols.92v–93r.
46Inthe1540s,thesepublicationsincludeMissaecumquatuorvocibusparibus
decantandae(Venice:Scotto,1542;RISM15423);Musicaquinquevocum:motteta
maternalinguavocata(Venice:Gardano,1543;RISM15432);Moralishispani,et
multorumeximiaeartisvirorummusicacumvocibusquatuor,vulgomotecta
cognominata,cuiusmagnaparsparibusvocibuscantandaest,reliqueveròplena
voceaptaestdecantari(Venice:Scotto,1543;RISM15435);Liberquartus
missarumquinquecumquatuorvocibusparibuscanendarum(Venice:Gardano,
1544;RISM15443);Musicaquinquevocumquematernalinguamotetavocantur
(Venice:Gardano,1549;RISM15496);Musicaquatuorvocumquematernalingua
motetavocantur(Venice:Gardano,1549;RISM15499).
47Thisholdstrueforallofthebookslistedaboveexcept15443,whichIhavenot
beenabletoexamine.
48SeeJohnstone,‘“High”clefs’,p.35;RISM15496and15499containlow-clef
worksoriginallypublishedinRISM15432and15435inhighclefs.
49TheliteratureonVeronaMS761thatspecificallyaddressesitsuse—ornot—
bynunsisJ.Benfield,‘MusicinVerona,C.1480–1530’(PhDthesis,Universityof
Cambridge,1984),p.179;H.M.Brown,‘MusicforthenunsofVerona:astory
aboutMSDCCLXIoftheBibliotecacapitolareinVerona’,inGestaltund
EntestehungmusikalischerQuellenim15.und16.Jahrhundert,ed.M.Staehelin,
QuellenstudienzurMusikderRenaissance,83(Wiesbaden,1998),pp.111–24;J.
-
34
Rifkin,‘Ascriptor,asinger,andamothersuperior’,in‘Unogentileetsubtile
ingenio’:StudiesinRenaissanceMusicinHonourofBonnieBlackburn,ed.M.J.
Bloxam,G.Filocamo,andL.Holford-Strevens(Turnhout,2009),pp.309–17.
50AcompletelistofcontentsandconcordanceswithVaticansourcesisgivenin
AppendixBofJ.Rodin,Josquin’sRome:hearingandcomposingintheSistine
Chapel,AMSStudiesinMusic(NewYork,2012),pp.324–5.
51Benfield,‘MusicinVerona’,p.196.
52Rifkin,‘AScriptor’,315.
53GirolamodallaCorte,L’istoriadiVeronadivisain...XX.libri(1596),p.448.
Brownassumedthatthesemassesare,instead,eitherMarianorconnectedto
SaintMichael;Brown,‘MusicforthenunsofVerona’,pp.115–6.
54Benfield,‘MusicinVerona’,p.179.
55Brown,‘MusicforthenunsofVerona’,p.113.Brownthenpursuedan
alternativeconvent,SanMicheleinCampagna,asthemanuscript’ssource,but
thisdoesnotfitwiththeilluminationsinanyway.
56Alternatively,themanuscriptmayhavebeenconfiscatedinthegeneral
enforcementofenclosureimposedonallVerona’sconventsbythebishopin
April1531;Corte,L’istoriadiVerona,pp.633;682–4.
57GiovanniMatteoGiberti,ConstitutionidelemonacheperlacittàetDiocesidi
Verona(Verona,1539),cap.II.
58Pre-Tridentineconventualcustomsincludedthecelebrationofnuns’relatives’
weddings;seeLowe,Nuns’chronicles,p.227,n.1.
59TheincipittoL’amiBaudichonisalsogiveninthe‘Crucifixus’sectionofthe
Credo,buttherubric‘sicutmutusnonaperiensossuum’abovethetenor
-
35
indicatesthatthepartisnottobesung;seethediscussioninA.Kirkman,The
culturallifeoftheearlypolyphonicmass:medievalcontexttomodernrevival
(Cambridge,2010),pp.137–40.
60SeeMonson,‘ElenaMalvezzi’skeyboardmanuscript’,pp.73–128,atpp.104–8;
L.Stras,‘TheRicreationipermonacheofSuorAnnalenaAldobrandini’,
RenaissanceStudies,26/1(2012),pp.34–59,atp.41.
61Brown,‘MusicforthenunsofVerona’,pp.119–22.
62In1553,anAgnolettaBiffoliisrecordedasthewidowoffirstPieroGondiand
thenJacopoBenozzi;GiovanniCorbinelli,Histoiregénéalogiquedelamaisonde
Gondi(Paris,1705),I,p.182.Thereisnoindicationinthemanuscriptastowhich
ClarissanconventSuorAgnoletaandSuorClementiabelonged.However,in1572,
anotherBiffoli,SuorBenigna,wasmadreatSant’Orsola(theburialplaceofLisa
Gherardini,LeonardodaVinci’sMonaLisa);GiovambatistaUbaldini,Istoriadella
casadegliUbaldiniede’fattid’alcunidiquellafamiglia(Florence,1588),p.122.
Alternatively,giventheprominencegiventotheVesperspsalmsandhymnfrom
theCommonoftheApostlesandEvangelists,placednearthebeginning,thebook
couldhaveoriginatedinSanIacopoinviaGhibellina,orinSanMatteoinArcetri,
whichwaseventuallyhometoSuorMariaCeleste,daughterofGalileoGalilei.
63Boscolo,‘L’antologiapolifonicafiorentina’.
64WillemEldersnotesthatthemotet’shightessitura(cleffedC1-C1-C1-C2)
suggeststhatitwascomposedfornuns;W.Elders,JosquinDesPrezandhis
musicallegacy:anintroductoryguide(Leuven,2013),p.175.Theattributionto
Josquinisderivedsolelyfromitsonlyothersource,RISM15201.
-
36
65G.BaroffioandE.J.Kim,IamsanctaeClaraeclaritas:l’ufficioritmicodisanta
Chiaranellatradizionearborense(Milan,2004).
66InRISM15432,andBenedettoBinaghi,Sacrarumcantionumquinquevocum
liberprimus(Milan:AgostinoTradate,1598).
67ForfurtherdiscussionofthissettingseeL.Boscolo,‘Unacomposizionea4voci
innotazionequadratanelcodicefiorentinodiBruxelles27766’,inUnmillennio
dipolifonialiturgicatraoralitàescrittura,ed.G.CattinandF.A.Gallo(Venice,
2002),pp.11–18.Fortheimportanceoftheantiphon‘VenisponsaChristi’to
nuns’liturgy,seeC.Reardon,‘“VenisponsaChristi”:investiture,professionand
consecrationceremoniesinSieneseconvents’,Musicadisciplina,50(1996),
pp.271–97.
68See,forinstance,L.Macy,‘GeronimoCavaglieri,theSongofSongsandfemale
spiritualityinFederigoBorromeo’sMilan’,EarlyMusic,xxxix/3(2011),pp.349–
58.
69FrancescoBocchiniwasmaestrodicappellaatPisaCathedralfrom1555to
1570;F.Baggiani,‘MusicistiinPisa.ImaestridiCappelladellaPrimaziale’,
Bollettinostoricopisano,52(1982),pp.271–94.AntonioMorowasthecopyistof
themanuscript.
70ForthegenderedsignificanceofflatsseeB.J.Blackburn,‘TheLascivious
CareerofB-Flat’,inEroticisminEarlyModernMusic,ed.B.J.BlackburnandL.
Stras(Farnham,2015),pp.19–42.
-
TABLECAPTIONS
Table1:Sixteenth-centurypolyphonyassociatedwithItaliannunsandconvents
Table2:ContentsandclefdispositionsinVerona,BibliotecaCapitolareMS761
-
FIGURECAPTIONS
Figure1:Verona,BibliotecaCapitolareMS761,1v.Bypermission.
Figure2:Brussels,BibliothèqueduConservatoireRoyaldeMusiqueMS27766,16v,
PsalmTone1transposedupafifth.Bypermission.
-
MUSICEXAMPLECAPTIONS
Example1a:OrazioVecchi,Mostradellituoni,BolognaC30,1v-2r(note,cantusfirmus
voiceisplacedatthetopofthescoreinthems.).
Example1b:OrazioVecchi,Mostradellituoni,BolognaC30,2v-3r.
Example2a:PompeoSignorucci,Salmi…atrevoci,1603,‘Endilectusmeus’,bb.14-20
Example2b:PompeoSignorucci,Salmi…atrevoci,1603,‘Endilectusmeus’,bb.14-20,
transposeddownfourth.
Example3:OrazioVecchi,Mostradellituoni,BolognaC30,3r-3v.
Example4:FrancescoBocchini,‘SanctaMariasuccurremiseris’,BrusselsMS27766,
44v-46r,bb.19-39.
Example5:AntonioMoro,‘SanctaMariasuccurremiseris’,BrusselsMS27766,41v-43r,
bb.15-35.
-
Table1:Sixteenth-centurypolyphonyassociatedwithItaliannunsandconventsDate Composer Title Publisher Dedicatee Convent Order1550 Francescodalla
ViolaPrimolibrodemadrigalia
quattrovociVenice:Gardano
SuorLeonorad’Este
CorpusDomini,Ferrara
Clarissan
1580 TiburtioMassaino
Sacricantusquinque
paribusvocibus...liber
secundus
Venice:Gardano
SuorEugeniadeNavi
SantaTrinità,Como Augustinian
1580 AntonioValente
Versispiritualisopratutte
leNote,condiversiCanoni
spartitipersonarnegli
Organi,Messe,Vespere,et
altriOfficiidivini
Naples:HeirsofMatteoCancer
DonnaElionoraPalmiera
??a ??
1581 CostanzoAntegnati
Sacraecantiones,vulgo
motecta,paribus
vocibus...quatuorvocum
Brescia:Sabbio
MadreSerenade’Boni
SantaGiulia,Brescia Benedictine
1583 GiammatteoAsola
Duplexcompletorium
romanumunumcommunibus,alterumvero
paribusvocibus
decantandum
Venice:VincenziandAmadino
SuorGineveraBaialoti(andSuorCherubina)
SanDaniele,Verona Benedictine
1583 CamilloCortellini
Primolibrodemadrigalia
cinquevoci
Ferrara:Baldini
LauraBoviob SanLorenzo,Bologna Augustinian,LateranCanonesses
1584 AlessandroMilleville
LeVergine,condiecialtre
stanzespiritualiaquattro
voci
Ferrara:Baldini
SuorBrigidaGranac
SanRocco,Ferrara Dominican
1585 M.GiovanniBecci(editor)[Palestrina;BartolomeoRoy]
DiM.GiovanniPierluigida
Palestina(sic)vnaMessaa
ottovocisoprailsuo
ConfiteboradueCori.Etdi
M.BartolomeoLoRoi…i
Venice:Scotto
EleonoraCybo(andDonnaCaterinaCybo)
LeMurate,Florence Benedictine
-
vnaMessaaquattrosopra
Panisquemegodabotibi,
deLupo
1587 AndreaRota Motectorumliberprimusquaequinque,sex,septem
etoctovocibus
concinuntur
Milan:HeirsofFrancescoandSimonTini
DonnaLeonoraMoneta,DonnaProsperaPusterla,andalltheothermadri
[SanVittore],Meda Benedictine
1592 CostanzoAntegnati
SalmiaottoVoci Venice:Gardano
DonnaHortensiaMarchi,DonnaHieronimaBirraga,andtheircompagne
SanVittore,Meda Benedictine
1593 SuorRaffaellaAleotti
Sacraecantiones:quinque,
septem,octo&decem
vocibusdecantandae
Venice:Amadino
BishopGiovanniFontana
SanVito,Ferrara Augustinian
1595 CamilloCortellini
Salmiaseivoci Venice:Vincenzi
DonnaPaolaOrtensiaSerbellona
SanVicenzo,Milan Benedictine
1597 AlessandroSavioli
Salmiintieriacinquevoci Venice:Amadino
DonnaFlaviaGromellaBenagliaAbbatessa,andtheircarefigliole
SantaGrata,Bergamo Benedictine
-
1598 AgostinoSoderini
SacrarumCantionumocto
etnovemvocibusliber
primus
Milan:Trabate
OveralldedicationtoDukeErcoleSfondrato
individualdedicationstoDonnaAngelicaAgathaSfondrataSanPaolo;DonnaFranciscaMariaStampa,andDonnaAngelaCatarinaBrivia,SantaRadegonda;DonnaMartha,CollegiodellaGuastalla
various
1598 GioseffoGallo Sacrioperismusici… Milan:HeirsofFranciscoandSimonTini
various individualdedicationstoAngelicaandArchileaArchinta,andMaximillaBiuma;SantaRadegonda,Milan;AnnaCamillaandBiancaMargarita,Sant’Orsola,Milan;ArcangelaandMariaMantegazza,Sant’Agnese,Milan
various
1599 AdrianoBanchieri
Messesolenneaottovoci Venice:Amadino
DonnaEmiliaGrassi
SantaCristina,Bologna
Camadolese
1599 GiovenaleAncina(editor)
Tempioarmonicodella
BeatissimaVergine...prima
parteatrevoci
Rome:NicolòMutio
MadreSuorOrsolaBenincasa
MonasterodellaConcettionenelMontediSanMartino,Napoli
Theatine?
-
aValentedoesnotsayoutrightthatDonnaEleonoraPalmieraisanun,butitwouldbeextraordinaryforhimtodedicateavolumeof
functionalOfficemusictoasecularwoman.ThededicatorymaterialindicatesthatsheisbothaliturgicalmusicianofmeritandValente’s
teacher;thegenderreversalisastonishing,butashewasblind,perhapshewasraisedinaconvent.
bTheBolognesesingerLauraBovioreceivedhermusicaleducationintheconventofSanLorenzo,butwasnotprofessed.Sheeventually
lefttheconventandwasemployedasasingerattheMedicicourtbetween1584and1589;C.Monson,‘Ancoraunosguardosullesuore
musicistediBologna’,inImonasterifemminilicomecentridiculturafrarinascimentoebarocco,ed.GiannaPomataandGabriellaZarri
(Rome,2005),pp.3–26.
cMillevillesaysinhisdedicationthatSuorBrigidaisapoet,soshemaybetheauthorofthe‘altrestanzespirituali’setinthesecondhalf
ofthebook.
-
Table2:ContentsandclefdispositionsinVerona,BibliotecaCapitolareMS761a Title Composer Disposition Main
clefs[othercombinationsused]
1 MissadeBVM anon cc c2c4c4F4 c3c4F4F5 2 MissaSalvedivaparens Obrecht high-clef g2c3c3F3 g2c3c3c4 g2c3c3F4 3 MissaBontemps Brumel low-clef c1c3c3F4 c1c3c4F4 4 MissaDapacem anon cc c1c3c3F3 5 MissaMaboucherit Martini vp c1c3c4c4 6 MissaL'amibaudichon Josquin cc c1c3c3F3 c1c2c3F3 c1c3c3c5b 7 MissaDominicalis deOrto vp c1c3c3c4 c1c3c3c5 8 MissaOrsusorsus Martini cc c1c3c3F3 c1c3c3c5 c1c3c4F4 c2c4c5F49 Missal'hommearmé Busnois vp c1c3c3c4 10 Missal'hommearmé Faugues vp c1c3c3c4 c1c3c3c3 c1c1c1c3 c1c1c1c411 MissaReginaceli Basiron cc c1c3c3F3 c1c3c4F3 12 MissaAlmaredemptorismater anon cc c1c3c3F3 c1c3c3c5 13 MissadeAngelis Prioris vp/cc c1c3c3c4 c1c3c3c5 c1c3c3F3 14 Missal'hommearmé Brumel cc c1c3c3F3 c1c3c3c5 c1c3c3c4 15 MissaVictimepascali Brumel cc c1c3c3F3 c1c3c4F4 c1c3c4F3 c1c3c3c516 MissaMaboucherita3 anon vp c1c3c4 17 MissaFerialis Martini cc c1c3c4F3 c1c3c4F4 18 CredoI Vaqueras low-clef c1c3c4F4 19 CredoI(a5) Vaqueras low-clef c1c3c4c4F4 20 CredoI Weerbeeke low-clef c1c3c4F4 21 CredoIV NicasiusdeClibano low-clef c1c3c4F4 22 TeDeum'contraafauxbourdon' Binchois vp c1c4
-
aInthe‘Disposition’column,‘vp’=‘vocipari’,and‘cc’=‘compressedcleffing’.bNote,c5isequivalenttoF3,butbothclefsareusedinthemanuscript.
-
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