From Dissonance to Note-Cluster: The Application of Musical-Rhetorical Figures and Dissonances

to Thoroughbass Accompaniment of Early 17th-Century Italian Vocal Solo Music

Author(s): Thérèse de Goede
Source: Early Music, Vol. 33, No. 2 (May, 2005), pp. 233-250
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3519450
Accessed: 03-02-2016 15:16 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/
info/about/policies/terms.jsp

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content
in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.
For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Early Music.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Th rdsede Goede

Fromdissonanceto note-cluster:
figuresanddissonancesto
the applicationof musical-rhetorical
thoroughbassaccompanimentof early17th-centuryItalian
vocal solo music

Figuramnenne ich eine gewife Art die Dissonantzenzu
gebrauchen,dai dieselbennicht allein nicht wiederlich,
sondern vielmehr annehmlich werden, und des
Kunstan den Taglegen.
Componisten
(I call Figurama certainmannerof using dissonancesso
thatthese arenot only not repulsive,but ratheragreeable,
andshowthe artof the composer.)
Christoph Bernhard,Tractatus compositionis
augmentatus, c. 16551
ATofthe turn of the 17thcenturyItaliancomposers
secularvocal music to a
began place greater
emphasis on textual expression. In order better to
convey a text's affective meaning, they expanded
their harmonic vocabularyand experimentedwith
the treatment of dissonance. These new harmonic
tools include the use of extreme or unprepared
dissonances (durezzeand heterolepsis),unresolved
dissonancesin cadences(ellipsis),harshnote-clusters
(acciaccatura),and the persistentrepetitionof a bass
note in a tenorizing cadence (extensio) or in the
vocal part (cadentia duriuscula),thus delaying its
resolution.Some composers,especiallythose associ-
ated with the secondaprattica, did not eschew any
means to make the listener experiencethe intensity
of the emotions describedin the text.
For a present-day accompanist it is not always
clear from the notated music how and where to
apply these new expressivedevices in the continuo
realization.More often than not, the bass lines are
unfigured.Relevantperiod information on the use
of dissonancesin accompanimentis not easyto find.
Although the earliest Italian treatises and texts on
thoroughbassdeal with the realizationof unfigured
basses,2 the authors focus almost exclusively on
consonances that must be played above the bass.
The treatment of dissonances, however, is hardly
mentioned in these texts. These are merely men-
tioned in passing and illustrated in the musical
examples, mostly as conventional suspensions at
cadences. It is nevertheless striking to consider
that c.161o composers like Jacopo Peri, Claudio
Monteverdi,FrancescoRasi or JohannHieronymus
Kapsbergerwrote the most daring note-combina-
tions in their vocal monodies and polyphonic com-
positions, and Ercole Pasquini was composing the
first durezzee ligaturetoccatas for organ or harpsi-
chord (in the application of durezze e ligature
preceded by Giovanni de Macque and his pupil
Trabaci). Whether or not these so-called durezze
note-combinations were also used in thoroughbass
accompanimentis impossible to deduce from con-
temporary writings on this subject. The questions
remain: how might continuo players exploit such
dissonancesin their realizationsfor expressiveends?
And how can one handle such problematiccases as
cadential and other harmonic patterns that appear
to conflict with the melodic line?
An examinationof the earliestthoroughbasstrea-
tises suggests that the authors were somewhat at a
loss to explain the accompanimentof music by the
compositorimoderni. For the accompaniment of

EarlyMusic,Vol. xxxIIi, No.2 @The Author 2005. Publishedby OxfordUniversityPress.All rightsreserved.

doi:10.1093/em/cah068,availableonline at www.em.oupjournals.org 233

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
prima prattica compositions, the rules of counter- with the secondaprattica.Bernhard'scompositional
point dictated which chords should be played. By treatisesinclude Von der Singe-Kunst,oderManiera,
applying these conventions, players could deter- Tractatuscompositionis augmentatusandAusfi2hlicher
mine from the bass progressionwhetherthey had to Berichtvom GebrauchederCon-undDissonantien.He
play a 5th or a 6th above the bass (togetherwith the does not, however, formulate new rules, but only
3rd and/or the octave), and whether those 3rds and describesa numberof musicalexamples.Onlytwo of
6ths had to be minor or major. In the treatisesby these formulas or figures are discussed (or rather,
Francesco Bianciardi and Adriano Banchieri this demonstrated)in latertreatises.The cadentiadurius-
procedureis outlined in painstakingdetail.3But the cula, although not under this name, by Bartolomeo
treatment of dissonances was hardly mentioned in Bismantova (1677) and Henry Purcell (1694) and the
the early treatisesor, if at all, only in regardto 7-6 heterolepsis (also undera differentname) by Lorenzo
and 4-3 suspensions at cadences.AlthoughAdriano Penna (1672). Of the musical figures, formulated by
Banchieridid make a connection between the con- Bernhard,in particularthe cadentiaduriusculaand
cept of 'text as the mistressover music',4and the use the ellipsiswill be discussedbelow.
of durezzeby the modern composer,this was only to
stressthat composersought to figuretheirbasslines. Cadentia duriuscula
Finally, by the middle of the 17th century some A typicalelement seen in the monody of this period,
figures representing unusual dissonant note- especially in the stylus theatralisor recitativus,is
combinations appearunder the bass lines of recita- the independence of the solo part from the bass
tives in cantatas. Marc'Antonio Pasqualini wrote line and its implied harmony. In other words, the
figures that clearly representnote-clusters such as solo part and the bass line make dissonant note-
5/14/3or 7/#6/5,prefiguringthe later acciaccaturein combinations that fall outside the common chord
sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, and their use in possibilitiesof 17th-centuryharmoniclanguage.Ex.1
recitatives as described by Francesco Gasparini.5 shows a typical example,from BrusselsMs.7o4;ex.2
Written-outexamplesof these note-clusterscan also gives a somewhatlaterexamplefrom Peri'sEuridice.
be found in toccatas by Kapsberger and in A strikingphenomenon in both unfiguredor par-
Frescobaldi's'Cento partite'for harpsichord. tially figured examplesis the sustained,or repeated
In the same period ChristophBernhard,a pupil of note A (ex.1) and E (ex.2) in the vocal part. Below
Heinrich Schtitz, attempted to codify typical this sustainednote the bass moves in predominantly
harmonicand melodic formulasor figuresassociated stepwise fashion towards the two final notes. This

Ex.1JacopoCorsi[attrib.],'AlmoDio che'lcarr'ardente',
fromDafne(1594)

Al-mo Dio che'l car - r'ar - den - te per lo ciel vol - gen - d'in - tor -

- o ve-st'ildi d'unau-
reo
man
-
U: 2 7 ~ l

234 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
persistentfixation on the same note is the cause of
the appearance of the dissonance of a 4th above
the bass (here indicatedby asterisksbelow the bass
line). How should a thoroughbass player realize
this bass line? And should one avoid doubling
the vocal part?The 17th-centurytreatises on thor-
oughbass or counterpoint provide no answers to
these questions. Fortunately, however, there are
other sources of information available, such as
figures written by the composer under the bass, or
written-outaccompaniments.One can also examine
similar passages in contemporary polyphonic
compositions such as madrigals or solo pieces for
harpsichord,organ or lute.
The examplesby Corsiand Periarenot exceptional
cases.Otherexamples,with sometimeseven stronger
dissonancesbetweenbassand vocalpartcanbe found
in variouscompositions(exx.3-12).All theseexamples

Ex.2 JacopoPeri, 'Perquel vago bosschetto',from Euridice(16oo)

Re-st6 tan - ta bel-lez - za im - mo - bil gie - lo

4 4 11 #

Ex.3 ClaudioMonteverdi,'Io la Musica',from L'Orfeo(1609)

Et hor di no - bil i -ra et hor d'A-mo-re pos - s'in - fiam-mar le piiu ge-la - te men - ti.

Ex.4 FrancescoRasi,'Indarnofebo', from Vaghezzedi musica(16o8)

me la'il pu-ro'ar- gen - to Ch'io lon-ta-no da voi nul - la non scer - no

Ex.5 JacopoPeri, 'Quest'humilfera',from Le variemusiche(16o09),bars 30-35

Ma pur, co -me suol far, tra due mi tie - - ne,

4 3 ~I4 2
4 3 I ,-3 4 #3 2

EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 235

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Ex.6 Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger,'Gia risi del mio mal mentre', from LibroII di villanelle(1619):(a) bars 5-8; (b)
bars 13-16

(a)
5

Pie - ta da due bei ra i

(b)
13

ar e sos - pi - rar_ ma - van - za.

Ex.7 JohannHieronymusKapsberger,'Dove mi lasci',from Librosecondod'arie(1623)

gra - ve mar-to - so lo per-te vis-sie sen-za te mi mo - ro, e

[:J I o
43 43

sen-za te mi mo - ro.

Ex.8 GirolamoFrescobaldi,'Ariadi Romanesca',from Primolibrod'ariemusicali(1630)

ri - por - tar tor - men - ti'e pe - ne,

Ij II

236 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Ex.9 ClaudioMonteverdi,'Ede pur dunque vero', from Scherzimusicali(1632)

fa- bri- ca - te il se - pol-cro al-la mia vi - ta

Ex.io Domenico Mazzocchi,'Uscite a mille', from Madrigalia cinquevoci (1638),bars 13-18

L'a-do-ra - ta ca - gion

-ra- taca-gion
L'a-do del mio -men -
tor - to,
L'a-do - ra - ta ca- gion del mio tor - men - - to

L'a-do - ra - ta ca- gion del mio tor - men - - to,

S I Ii
43
--n 4 _" 6 7 6 43 87
#6 5 6 5 87

Ex.li Domenico Mazzocchi,'Didone, Romanesca,Quartaparte',from Musichesacre,e morali(1640)

t. t. t. t.

miei, dov'Eu - ro il vol - - - - e, Le - ga-to il le-gno, che da Tro-ia sciol - se.

3 #4 SN 6

sharethe sustainedor repeatednote in the solo voice, notably Artusi, Galilei and Banchieri,attemptedto
but show considerablevarietyin theirbasslines:some bridge these diverging musical styles by adding
have a mostly stepwise descendingbass line, while licencesto the pre-existingrules.8However,none of
othersmay have leaps of a 3rd or 4th in some places. these licences relate to the examples of cadentia
The dissonances that result are not prepared or duriusculagiven here, probably because the stilo
resolvedaccordingto the rulesof the so-calledprima recitativoor monody in general'was outside contra-
prattica.6 Although church composers continued to puntaltheory'.9
write in the stile antico describedby Zarlino,7com- What exx.1-12 have in common is a certain
poserswritingfor the theatrewere more experimen- pattern-a musical figure called cadentiaduriuscula
tal with their treatmentof dissonances.Laterwriters, by Christoph Bernhard.10Bernhard, the only
EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 237

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Ex.12 Claudio Monteverdi, 'Disprezzata regina', from L'incoronazione di Poppea (1642)
63
Den-tro'al- le tue de-li-zie, i miei,
Ex.13 Examples of cadentia duriuscula from Christoph Bernhard, Tractatus (c. 1655)
AI " • i " • I .J •-J I I
e-
ifI
17th-centurywriter to describethis figure,1defined
it as follows:
1 Cadentiae duriusculae sind, welche etwas seltsame
Dissonantzen vor denen beyden Schlug-Noten annehmen.
2 Solche werden fast nur in Soliciniis und meistentheils in
Arien und Tripeln angetroffen.
3 Da aber einige in mehrstimmige (Sachen) gefunden wiir-
den, so werden die iibrigen Stimmen dermagen gesetzt, daif
solche keine MiBhelligkeit spiihren lassen.
4 Dieser Figurae Exempel so ich aus anderen hergenommen,
mdgen anstatt meherer Regeln dienen: zumahl weil, wie ich
daftir halte, es allemahl beger ist, dieselben gintzlich zu
meiden.
5 Es kommen auch bey einigen Authoribus auger denen
Vorbereitungen zu denen Cadentzen in denen Arien, und
sonsten dergl. Hirtigkeiten ffir, welches sich mit grogten
Judicio zu gebrauchen. Und wiren aller Componisten
bigweilen tibel genug genommene Freyheiten unm6glich in
Regeln zu fassen. Es wird einer an besagten in Stylo communi
genung haben. Im tibrigen lasse ich ihm frey ein mehreres als
gut anzunehmen, oder alles (als) bise zu verwerffen.
1 Cadentiae duriusculae are those (cadences) in which rather
peculiar dissonances precede the two final notes.
2 They appear almost only in solo song and for the most past
in arias and triple metre sections.
3 If they are found in polyphonic compositions, the other
voices have to be set in such a way that they do not cause any
conflict or unpleasantness.
238 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
i miei, i miei_ mar- ti - ri.
II II I
-II 1t . I
4 The examples of these figures that I took from other com-
posers may, in the place of severalrules, serve as demonstration,
the more so because, in my opinion, it is better to avoid them
entirely.
5 With some authors this type of harshness occurs apart from
the preparations of cadences and things like that, but they
should be applied with great discernment. It is impossible to
condense into rules the sometimes horrible liberties some
composers take. The stylus communis includes a sufficient
amount of examples. For the rest I leave him free to accept
most things as good or to reject everything as evil.
Bernhardgivesthreeshortexamples(ex.13).12 He does
not give a clear explanationas to the origins of the
cadentiaduriuscula.However, in referenceto other
musicalfigures,he suggeststhat they originatedfrom
the improvisationof singersand instrumentalists:13
hatmanobserviret,
Nachgehends dagktinstliche
Singerauch
Instrumentalisten,wann dergleichen Sachen zu machen gewe-
sen, von den Noten hier und dort etwas abgewichen, und also
einige anmutige Art der Figuren zu erfinden Anlat gegeben;
denn was mit verntinfftigen Wohl-Laut kan gesungen
werden, mag man auch wohl setzen.14
Following this, it has been observed that artful singers and
instrumentalists, in places were it was appropriate to do so,
moved only now and then a little away from the written
notes, creating elegant figures this way. Thus, what can be
sung with good sounding effect might as well be written.
What is most remarkableabout Bernhard'scom-
mentary on the cadentia duriuscula is that it is
descriptive, and certainly not prescriptive. Even
Ex.14(a) Examplesof cadentiaduriuscula
fromBartolomeo
Bismantova, of
musicale(1677);(b) realizations
Compendio
the figures
(a)

I. 9.• " .
IO.V2.
I0.IQ,.

(b)
_Q0I I

::::o

more telling, his later treatise, the Ausfiihrlicher Ex.15HenryPurcell's

exampleof cadentiaduriuscula
from
Bericht (in essence a later and shorter version of AnIntroduction
JohnPlayford, totheSkillofMusick(1694)
the Tractatus),leaves out the cadentia duriuscula
entirely. The popularity of this figure among his Thereis another
fortof Difcrd ufled
by the
Italiansnot yet mentioned neitrhe-, which is the
contemporariesis nonethelessconvincinglydemon- 2Tirdafd Fwrthtogether,to introducea Gife.,
strated by the abundance of examples in their
As for Example.
compositions. ., .
A somewhat later treatise writer, Bartolomeo _• I.___ _
Bismantova,similarlydescribesthe cadentiadurius-
cula in its essentialform. His thoroughbasstreatise,
Compendiomusicale (1677), contains an example,
now labelled Preparamentoalla Cadenzadi 4a e 3a
(ex.14). Bismantova clearly indicates how the - -

realizationof the figures should be divided between

the hands (mano destraand manosinistra).
An even later description of this figure can be
found in HenryPurcell'schapteron counterpointin
Playford's An Introductionto the Skill of Musick
(1694).'5 Here he gives examples of typical Italian
Other sources of information on performance
progressions, which he describes simply as 'the practice
Third and Fourth together' (ex.15). The example Given the limited discussion of cadentiaduriuscula
shows, confirmedby its completefigures,that in the found in contemporarytreatises,one must turnto an
upper voices the note-combination of D/C is examinationof similarpassagesin composed music
repeatedfive times. for informationabout the bassocontinuorealization

EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 239

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
of these passages.These might include: (1) written-
out examplesin lute tablature,e.g. Kapsberger,'Gia
risi del mio mal' (ex.6);(2) polyphoniccompositions,
e.g. Mazzocchi'sfive-voice madrigal'Uscite"amille'
(ex.io) and Frescobaldi's'Cento partite'for harpsi-
chord or organ (ex.16);(3) cadentiaeduriusculaewith
figuressuppliedby the composer:(e.g. exx.2,5, lo, 11,
with figuresby Periand Mazzocchi).
The written-outaccompaniment
Ex.6 shows written-out cadentiaeduriusculaefrom
the lute tablatureof Kapsberger's'Gia risi del mio
mal'. At the essentialdissonantplaces the vocal part
is doubled in the accompaniment.In both cadences
the suspension 5/4 note-combination A/G, above
the dominant bass note D, is anticipatedin the ear-
lier chord (7/6) with exactlythe same two notes.
There is one remarkabledifferencebetween ex.6a
and 6b. In ex.6a the 7/6 combinationon the B is pre-
ceded by another 7th, now prepared,between bass
and vocal part on the C, with the result of two 7ths
following each other betweenthe bass and the vocal
part. On this bass note C, Kapsbergerdid not write
the A/G combination, which in that case would
have caused a 7/6/5 note-cluster,but wrote the 6/3
instead.We can conclude that Kapsbergerwrote his
realizationwith and againstthe vocal part.By realiz-
ing the bass line according to the aforementioned
rules and, at the same time, doublingthe vocal part,
he confirmed and stressedthe effect of dissonance
between bass and solo part.
Polyphonicexamples
Frescobaldi,in his 'Cento partite sopra passacagli'
for solo harpsichord,wrote the cadentiaduriuscula
in several places (bars 4, 59-60, 188-9, 218-19)
(ex.16).16 Both cadences in bars 4 and 59-60 are
similar. They are rathershort, and the 5/4 chord is
'Centopartitesoprapassacagli',
Ex.16 GirolamoFrescobaldi,
li " -- - - • "I
83 Ciaccona
[i:" I #:?
240 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
precededonly by 6/4/3. In bar 188-9 the 5/4 chord is
preceded by 6/5, 5/4 and 4/3 above a chromatic
ascending bass line. In ex.16 the 5/4 chord is pre-
ceded by 10/9, 4/3 and 6/5 above a partlychromatic
descending bass line. In all examples, the repeated
interval of a second (the 5/4 note-combination
above the penultimate bass note) is placed in the
upper parts. The dissonances sound together with
the complete consonant harmony-which, while
not always written out in full above the bass, is
implied by the context of the progression.17
Cadentia duriusculafigured by the composer
An earlyexamplewith figuresprovidedby the com-
poser is Peri's recitativefrom Euridice(ex.2). Here
he writes single figures,indicatingmajor 3rdsand a
4th (11), under all bass notes of the cadence, except
below the 'ratherpeculiar dissonance' where the B
in the bass forms a 4th with the E in the vocal part.
The absence of a figure at this point suggests that
Peri expectedthe continuo playerto follow the rules
for the realization of unfigured bass lines, which
made the figuring of such a place redundant.
According to these rules given in the 17th-century
basso continuo treatises (by Bianciardi, Agazzari,
Banchieri,Praetoriusand Penna, just to mention a
few),'8the thoroughbassplayeris expectedto play a
6/3 chordwith a major6th when the bass is descend-
ing a tone or a semitone. The 6th has to be major
because it must resolveto a perfectconsonance-in
this case, of course, the octave-via the nearest
imperfectconsonance. By playingthis 6/3 in combi-
nation with the vocal part-whether we double the
vocal part or not-the result is a 4/3 chord.
However, in terms of counterpoint, the 4th is a
dissonancethat has to resolveinto the 3rd;they may
not sound together.This is probablythe reasonwhy
the 4/3 chord is not mentioned in counterpoint-or
fromIIprimolibrodi toccate(1637),bars 218-21
,' '
ij i "
84
 of thefiguresin ex.2(Peri,'Perquelvagobosschetto')
Ex.17Realizations
(a)
( I
6) 11(I
thoroughbass treatises-at all before the third
quarter of the 17th century. One reference to this
chord can be found in Bismantova(ex.14).
As indicatedby Peri's figures,major3rds have to
be played above the first A and above the G. While
an accompanistmight be tempted to add a 4th (D)
to the first A chord as an anticipationto the chords
G and second A (figured with 11),the sharp in the
figure negates this possibility:the C#cannot sound
together with the D (ex.17). Moreover, the sharp
above the A also indicatesthat a 5th (or 6/5--but by
no means a 6th without a 5th) has to be playedabove
the nextbass note G:the major3rd (C#)mustresolve
into a pure 5th above G (D). Since the E in the vocal
part forms a 6th with this G, a 6/5 chord will be the
sounding resultwhetheror not we double the vocal
part.The 5th above the G acts as the preparationfor
the 4th (or lith) above the next bass note A, which
will resolvein the major3rdabovethe last A. If there
would not have been any figures,this examplecould
have been realized according to ex.17b.In the pre-
sent situation, the example has to be realized as in
ex.17a.
The other exampleby Peri (ex.5) is a half cadence.
Apart from that, it resembles the cadences by
Frescobaldi(ex.8) and Rasi (ex.4):in all three exam-
ples an A in the solo voice is writtenagainsta G in the
bass, creatingthe intervalof a 9th. In Peri'sexample
(bar34) the bass note G requiresnot only a 3rd (Bb)
and 5th (D), but also the octave.This doubled G acts
both as the resolutionof the F#on beat one, as well as
the preparationfor the 4th abovethe D in beat three.
This G will, of course, sound very harsh againstthe
solo voice. However,the figuresindicate that this is
indeed what Peri intended.
Similarly, Mazzocchi also wrote figures for
cadences in exx.xo and 11 in order to clarify the
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
(b)
6I
harmonic progression and to ensure that certain
dissonances would be performed by the continuo
player(s). In ex.lo the figures have two functions:
they represent the intervals formed by the vocal
parts,but indicateadditionalnotes for the bassocon-
tinuo realization.In bar 15a sharpened6th is added
to the 4th in the figure,even though this G#is not to
be found in the vocal parts;likewise,a 3rd (D) must
be played in the accompaniment,even though it is
not figured.This is also the case for the 6/5 chord on
G in bar16:the 5th (D) is not in the vocal part,but it
is indicatedby the figure.Again,in ex.nl Mazzocchi
wrote a sharpened4th, followed by a 6 above the B.
The sharpened4th, F#, must resolveto the G in the
realization, thereby making an unavoidable clash
with the A in the vocal part (beat3).
The above examples are clear indications that
Mazzocchi's figures are not simply an aid for the
continuo player to prevent the playing of wrong
chords, or as a warning to avoid the playing of the
indicated dissonances.These figures ratherserve to
make the harmonyfull and complete.
The realization of the cadentia duriuscula
Ex.18 recapitulates exx.1-12, but whereas those
exampleswere in approximatechronologicalorder,
here the materialis arrangedaccordingto the type
of harmonic progression.Eachexample of cadentia
duriusculais given in threeversions,A, B and C. The
composer's original figures are written above the
bass line. The figures below the bass line are added
by me.
The figuresbelow all A examplesare accordingto
the rules from the above-mentionedcontemporary
treatisesfor playingunfiguredbass lines. The figures
below all B examples are, in a number of cases
(exx.1-8), the same figures from the A example,
EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 241
 Ex.18 Analysisof exx.1-12

(a) = ex.1

A B C

6 5 4 6 5
3 8 3 5 4

(b) = ex.2

11 11

86 5 5 5 86 5 6 5
8 3 4 8 4 • 5 4
3
(c) = ex.12

A B C

6 65 5 5 84 85 86 5
3 t 3 4 3 4 5 4

(d) = ex.8

A B C

5 55 665 5 59 645
3 3 4 3 3 8 5 3 4
5
(e)= ex.4 3

IIIIw

86 5 5 6 9 5
3 4 # 8 4 8
5
(f) = ex.5 3

A B C
b 4 32 # b 4 32 8

6 5 8 5 #32 # 35
5 9 5
84
32
t354
3

242 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
(g) = ex.3

A
TII B IFI C

5 5 5 6 5 5 5 6 7 5
b 4 3 3 5 6 4
3
(h) = ex.6

A B

7 7 5 5 7 5
6 6 4 6 4
3
(i) = ex.7

A B C

6 5 7 5
48 6 4

(j) = ex.9

A B C

86 5 6 5 4 5 6 7 5
3 4 8 3 4 5 6 4 #
(k) = ex.lo

[ A Bc
4 6 7 6 4 3
' C
86 5 6 5 8 7
[: c' o 7' I -1 o
86 5 6 6 6 5 4 5 6 7 6 5
3 5 4 #6 3 5 6 5 4
3
(1) = ex.11

cA B C
334 6 3 4 6 3 #46

65 5 76 5
, 4# 65 4#

EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 243

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
combined with extra figures representingthe vocal
part.
In the othercases(exx.9,11),belowthe basslinesof
the B examples,I have added figures based on the
written-out examples of Kapsberger's'Gia risi del
mio mal' (ex.6), Frescobaldi'sexamplesfrom 'Cento
partite' (ex.16) and Mazzocchi'smadrigal'Uscite "a
mille' (ex.io). With 'Giarisidel mio mal',I simplyfig-
ured the realizationsas they are given by Kapsberger
himself. As for 'Uscite "amille', I only added simple
figuresto the A examplein orderto demonstratethat
figuresaccordingto primapratticaruleswould have
been sufficientfor a correctrealization.
Analysis of all the examples in ex.18 shows that,
abovethe penultimatecadentialbassnote (the dom-
inant) one can play-and in some cases one must
play-first the suspension4th togetherwith the 5th,
afterwhich the 4th will resolveinto the 3rd. Typical
for the cadentiaduriusculais that the second,formed
by this note-combination of 4th and 5th, appears
already above one or more of the preceding bass
notes (and in most casesthe vocal partis includedin
this second), giving rise to other combinations of
figures,e.g.
the 4/3 sonorityin exx. 1,2, 12
the9/8 sonorityin exx.8,4, 5
the 7/6 sonorityin exx.3,6, 7, 9, 1o,11
This is demonstratedin the C part of every example
in ex.18.
Occasionally,there are other consonant chords
like 6/5 and/or 5/3 betweenthe duriusculachord and
the penultimate suspension. Sometimes there is
more than one 'duriuscula'chord in the cadence,as
in Frescobaldi's 'Aria di Romanesca' (ex.8) and
Mazzocchi's'Uscite a mille' (ex.lo).
Ex.19Modelof development
(a) (b)
'-
•r'r
rJ IIi
0%%c
244 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
At this point let us return to the question: how
might a continuo realization exploit dissonance
either with or against a voice. And how should a
thoroughbassplayerharmonizeunfiguredcadentiae
duriusculaein particular?If this musical figure did
indeed originatein the practiceof improvisation,as
stated by Christoph Bernhard, a simple cadence
form must have been the basis on which both
singers and bass players began to make variations.
It is not difficult to imagine how this figure may
have developedin actualpractice.In ex.19I suggest
a possible model of development. In ex.19a the
cadence is written in its simplest form. In ex.19bI
have added ornamentalnotes to the uppervoice. In
ex.19c ornamentalnotes are also added to the bass
line, while in ex.19dthe vocal line is simplified.As is
illustratedby examples1-12,in many casesthe avail-
able space in the cadence has been used, or extra
bass notes added immediately preceding the
cadence,to add harmoniesor ornamentsthat could
enhance the dramaticexpressionof the text.
The written-out accompanimentand the exam-
ples figuredby the composer makeit clearthat most
of these cadences can be accompanied correctly
both with and without the doubling of the disso-
nances of the vocal part. In written-out accompani-
ments (for instance,lute tablatures)the vocal partis
often partly or even completely doubled, which
makesdoublinga possibilitysupportedby historical
sources. This, however, is rather a matter of per-
sonal taste, and may also depend upon the instru-
ment used. Harsh note-combinations will usually
sound less penetratingwhen playedon a chitarrone
than on a harpsichord, let alone an organ.19
However, if composers specifiedinstrumentsat all,
as Monteverdidoes in L'Orfeo,this does not seem to
concern the dissonancetreatment.
of cadentiaduriuscula
(c) (d)
K
/ '~ / I / / / /
Or
r- I Ipo 0r -E ,
1/o
 The dynamic shapingof the text could also influ-
ence a decision about whether or not to double the
vocal part. Composerswho use such extrememusi-
cal figures like cadentiaduriusculaare demonstrat-
ing a preferencefor abrasivesounds. Where the text
is intensely sorrowful, the music must not only
express violent pain but also cause the listener to
experience it. Similar effects can be heard in the
madrigals of Gesualdo and Monteverdi, and in
Frescobaldi'skeyboard toccatas. These new disso-
nance treatments form an essential tool for the
expressivenessof the music of this period. It is a pity
that in most present-dayperformancesthese musi-
cal-rhetoricalfigures are not recognized or under-
stood by the performersand consequentlyignored,
playeddown, or their harshdissonancessoftened. A
recent case is the new recording of Monteverdi's
L'Orfeodirected by Emanuelle Haim. To give one
example: at the end of the second verse of La
Musica's recitative the text is 's'infiammarle pih"
gelate menti' ('inflame the coldest minds').
Monteverdiplaces the word gelatebetween the B in
the vocal part and the C# in the bass, just before
both cadence notes (ex.3). In the recording, this
importantC#,which causesthe B in the vocal partto
sound highly expressive,is practicallyinaudible.
Understanding musical-rhetorical figures, is
obviously importantfor editors as well. Ex.12serves
to illustrate the problem of editing music with
Ex.2o Claudio Monteverdi, 'Disprezzataregina',from L'incoronazione
with figuresby the author (compareex.12)
(a)
Den-tro'al-le tue de -li - zie,
(b)
Den-tro'al-le tue de - li - zie,
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
unfigured bass lines without a thorough under-
standing of rhetoricalfigures and dissonance treat-
ment. In Ottavia'slament 'Disprezzataregina' the
figure with its note repetitions is, as usual, placed
over a sorrowfultext, below which the bass squirms
its way towards the cadence. Monteverdi enhances
this effect, makingit even more sad and 'sighing'by
adding appoggiatureto the last two note repetitions.
Ex.2oa,which shows the editorialfiguringaddedby
the harpsichordist and musicologist Alan Curtis,
who has not recognizedor understoodthe cadentia
duriuscula.In the first place, below the first 'i miei',
above the bass note C, the 6/3 and not the 6/2 should
be added to the #4. According to the contemporary
rules a 6/#4/2 chord has to resolve into a 6/3 chord,
but Monteverdirepeatsthe F#,which now becomes
a 5th above the next bass note B. Only the 6/#4/3
chord can resolvein a 3/5 chord.
Second, the bass note A in the next bar does not
descend to G, and thus does not form a so-called
tenor-cadence. If that had been the case, then
Curtis'sfigures,accordingto the contemporarybasso
continuotreatises,would have been correct.At this
point, however,the bass will ascenda step, hence the
G is an ornament (i.e. an accento)and not a suspen-
sion, so that a #6 is sufficienthere.These two correc-
tions merely result in a correctharmonization.The
affectivepower is, however,stronglyincreasedwhen
a Frescobaldi-likeharmonization,like the one shown
di Poppea(1642): (a) with figuresby Curtis;(b)
i miei, i miei, i miei mar - ti - ri.
•4
2 7 6
i miei, i miei, i miei_ mar - ti - ri.
44 65 46 5
2 4 5 4 3
EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 245
in ex.16, is applied here. Only after applying this
harmonization does the whole phrase become
coherent and, by applicationof these caustic note-
combinations,obtainits intendedsorrowfulcharacter.
That the realizationof ex.2ob can also be applied
to Monteverdi's'Ed e pur dunque vero' (ex.9) has
alreadybeen demonstratedin ex.18j.Here it is possi-
ble to apply more than one duriusculachord and
even to play the characteristiccombination of a 2nd
in the realization on every bass note. This way of
realizingthe cadentiaduriusculawill shapeand unify
the entire musical figure. Of course, it is also possi-
ble to play the repeated 2nds in the middle of the
accompaniment and play the upper voice of the
realization partly in contrary motion to the bass
line. My suggested realization of this passage is
shown in ex.21.
Ellipsis
In stilo recitativo,a very dissonanteffect is occasion-
allycreatedwhen the composeromits the resolution
of a 4th or a 7th in the vocal part of the cadence.At
the same time the continuo playerdoes have to play
those resolutions. In Monteverdi'sL'Orfeothere is
an example in the recitativeof Pastore(ex.22, at the
word pianto). Monteverdidid not add figuresto the
Ex.21 ClaudioMonteverdi,'Ede pur dunquevero',from Scherzimusicali(1632), with a realizationby the author
(compareex.9), bars128-32
fa- bri - ca - te
t9I
6 8
4 5
3 4
Ex.22 ClaudioMonteverdi,'In questo lieto', from L'Orfeo(1609)
sel - ve
F r"
246 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
bass line here, so there is actuallyno informationas
to how to realizethis cadence.
A similar passage is discussed in Christoph
Bernhard's Tractatus.He calls this musical figure
an ellipsis and explains that 'Ellipsis ist eine
AuslagungdersonsterfordertenConsonantz'('Ellipsis
is the leaving out of the otherwiserequiredconso-
nance').20 Bernhard gives a number of different
examples to demonstrate this figure; one of them
closely resemblesthe final cadence of Monteverdi's
Combattimentodi Tancredie Clorinda.The string
partsaccompanythis cadencewith only a 5th and an
octave on the penultimate chord. It is unclear
whether Monteverdi wants the continuo player to
play the 5/4 suspension resolvingto the 3rd or not.
Consideringthe verysereneand calm atmosphereof
the text and the situation (afterall, Clorindaexpects
to ascend to heaven), I would chose to leave out the
4-#3 here and only double the string parts. But this
might be an exception to the general treatment of
ellipsisin thoroughbassplaying.
Two earlier examples of an ellipsisin the vocal
part show that the accompanimenthas been, or was
supposed to be realized independentlyof the vocal
part. The first example is the conclusion of
Kapsberger's'Interottesperanza'(ex.23).In the final
il se - pol-cro al-la mia vi ta
-
fI / I CIO
10 10 5
6 7 4 #
5 6
ha so-spi-ra- to'e pian- to.
T1
I
cadencethe vocal partforms a 4th againstthe bass, a
dissonancethat remainsunresolved.By contrast,in
the lute tablaturethe 4th does resolve, accordingto
the rules, to the major 3rd. The second example,
found in Peri's Euridice(ex.24), concerns an unre-
solved 7th. In Orfeo'srecitative'Funestepiaggie'we
see in the vocal parthow the 7th is preparedbut not
resolved,while at the same time above the bass note
A a major6th is prescribedby the composer.In both
cases the resultingclash was clearlyintentional.
Likewise,Monteverdi'sex.2o in the penultimate
bar ends with an ellipsis.It is true that this cadence
does have the resolution of the 3rd in the vocal part,
but since this resolution sounds together with the
last syllableof the word 'vita',which is connected to
the final note with a tie, this major 3rd is ratheran
accento.In the abridgedversion of the Tractatus,the
AusfiihrlicherBericht,Bernhardonce more explains
the ellipsis, but this time he gives an addition to the
explanation concerning the performance practice
for the singers:
Und wenn in einerCadenzdie Quartadurchdie Tertianicht
resolviretwird,sondernstehenbleibet.Das k6mmether aus
dem Cercar della Nota, wovon in der Manier in der 24.ten
Regul. [i.e. 'Cercardella nota heif3tein Suchen der Noten, und
wird mit dem c bezeichnet.'] Denn der Singer muss es unten
resolviren.
when in a cadence the 4th is not resolved but stays on. Here
one has to apply the cercar della nota according to the 24th
rule [i.e. 'Cercardella nota means a searching for the note, and
is indicated by c.'], which means the singer has to sing the res-
olution from below.21
Bernhardtasksthe singersto resolvethe 4th from
below as a short embellishing note (cercar della
nota). This is exactly what happens in bar 131of
ex.21. When the continuo playerresolvesthe A to G#
in the third beat, the A in the solo voice is held until
the fourthbeat.
In the same mannerFrescobaldidemonstrateshis
own treatmentof ellipsis(ex.25): in the one voice the
4th is not resolved;in the other it is. This example
also combines cadentia duriuscula with ellipsis.
Again we find the note-combination of a 6th and a
7th on the third beat in bar 238. Instanceslike this,
in which both the dissonance and its resolution are
allowed to sound simultaneously,demonstratethat

Ex.23JohannHieronymus 'Interottesperanza',
Kapsberger, finalbar,fromLibroprimodi ariepassegiate
(1612)

vocal part I I

ro - go mi o

bass part

tablature
transcription 9:

Ex.24Peri,'Funestepiaggie',fromEuridice in bracketsby theauthor)

(realization

al dell' an- go- scio - se mie pa- ro - le

suon__

?6 11 4
EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 247

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 •, P• "o ~~LiB PpiMo

io.IROLAMO PSP]5&GEPR
6i \ 4 &mAo.

-42
hy~
.,L!
-C'J?-

ocl

c
6-•;

as
:aZo•,o

Illus. 1 The frontispieceof the 1612edition of Kapsberger'sLibroPrimo di Arie Passegiatea Una Vocecon L'intavolatura
del Chitarone,from which Ex.23,'InterotteSperanza'was taken

248 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 fromIIprimolibrodi toccate(1637),bars238-9
'Centopartitesoprapassacagli',
Ex.25GirolamoFrescobaldi,

Altro
Tono
93 94

the resulting sonorities in certain contexts were
sought and appreciated.
Conclusion
The musical figuresdiscussedhere, cadentiadurius-
cula and ellipsis,were originallydeveloped through
improvisation above typical cadential patterns as a
means to express more powerfully the meaning of
the text in vocal music. It is these typical formulas
that were extended into a form of prolonged caden-
tial preparation;still, the additionalnotes which fill
out the bass line must neverthelessbe harmonized
according to the rules of the earliest thoroughbass
treatisewriters,e.g. of the primaprattica.If continuo
players do not have a working knowledge of these
conventional counterpoint rules, difficulties arise
when attemptingto realizethe unfiguredbass lines
of the secondaprattica.
What I further set out to demonstrate is that
recognizing and understandingthese figures is not
only a prerequisitefor the correct accompaniment
of Italian 17th-centurysolo vocal music but also
that active use of these figures can lead to a defi-
nite enhancement of the affect and the expression
of the music without in any way impeding the
singer.

Theresede Goedeis a harpsichordistand teachesbassocontinuoand historicalperformancepractice

at AmsterdamConservatory. Presentlyshe is preparinga doctoralthesisfor the Universityof Utrecht
on early basso continuo with an emphasison the realizationof unfiguredbasses.Other work on
17th-centurythoroughbasshas beenpublishedin Concerto, Performancepractice review and the
Nederlandstijdschriftvoor muziektheorie.

' "Del sonare

This paper is an extended version of a
lecture with the same title given
during the InternationalBasso Continuo
Symposium in the Holland FestivalEarly
Music 1998 in Utrecht.
1 Issued as Die Kompositionslehre
Heinrich Schiitzensin der Fassung seines
Schilers ChristophBernhard,ed. J. M.
Mtiller-Blattau (Leipzig, 1926).
2 Francesco Bianciardi, Breve regola
per imparar a sonare sopra il basso con
ogni sorte d'instrumento (Siena, 1607);
Agostino Agazzari, Del suonare sopra il
basso con tutti stromenti & uso loro nel
concerto(Siena, 1607); Adriano
Banchieri, L'organosuonarino
(Venice, 1611).
3 A detailed discussion of these
treatises is given by T. de Goede,
sopra il basso": over
het uitwerken van vroeg
zeventiende-eeuwse bassen',
Tijdschriftvoor muziektheorie,
i (1996), pp.123- 41, and in
Performancepractice review,
x/1 (Spring 1997).
4 'E per maggiore intelligenzaa ne
lasciar cosa di rilievo, restami dire
che alcuni compositori moderni, per
maggior sicurezza segnano le Quinte e
Seste, Settime & Seste, & simili, che
nelle durezze & legature si vanno
seguitando come qui.' Banchieri,
L'organosuonarino, p.11.
5 See Cantatas by Marc'Antonio
Pasqualini, ed. M. Murata, Italian
Cantata in the Seventeenth Century
(New York, 1985) and Francesco
Gasparini, L'armonicopratico al
cimbalo (Venice, 1708;facsimile edn,
Bologna, 2ool), chap.9: 'Delle false de i
recitativi, e del modo di far
acciaccature'.
6 In conservative dissonance
treatment, both voices must begin
from a consonant interval, move
stepwise to the dissonant interval (of a
2nd, 4th, 7th or 9th), and then, again
by stepwise motion, resolve to a
consonance.
7 Gioseffo Zarlino, Le istitutioni
harmoniche (Venice, 1558),book 3:
L'artedel contrapunto,trans. G. A.
Marco and C. V. Palisca (New Haven,
1968).
8 See O. Strunk, Sourcereadingsin
music history (New York, 1950),
pp.30o2,393, 405, 413.F. Rempp, Die

EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005 249

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 KontrapunkttraktateVincenzo Galileis the xviith and xvIIth centuries
(Cologne, 1980); C. V. Palisca, Studies (London, 1931).
in the history of Italian music and music
19 Vicenzo Giustiniani says about
STEPHANBLEZINGER theory (Oxford, 1994), chap.2; Adriano the singers: 'They sing with one or
Banchieri, Cartellamusicale, nel canto at most three voices in concert
RECORDERMAKER figurato,fermo & contrapunto (Venice, with suitable instruments, as the
1614). Theorbo, or Chitarre,or the Cembalo,
FINEST 9 Palisca, Studies in the history of or with Organ, according to the
HANDMADE RECORDERS Italian music and music theory,p.29. circumstances.' Discorsosopra la musica
AFTER (c.1628),trans. C. MacClintock
io See Die KompositionslehreHeinrich
BRESSAN Schiitzens,ed. Miiller-Blattau, p.42, (American Institute of Musicology,
o* ?9; p.82. 1962).
. DENNER
11 According to D. Bartel, Musica 20 Die KompositionslehreHeinrich
4 STEENBERGEN Schiitzens,ed. Mtiller-Blattau, p.84.
poetica: musical-rhetoricalfigures in
+ STANESBY GermanBaroque music (Lincoln, 21 Die KompositionslehreHeinrich
WYNE NE, 1997). Schiitzens,ed. Mtiller-Blattau, p.151.
o
+GANASSI 12 Die KompositionslehreHeinrich
Schitzens, ed. Miiller-Blattau, p.82.
* KYNSEKER
13 Die KompositionslehreHeinrich
Schiitzens,ed. Mtiller-Blattau, p.72,
ASK FORDETAILED
??993-4;
P.73,?3.
INFORMATION! 14 Die Kompositionslehre Heinrich
Schatzens,ed. Mtiller-Blattau,p.147,?2.
15 J. Playford, An Introduction to the
Skill ofMusick (London, 12/1694;R/
New York, 1972) (containing also The
Art of Descant, or composingMusick in
Parts:Made veryPlain and Easy by the
late Mr. Henry Purcell). Purcell
discusses the 'Sharpseventh [called
heterolepsisby Bernhard] and Flat
In 1705, J. S. Bach
Seventh [later called the diminished travelled from Arnstadt to
seventh chord] two Notes mightily in Libeck to listen to the music of
use among the Italian Masters' on
pp.181-2. 'The Flat Sixth before a Close
[later called the Neapolitan sixth
D. Buxtehude
chord] is a Favourite Note with the In 2005, you can do the same!
Italians...' 'There is another sort of
Discord used by the Italians ( ... )
which is the Third and Fourth together,
to introduce a Close' (p.182).
16 Other examples from Frescobaldi
can be found in Il secundo libro di
toccate(1627), for instance in 'Canzona
prima' (bar 40), 'Partite sopra
"Tour de Bach"
31 August - 4 September 2005
ciaccona' (bars 29, 31) and 'Partite
sopra passacagli' (bars 12, 21). A musical journey from Arnstadt to
17 Although Mazzocchi's 'Uscite L.iineburgand Iiibeck, with concerts,
SCHILLERSTRASSE11 mille' (ex.lo) is a polyphonic work, it lectures, exhibitions, guided tours...
D-99817 EISENACH will be discussed in the section on Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and
GERMANY figured examples. Choir (TonKoopman),Martin Petzold,
18 Michael Praetorius, Syntagma Gottfried Preller, Kerala J. Snyder,
+49-3691-212346
musicum, iii (1619),pp.144-52; Jacqueline Toussaint and others
FAX+49-3691-21.2348
Lorenzo Penna, Li primi albori
e-mail: info@blezinger.de Int. Dieterich-Buxtehude-Gesellschaft
musicali, iii (Bologna, 1672). See also
http://www.blezinger.de F. T. Arnold, The art of accompaniment dwww.dieterich-buxtehude.org
from a thorough-bassas practised in

250 EARLY MUSIC MAY 2005

This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:16:06 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions