A Stylistic Analysis of the Music of Nicola Vicentino

257 Pages·1967·9.067 MB·English

by  Charles Nick

A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OP THE MUSIC OF NICOLA VICENTINO
BY
CHARLES NICK
Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School
in p artial fulfillm ent of the requirements
for the degree Doctor of Philosophy
in the School of Music
Indiana University
September, 1967
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Accepted by the faculty of the School of Music,
Indiana University, in p artial fulfillm ent of the re­
quirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree*
Q. j\
Dir to r of Thesis
Doctoral Committee:
i i
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The w riter wishes to express gratitude to
Dr. Henry W.' Kaufraann, author of The Life and
Works of Nicola Vicentino, for his assistance in
the in itiatio n of this study.
To the members of the Advisory Committee,
Dr0 Richard P. DeLone, Dr. William Thomson,
Dr. Malcolm Brown, Mr. Herbert Mueller, and to
Dr. Ralph. T. Daniel, Director of Graduate Stud­
ies, sincere appreciation is expressed for their
encouragement and helpful suggestions. The w rit­
er is especially indebted to Dr0 Vernon L. Kliewer,
Chairman of the Advisory Committee, for his val­
uable and prompt criticism , as well as his friend­
ly counsel throughout the preparation of this
thesis.
Finally, to ray wife, Beverly, my heart­
fe lt thanks for her untiring efforts in typing
this manuscript, and for her help, patience,
and understanding which contributed m aterially
to the completion of this thesis.
C.N.
i ii
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TABLE OP CONTENTS
Chapter Pago
I* INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1
Biographical Information 1
Procedure of the Study . . • .................... • • . • 1}-
Organization of the Remainder of the Study • • • 5
II. TEXTURE........................................................... 8
The D istribution of Isometric and Contrapuntal
T e x tu r e ...................• . ......................... 8
Opening Isometric Texture • • . ............................... 13
Internal Isometric Texture in Book I • 16
Internal Isometric Texture in Book V . . . . . . 23
Isometric Texture at Pinal Cadences • • • • • • 28
Contrapuntal Texture . . . . . . ................................ 31
Opening Contrapuntal Texture —. ' • 33
Changing from Isometric to Internal Contra­
puntal Texture . . • • • • • . • • • • • • • 38
Cadential Contrapuntal Texture • • • • • • • • 2
Textural Differences Resulting from Changes of
Voice Combinations • • • • • • .......................... ip2
Summarizing Statements • • . • • • • • • • • • • 1+6
III. THE TECHNIQUES OP CONTRAPUNTAL STYLE.............................1+8
I m ita tio n ...................................• • • • • • • • • . . 1+8
Contrapuntal Voice Movement ...................... • 57
Style Characteristics' 65
Contrapuntal Procedures • • • • • ................... • • 67
Summarizing Statements ...................... 7-1
IV. FORM.....................................................................................................72
Literary Basis of the Madrigals • • • • • . . • 72
The Twofold Division of the Madrigals . . . . . 75
Factors Which Contribute to the Unity of the
Madrigals ....................... . . . . . . . ................... 78
Summarizing Statements • • • • • • ...................... 82
iv
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Chapter Page
V. LINEAR CONSTRUCTION.......................................................... 8lj.
Pitch G-amuts .................................... • • • • • • 8I4.
Intervals and th air Occurrence in the Melodic
Organization of the Parts ................................ 88
Melodic Organization .................. « • • • • • « • 92
Rhythmic Organization • • • • • • • • • • • • • 107
The Usage of Specific Note Values in Book I • 111
The Usage of Specific Note Values in Book V • 11?
Summarizing Statements ...................... 122
VI. VERTICAL STRUCTURE...............................................................125
Harmonic Syntax . ....................... • • • • • • • • 127
Root R e la tio n sh ip s.......................... 138
C ad en ces................................... llj.3
Tonality • • • « • • • • • • • • • 156
Dissonance Resulting from the Use of Non-Chord
Tones'...................... 165
Summarizing Statements • • • • • • • 173
VII. MUSIC OTHER THAN FIVE-PART MADRIGALS.......................I76
A Seven-Voice Madrigal from Book I, Amor ecoo
chio moro ...................• • • • • • ................................176
A Five-Voice Sacred Madrigal from Book I,
Capitolo de la passione di Christo • • • • • 179
Canzone da sonor, La Bella • • • • • • • • • • 183
A Three-Voice Madrigal, Solo js pensoso • • • • 190
A Six-Voice Ma_rxgal, Passa l"a nave mi a . . . . 192
A Six-Voice Motet, Heu mihl cTomine' • • • • • • 196
Summarizing Statements • • • • • • . • . . . • • 202
VIII. CHROMATICISM.............................................................................2OI4.
The Use of Accidentals • • • • • • • • • . . • 207
The Effect of Chromaticism on Linear Structure 212
The Effect of Chromaticism on Harmonic
Structure • • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • 218 ‘
Harmonic Successions and Shifting Tonality • • 220
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Chapter Page
VIII* CHROMATICISM (Continued) ...................................
Other S ty listic Aspects Resulting from Chro­
maticism « . . . « • • • .................. • * • • • 228
The Disintegration of Modality • • • • • • • • 238
Summarizing Statements • • • • • • • • • • • • 2l\.0
BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................. 2^3
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LIST OP TABLES
Table Page
1. Voice Combinations and their Occurrences in the
Madrigals of Book I , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1+1
2. Voice Combinations and their Occurrences in the
Madrigals of Book V . . . . . . . . . » . . . o 1+2
3. Number, Type, and Distribution of Thematic An­
swers Pound in Sixteen Beginnings . . . . < > • • 1+9
1+, Types of Intervals Used in Successive Answers in
Fifteen Contrapuntal Openings • £2
5. The Spatial Placement of Thematic Answers in Six­
teen Contrapuntal Openings 56
6. The Poetic Basis for Eight of Vicentino’s Madri- -
g a l s .................... 73
7. The Length of Divided Madrigals and their Compo­
nent Sections < > • • • • • • • • . . . . . . . . 76
8. The Length of the Undivided Madrigals . » • • • • 77
9. Types of Intervals and the Percentage of their Oc­
currence in Eight Madrigals of Books and . 90
I V
10. Types of Note Values and the Percentage of their
Occurrence in Six Madrigals of Book I 0 - • • • • 109
llo Types of Note Values and the Percentage of their
Occurrence in Five Madrigals of Book . . . . 110
V
12. Types of Triads and the Percentage of their Occur­
rence in Ten Madrigals of Books and . . . 127
I V .
13. Root Position, First, and Second Inversion Triads
and the Percentage of their Occurrence in Six
Madrigals of Books I and . . . . . . . . . . 129
V
ll+. Classification of Harmonic Duration in Note Val­
ues and Percentage of Occurrence in Ten Madri­
gals ..............................................................137
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Table Page
15. C lassification of Root Relationships and the Per­
centage of th eir Occurrence in Ten Madrigals • U4.O
16* C lassification and Number of Root Relationships
in Converging Cadences in All Madrigals • • • • 151}.
17* C lassification and Number of Pinal Cadences in
the M adrigals....................... . • • • • • • • • • • 156
18. C lassification and Number of Opening and Closing
Tonality Relationships in the Madrigals • • • • 162
19. The Tonality Schemes of the Madrigals • • * • • • 163
20. C lassification and Number of Non-Chord Tones in
Ten Madrigals • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • . . 165
21. C lassification and Number of Suspensions in Ten
Madrigals • • • • • • • • • • • • • ....................... 169
22. The Number and Percentage of Measures Including
Accidentals in Five Madrigals of Book I and All
Madrigals of Book V . . . . . . . . . « . . . « 207
23. The Types of Accidentals Used in Each Madrigal of
Book V ............................... 210
21}.. Types of Accidentals and the Percentage of th e ir
Occurrence in Book V • • . • • • • • • . • • • 211
25. Triads Including Accidentals and the Percentage
of th eir Occurrence in Book V . . « . . , . 0 * 219
26. Root Relationships Which Precede or Succeed
Chords Including Sharps, Plats, or B N atural.,,. 220
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LIST OP FIGURES
Figure Page
1. The D istribution of Isometric and Contrapuntal Tex­
ture in Book 9
2. The D istribution of Isometric and Contrapuntal Tex­
ture in Book V , . , , , . . . . ..........................10
3. The Pitch Gamuts of Nine Madrigals from Book I • • 86
Ipo The Pitch Gamuts of Five Madrigals from Book V . , 87
5. The Range and Tessitura of the Individual Parts
of All Madrigals ............................................. « . . . 106
6. Dotted-Quarter Note Patterns • « • • « • • • • • < > 116
7* Cadences of the Dorian Mode • Di)|.
8. Plainsong Responsorial Structure of Heu mihi
domine e « c 197
9. The Species of Fourths and Fifths in the Diatonic,
Chromatic, and Enharmonic Genera 205
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1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Detailed information pertaining to the life and works
of Nicola Vicentino, sixteenth-century theorist and composer,
was unavailable in English prior to the dissertation w ritten
by Dr. H. W. Kaufmann in I960.1 As a result of Dr. Kaufmann’s
endeavors, the American Institute of Musicology published
Opera Omnia in 1963 which contains a ll of Vicentino*s extant
musico
Although Vicentino*s music is seldom considered dur­
ing the study of sixteenth-century music, one must not assume
that his music is unimportant. His late compositions signify
that he was an ardent chromaticistj furthermore, his theoret­
ical ideas for the most part were quite unusual for his day.
Therefore, a detailed analysis of Vicentino*s music should
help to establish more fully his relation to the development
of music in the sixteenth century0
This sty listic analysis of the composer’s music w ill
not only include detailed discussions of his compositional
techniques, but w ill also determine to what extent he used
his own experimental and advanced theoretical concepts.
Biographical Information
Nicola Vicentino was born in 1^11 in the small
^Kaufmann, H. W., The Life and Works of Nicola
Vicentino, 396 pp.
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