The purpose of this essay is to explore not only Cipriano de Rores use of mode but also his use

of tonal structures that do not seem to fit the modal system. While many of his madrigals serve as textbook examples of modality, others raise questions about the very existence and meaning of mode in sixteenth century polyphony. !ur present understanding of Renaissance modality comes in large measure from the fundamental "ork of #ernhard $eier. %n the past &' years, he has established definitively the importance of mode for composers of polyphonic music from (')* to (+**. %n an impressive series of articles and above all in his book, Die Tonarten der klassischen Vokalpolyphonie, published in (,-), $eier provided a clear explanation of the modal system, based on his reading of sixteenth century theorists and on his analysis of sixteenth century music.( . cornerstone of $eiers "ork "as the music of Cipriano de Rore, "hich he kne" so "ell as editor of the complete "orks. & The modal system, as described by $eier, has several basic features. $ode is defined by a set of cadences, by characteristic intervals of melodic gestures, by species of fourth and fifth, and by the disposition of voices in musical space. $eier articulated, as no modern "riter had before, the importance of a distinction bet"een authentic and plagal modes. %n the monophonic modal theory on "hich the polyphonic theory "as based, the range of a voice, and specifically the placement of the characteristic species of fourth and fifth in relation to the final, determined "hether the piece "as authentic or plagal. %n adapting this notion of polyphony, theorists thought of the four voices as complementary pairs. The cantus and tenor share the same ambitus an octave apart/ the altus and bassus are also an octave apart, a fifth lo"er than the cantus and tenor. When one of these pairs has an authentic ambitus, the other is plagal. #y convention, the ambitus of the cantus-tenor pair determines the mode of the composition. %n the past decade, $eiers vie" of modality has been challenged by 0arold 1. 2o"ers.3 2o"ers argued for a distinction bet"een mode, a set of eight abstract categories, and the tonal types, defined by the parameters of clef, system, and final, that represent modal categories. The tonal types reflect the basic choices a composer had to make4 5(6"hether to "rite in cantus mollis "ith a flat in the signature or i cantus durus "ith no flat/ 5&6 "hether to choose high clefs 5bounded by the treble and baritone, 7& . . . 836 or lo" clefs 5bounded by the soprano and bass, C( . . . 8)6/ and 536 "hich of six possible pitches to use for a final 5C,9,:,8,7, or .6. The choices yield a hypothetical total of &) types. 2o"ers also insisted that a distinction be maintained bet"een those pieces for "hich there is direct evidence from the composer concerning mode and those for "hich there is not. The evidence consists primarily of modal collections, publications "hich contain the "orks of a single composer organi;ed in modal order. :ach composer picked tonal types that "ould reflect the contrast bet"een authentic and plagal through a contrast in ambitus, system or final. The choice of types to represent the eight modes varies slightly from composer to composer and sometimes even "ithin "orks of a single composer. The "orks of both $eier and 2o"ers provides the intellectual foundation for the ensuing discussion of Cipriano de Rores madrigals. The former scholar gives us the capability of assessing the degree to "hich Cipriano "orked "ithin the system, "hile the latter provides some of the tools for questioning the very nature of the system. <<<<< Cipriano de Rore composed (*= madrigals, listed in chronological order in the .ppendix. ) They span his entire career, from his first years in %taly as a student of Willaert to his years as maestro di cappella
#ernhard $eier, Die Tonarten der klassischen Vokalpolyphonie, >trecht (,-). Cipriani Rore: Opera omnia, ed. #ernhard $eier, Corpus mensurabili musicae, (), i viii 5.merican %nstitute of $usicology, (,', --6/ henceforth Rore, C$$(). 3 0arold 1. 2o"ers, ?Tonal Types and $odal Categories in Renaissance 2olyphony, Journal of the American usicolo!ical "ociety, 3) 5(,=(6, )&= -*/ and idem, ?$odal Representation in 2olyphonic !ffertories, #arly usic $istory, & 5(,='6, )3 ='.
& (

at three great musical establishments of northern %taly4 the :ste court in 8errara 5(')+ ',6, the #asilica of 1an $arco in @enice 5('+3 )6, and the 8arnese court in 2arma 5('+( 3, ('+) '6. ' Rore published only t"o madrigal books that contained his music exclusively4 the first book of five voice madrigals in (')& and the first book of four voice madrigals in (''*. The rest of the madrigals appeared i anthologies, of "hich the most important "ere the third book of five voice madrigals, published in (')= and containing the Ver!ine cycle/ the second book of madrigals for four voices and the fourth book for five voices, both published in (''-/ and the t"o posthumous prints, %e &i&e fiamme and the fifth book for five voices, published in ('+' and ('++ respectively. + 8ollo"ing the distinction dra"n by 2o"ers, the madrigals divide into t"o categories4 those for "hich "e have direct evidence from Rore concerning modality, and those for "hich such evidence is lacking. %n the first category belong 3) madrigals from the (')& and (''* prints, the only modally organi;ed collections of his madrigals. The (')& print contains (- pieces in modal order, from ( to =. - 51ee Table (.6 The first and second mode pieces are transposed to 7 in cantus mollis. 8or each pair of modes, the distinction bet"een authentic and plagal is created through ambitus. 8or example, the choice of high clefs 57&6 for Aos. (* (( indicates that the ambitus of the cantus-tenor pair is authentic, f f, the lo" clefs 5C(6 for Aos. (& (3 indicate a plagal ambitus, c c. %n contrast, the (''* print is organi;ed not by numerical order of the modes, but by system4 first all the pieces in cantus durus, then all the pieces in cantus mollis.= 51ee Table &.6 The grouping of pieces by mode is nonetheless readily apparent. The contrast bet"een authentic and plagal is made by ambitus for modes - and =, and by system and final for modes ( and &. The mode ( pieces are in cantus durus "ith a final on 9, "hile the mode & pieces are in cantus mollis "ith a final o 7. They use the same clefs, but the d d range in the cantus is authentic in the mode ( pieces and plagal in the mode & pieces. The absence of contrast bet"een modes 3 and ) is typical of many modal collections. 1!me"hat anomalous, on the other hand, is the treatment of modes ' and + in this collection. ?Bual e piu grand o .more, should be in the sixth mode to go "ith its neighbour and contrast "ith the fifth mode pieces, but its cleffing is unusual. The first three T.#C: ( $!9.C !R7.A%D.T%!A !8 ' ADR'(A%' 5'@@.6 5@:A%C:, (')&6 Title 1ystem Clef( 8inal $ode

This .ppendix excludes (3 madrigals "hose authenticity can be questioned because they are also attributed to other composers, appear in late or suspicious sources, or seem uncharacteristic in style. The madrigals are4 ?Buando lieta sperai, ?. che con nuovo laccio, ?@olgend al ciel, ?9eh hor foss io, ?1pesso in parte del ciel, ?Chi vol veder tutta, ?Aon mi toglia il ben mio, ?. che piu strali, ?1e qual e ?l mio dolore, Che giova dunque, ?.lme gentili, ?Cieta vivo e contenta, ?1 eguale a la mia voglia. ' Cipriano de Rore "as born in Ronse 58landers6 in ('(+/ he died in 2arma in ('+'. 8or a brief overvie" of Rores career, see .lvin 0. Eohnson, ?Rore, Cipriano de, The )e* (ro&e Dictionary of usic and usicians 5Condon, (,=*6, xvF (=' ,*. The discovery of Ciprianos birthplace "as made by .. Cambier, ?9e grootste roem der stad Ronse4 de komponist Cypriaan de Ro5de6re, Gomnium musicorum principsH, Annalen &an de (eschied-en Oudheidkundi!e +rin! &an Rons, en het Tenement &an 'nde, 3* 5(,=(6, ' '+. $y research in the .rchivio di 1tato in $odena 5Camera ducale, mandati sciolti, b.(36 established that Cipriano "as first paid as maestro di capella in 8errara on + $ay (')+. + Concerning the complex situation surrounding the third book for five voices, see .lvin 0. Eohnson, ?The (')= :ditions of Cipriano de Rores Third #ook of $adrigals, "tudies in usicolo!y in $onor of Otto Albrecht, ed. Eohn Walter 0ill 5Iassel, (,--6, ((* &)/ and $ary 1. Ce"is, ?Rores 1etting of 2etrarchs G@ergine bellaJ4 . 0istory of %ts Composition and :arly Transmission, The Journal of usicolo!y, ) 5(,=' +6, 3+' )*,. $eier 5Rore, C$$(), ii, p. iiiff.6 "as the first to sho" the modal ordering of the collection. 1ee also 2o"ers, ?Tonal Types, ))). = 0arold 1. 2o"ers, ?$onteverdis $odel for a $ultimodal $adrigal, 'n cantu et in sermone: -or )ino .irrotta on $is /0th 1irthday, ed. 8abri;io 9ella 1eta and 8ranco 2iperno 58lorence, (,=,6, (=' &(,/ % am indebted to 2rofessor 2o"ers for giving me a copy of this paper in advance of publication.

(. &. 3. ). '. +. -. =. ,. (*. ((. (&. (3. (). ('. (+. (-.

Cantai, mentre ch i arsi 0or che ?l ciel e la terra 2oggiand al ciel Buand io son tutto volto 1olea lontana .ltiero sasso 1trane ruppi Ca vita fugge Tu piangi %l mal mi preme 2er me;; i boschi Buanto piK m avicino 2erseguendomi amor Chi vol veder quantunque Buel sempre acerbo 8ar potess io vendetta .mor, che vedi

7& 7& 7& C( C( C( C( C( C&C)C)838' 7& 7& C( C( 7& 7& C( C(

g g g 7 7 e e e : f f 8 8 g g 7 7

( transposed ( transposed ( transposed & transposed & transposed 3 3 3 ) ' ' + + = =

(. Cleffing4 C( L chia&e 5C(C3C)C)8)6/ 7& L chia&ette 57&C&C3C3836.

clefs suggest the usual lo" cleffing but the fourth is a baritone rather than a bass clef. 2o"ers called it a sixth mode piece, $eier a fifth mode piece. , %t could be either a sixth mode piece "hose bass does not go do"n far enough or a fifth mode piece for equal voices, that is, .TT#, "ithout a proper cantus in the authentic range. $ore curious even than this piece is the pair of ?pure Cydian pieces, Aos. (( (&, "ithout the usual flat in the signature. %t is hard to kno" "hy Rore left the flat out of the signature since he added it routinely throughout the pieces.(* T.#C: & $!9.C !R7.A%D.T%!A !8 '% .R' O %'1RO D# ADR'(A%' 5)@@.6 58:RR.R. (''*6

Title (. &.
, (*

1ystem

Clef( 7& C(

8%nal g 7

$ode =

.lla dolce ombra 1ignor mio caro

2o"ers ?$onteverdis $odel/ Rore, C$$(), iv, p. vii. 2o"ers 5?$onteverdis $odel6 suggests that ?the omission of # flat from the signatures of this pair of madrigals may represent a self conscious attempt at notational modal purity on Rores part/ he also points out that these pieces, cited by 7ioseffo Darlino 5Ce istitutioni harmoniche 5@enice, (''=6, book iv, chapter &&6, may explain "hy Cechner, "riting at the end of the century, referred to Cipriano as a (& mode composer.

3. ). '. +. -. =. ,. (*. ((. (&. (3. (). ('. (+. (-.

%o canterei d amor Ca bella netta ignuda e bianca mano Aon e ch il duol mi scemi Ca giustitia immortale .mor ben mi credevo .nchor che col partire %o credea che ?l morire Com ?havran fin le dolorose tempe 9i tempo in tempo 9onna ch ornata sete 1e ?l mio sempre per voi Aon gemme, non fin oro C inconstantia che seco han Bual e piu grand o .more Chi non eterna legge

C( C( C( C( C( C( C( C( 7& 7& C( C( C( C(C3C)83 C(

d d d d e e e e f f 7 7 7 f f

( ( ( ( 3M) 3M) 3M) 3M) ' ' & transposed & transposed & transposed N'MN+ +

(. Cleffing4 C( L chia&e 5C(C3C)C)8)6/ 7& L chia&ette 57&C&C3C3836. The 3) pieces in these t"o collections 5excluding the three pieces added to the end of the (')& print6 constitute the entire category of madrigals for "hich "e have direct evidence from the composer concerning mode. They sho" that he used the follo"ing types to represent modal categories4 $ode (4 C( d2 7& ! $ode &4 C( ( $odes 3 ) C( e 5and 7& #3 $ode '4 7& f 5and 7& f6 $ode +4 C( $ode -4 7& ! $ode =4 C( ( The second category O madrigals published in anthologies "ithout any indication of mode O contains the other -- madrigals. !f these, ') are in the same tonal types that Rore used to express modal categories 5?modal types6, "hile &* are in tonal types that Rore did ot use in his modal collections 5?non modal types64 C( c 5and M C( c3 7& a C( a & 7& f C( a 7& a C( d 7& d M& C( d

C( f

1ome of these non modal types could possibly be explained in modal terms. 8or example, $eier, in trying to account for as many pieces as possible "ithin the modal system, provided t"o explanations for pieces in unusual types. They could be transpositions of modal types or they could be in one of the modal types except that they happen to end on a not other than the modal final. 5see Table 36. .ccording to this interpretation, a . piece is considered to be a transposition of : in the same "ay that 7 is a transposition of 9. . . piece cannot be a "rong final : piece because the : type does not exist. !n the other hand . and 9 cannot be considered transpositions and must therefore be explained as pieces that end on the "rong pitch/ in other "ords a . piece is really a 9 piece that Pust ends on ., a 9 piece is really a 7 piece that Pust ends on 9. Aotice that a C piece can either be a transposition of 7 or a 8 piece that ends on the "rong final. %n effect, the explanations are a function of the options available in the tonal system. 9espite the fact that there is often some textual basis for the ?"rong final interpretation, these explanations seem uncomfortably ad hoc4 %ndeed, even using this sort of explanation, a fe" pieces, for example, ?$ia benigna fortuna and ?9i virtu, still remain unaccounted for "ithin the modal system. T.#C: 3 :Q2C.A.T%!A !8 T!A.C TR2:1 C, 9, ., ., and &8 Transposition 5t"ice6 Transposition 5once6 7 S.T SU:T : 7 C Type C 9 . . &8 Wrong final 8 7 9 S:T

%t is instructive to consider ho" madrigals from various periods of Ciprianos life distribute themselves among these categories. The t"o modal collections both date from the first decade of his activity as a composer. 0e continued to "rite in modal types throughout his life4 &+ date from before (''*, and &= date from after this year. %n contrast, only three of the non modal types date from before (''*, "hile (- O nearly six times as many O come from his late period. The proportion of modal and non modal types changes dramatically/ "hile only three of the +3 "orks are in non modal types, (- of the )' late "orks employ on modal types. These figures signal a distinct change in Rores practice over the course of his lifetime. The t"o modal collections make it clear that Rore "as an eight mode composer, at least in his youth. % "ould argue, ho"ever, that in his late "orks, published after (''*, he became increasingly interested in unusual tonal types that do not readily fit the traditional modal system. The notion of a tonal type offers a convenient label to describe the parameters of a composition 5ambitus, system, final6. #ut tonal type, or mode, for that matter, conveys no information about the actual musical content of a composition. >nfortunately, there is no correlation bet"een an unusual tonal type and an unconventional setting that explores unusual aspects of the tonal language. Aor does the use of a tonal type that often represents a modal category guarantee conventional harmonic practices. . piece like ?.lma 1usanna can be in an untraditional type, yet be bland in its sound 5cadences on the expected pitches, no striking use of dissonance6. Conversely, a piece like ?9atemi pace, ostensibly in a traditional tonal type, can be unconventional in its cleffing and in its chromaticism. .ny attempt to understand the changes in Ciprianos musical language must go beyond labels such as mode or tonal type.

Cipriano died in ('+', "hen he "as ), years old. %n a period "hen composers music, "ith fe" exceptions, did not remain long in the consciousness of the next generation, Rores music continued to have an impact on composers and theorists for the next )* years. .t the end of the century, t"o "riters, 7iovanni de #ard % 8lorence and 7iulio Cesare $onteverdi in $antua, both cited Rore as the founder of the seconda prattica4(( They "ere interested in t"o very different aspects of his music4 #ardi in ho" he made the sounds of the "ords and the verse intelligible/ $onteverdi in ho" he expressed the meaning of the "ords. #ardi cited six compositions, $onteverdi seven, but "ith overlaps they listed a total of nine compositions as seen in Table ).(& .ll are late "orks, from the (''- books or the t"o posthumous prints. $ost of them do not fit the traditional modal system. .s a group they represent the different "ays that Rore "as experimenting "ith mode and "ith the tonal system. % do not "ish to suggest that Cipriano abandoned the modal system entirely. .fter all, he continued to "rite in traditional modal types even in his final years. 8urthermore, as $eier has sho"n, t"o of the pieces cited by #ardi and $onteverdi seem to use mode as a device for expressing the text. $eier noticed, for example, that in ?Buando signor lasciaste Rore used the absence of the mode in part one to reflect the absence of .lfonso d :ste and its strong T.#C: ) R!R:1 C!$2!1%T%!A1 C%T:9 #R #.R9% .A9 $!AT:@:R9% Title (. &. 3. ). '. +. -. =. ,. Crudel acerba( 9a le belle contrade 9i virtu, di costumi ! sonno 2oiche m invita amore 1chiet arbuscel 1e ben il duol >n altra volta Buando signor lasciaste 8irst :dition (''-&) ('++((''('+'
&3

@oices ) ' ' ) ' ) ' ) '

1ystem &

Clefs C(C) C38) C( 8) C( 8) 7& 83 C( 8) C( 8) 7& 83 C(C&C383 C( 8)

8inal d f f a a e a f !

(''-&)
(=

(''-&) (''-&3 (''(''&) &3

(. 1econd part of ?$ia benigna fortuna.

((

(&

% have discussed this subPect at greater length in a paper entitled ?The $usical Canguage of Cipriano de Rore presented at 2rinceton >niversity in $arch (,=', and in a revised version entitled ?Cipriano de Rore4 8ounder of the seconda prattica5, presented at the .pril (,=' meeting of the Ae" :ngland Chapter of the .merican $usicological 1ociety. . monograph on this subPect is in progress. 7iovanni de #ardi, ?9iscourse on .ncient $usic and 7ood 1inging 5c4('=*6, published in 7iovanni #attista 9oni, %yra 1arberina amphichordos: accedunt eiusdem opera, ed. ..8.7ori and 7.#. 2asseri 58lorence, (-+3/ facsimile reprint, #ologna (,-'6, ii, &33 )=, translated in !liver 1trunk, "ource Readin!s in usic $istory 5Ae" Rork, (,'*6, &,* 3*(. 7iulio Cesare $onteverdis comments on Claudio $onteverdis preface to the latters 'l 6uinto libro de5 madri!ali 5@enice, (+*'6 are published in Claudio $onteverdis "cher7i musicali 5@enice, (+*-6 and translated in 1trunk, "ource Readin!s, )*' (&. ?Buando signor lasciaste is discussed as an example of mixed modes/ it is not on the list of pieces mentioned as examples of seconda prattica4

2resence in part t"o to reflect his return to 8errara. (3 . similar effect is evident in ?9a le belle contrade, "hich employs the familiar topos of lovers parting at da"n.() There are t"o speakers4 a lover and his mistress. The lover functions as narrator/ his "ords frame her speech and describe the action. Cipriano portrays the t"o characters musically through a contrast in their tonal language. The lover speaks in a very conventional, diatonic example of the sixth mode 5note the plagal ambitus of the cantus and tenor, and the cadences on 86. The mistress, on the other hand, is in ?./ and uses extremely chromatic language. % think it is entirely reasonable to argue that Rore is using properties of the modal system to express the dramatic character of the text. !ther pieces mentioned by #ardi and $onteverdi seem to have very little to do "ith the modal system. 1ome 5for example, ?1e ben il duol6 use an unusually large palette of colours, not Pust for textual reasons. 1ome 5for example, ?9i virtu6 explore conflicts bet"een inflected and uninflected versions of pitches almost as if Rore "ere intent on Pumping from one tonal realm to another. 1till others explore properties of the tonal system through transposition. !ne piece can perhaps serve to illustrate all of these features4 ?Crudel acerba inesorabil morte, the second part of the 2etrarch can7one ?$ia benigna fortuna. Ciprianos setting is straightfor"ard in terms of structure4 musical phrases correspond precisely "ith line endings. The tonal organi;ation, on the other hand, is striking in its boldness. Cipriano explored a tonal type that he never used again for any other piece4 a final on 9 "ith conflicting signatures, one flat in cantus and tenor, t"o flats in altus and bassus4 The effect of the conflicting signatures is to destroy the usual authentic plagal pairing bet"een cantus-tenor, and altus-bassus4 The cantus and tenor have the species re-sol, re-la4 !one expects the same species of fourth and fifth, Pust in reverse order, for the altus and bassus2 instead there is a different fourth, mi-la. The actual pitch content of the piece is remarkably rich and fluid. 1harps function to cancel signature flats and to allo" for raised thirds and leading notes. 8lats effect a transposition, a shift of the system flat"ards. %n effect, Rore sets up three different tonal environments or realms, each based on a conflict bet"een the raised and lo"ered forms of a pitch. The basic conflict is established by the conflicting signatures4 : flatM:. There are conflicts on either side as "ell4 . flatM., # flatM#. !ne example of these environments is the last phrase. The setting of ?vince ogni stile 5bars -+ ,6 employs : flat and . flat, "hile the repetition in bars =3 ', a transposition do"n a fourth of the same basic contrapuntal module, needs only an : flat. This kind of manipulation of pitches in the experimental pieces goes far beyond simply adding occasional accidentals to express the text. These are maPor harmonic shifts that alter the patterns of solmi;ation and thus affect one of the maPor components of a mode.(' Could a composer "ho certainly "rote in the eight mode system also "rite outside of itN The ans"er depends in part on "hat is meant by mode. We are accustomed to applying the term indiscriminately to all sorts of music composed before (+**/ it thus comes to mean the characteristic sound of Renaissance music O pleasant successions of consonances follo"ing one another. >sed this "ay, ho"ever, ?modal becomes so vague as to be "orthless as a term. 2o"ers has argued that it "as possible to "rite perfectly good polyphony "ithout a theory of modality by simply follo"ing the rules of counterpoint O voice leading and dissonance treatment. (+ %ndeed, entire repertories of polyphonic music exist independent of any theory of modality. The earliest theory of modality that is concerned specifically "ith polyphonic music did not appear until ('&', "ith the publication of .arons Trattato della natura et co!nitione di tutti !li tuoni di canto
(3 () ('

(+

Rore, C$$(), iv, pp. %i, viii. 8or a different vie", see 2o"ers, ?$onteverdis $odel, (,&. $eier, Die Tonarten, 3-=, 3,+. Aotice in bar 33 the step"ise motion for ?sola mi lasci, in bars )* ( the double false relation bet"een ?dolente and ?ahi, crudo .mor, and in bar )= the descent flat"ards to 9 flat for ?dolce;;e. 2o"ers, ?%s $ode RealN4 The .rguments from .aron, paper presented at the annual meeting of the 1ociety for $usic Theory, @ancouver, Aovember (,='/ revised for the colloquium ?Tonal Coherence in 2re Tonal 2olyphony held at 2rinceton in .pril (,=-.

fi!urato. 8urthermore, it seems quite clear that the traditional Continental modal theory as discussed by $eier "as virtually unkno"n in :ngland and that #yrds music, for example, "hile sounding ?modal in the sense that it sounds like Renaissance music, "as not conceived according to the modal system employed by the young Rore, by Cassus or by 2alestrina. (- %f it is possible that there are "hole repertories of polyphonic music that are not modal in the strict sense, is it possible for a composer like Cipriano de Rore to choose "hether or not to "rite modallyN This overvie" of the use of mode in Ciprianos madrigals suggests that Cipriano had certain choices, and indeed created them for himself. 0e "orked at first "ithin the modal system and used it in a very rich "ay for expressing the text. Cater, in the pieces discussed by #ardi and $onteverdi, as "ell as in other experimental pieces such as ?9atemi pace, ?Buest affanato mio doglioso core, ?8era gentil, he left the modal system behind in order to explore other sorts of tonal structures and indeed to explore the tonal system itself. %n this, as in other crucial aspects of his "ork as a composer, Cipriano "as an innovator "hose ideas ultimately changed the sound of music.

(-

% argued this point in a paper entitled ?Charles #utler4 . Iey to the $usic of William #yrd, presented at the .merican $usicological 1ociety meeting in 2hiladelphia % (,=).