Easter Polyphony in the Trent Codices by B. Haggh-Huglo

112 Barbara Haggh-Huglo | Easter Polyphony in the St. Emmeram and Trent Codices

Easter Polyphony in the St. Emmeramand Trent Codices1

Barbara Haggh-Huglo

For Michel Huglo on his 90th Birthday

For Easter, the holiest day in the Christian calendar, we would expectcomposers – and scribes – to give more than usual care to any polyphonicsetting for its liturgy and to the treatment of any cantus firmus. My pur-pose here is to test this assumption with the polyphony for Easter in theSt. Emmeram and Trent codices. The compositions, which are listed andsummarily described in the Table at the end of this study,2 almost all seta cantus firmus: the processional chants Salve festa dies, Sedit angelus,Christus resurgens, the aspersion antiphon Vidi aquam, the well-knownpropers of the Easter mass (except for the offertory, for which no settingsare found in these codices), mass ordinary sections, notably Kyrie paschale,office chant, such as the Vespers hymn Ad cenam agni, psalm In exitu,and Compline antiphon Regina celi letare. Polyphonic settings of one ver-nacular song Christ ist erstanden, and of a trope Alle dei filius were alsosung on Easter Sunday. The challenges that the Easter cantus firmi pre-sented to composers were their melodies of widely different date, genreand musical style, ranging from the oldest layer of Gregorian chant topsalm recitations, medieval sequences, tropes and songs, not to mentionthe varieties of sectional construction within them. There were conven-tions for setting some works, such as a Vidi aquam or Kyrie paschale; fewerfor Regina celi, Resurrexi or Victime paschali laudes. Of particular interesthere is also the way Easter compositions were copied. For some genres, astandard page layout is observed; for others it varies, most likely evidenceof regional practices taken over from exemplars.

Features of the texts, cantus firmi and musical style of this polyphony,as well as its copying, can help to situate individual, often anonymousworks in place and time, and, in one case, suggest an attribution. We alsooffer conclusions about cantus firmus treatment in this repertory, aboutthe works that may come from the region that today is Austria, and, finally,about the consequences of Easter’s place in Christian worship for thisrepertory. In what follows, the compositions are discussed in alphabeticalorder – for ease of consultation, to give them equal attention, and becausethe liturgy is not an issue here.

* * *

Ad cenam agni providi, in iambic dimeter and one of the oldest hymns ofthe Christian church, was sung at Vespers on Easter Sunday and through-out Paschaltide. It circulated with several melodies, each with variants.

1 I refer here to ‘Em’ and ‘Tr 88’and use RISM sigla for allother manuscripts. A facsi-mile edition of Em is Ian Rum-bold / Peter Wright / LorenzWelker (eds.), Der Mensural-codex St. Emmeram. Faksimi-le der Handschrift Clm 14274der Bayerischen Staatsbiblio-thek München, Wiesbaden2006. The Tr codices can beconsulted online at http://www1.trenti nocultura.net/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=22660& parentname=CommunityPage &parentid=7&mode=2&in_hi_userid=18769&cached=true.

2 I am most grateful to MeghanSommers for her assistancein preparing this table and tothe University of Maryland,College Park, for providingme with her support.

113Barbara Haggh-Huglo | Easter Polyphony in the St. Emmeram and Trent Codices

The two consecutive musically related settings by Guillaume Du Fay inTr 89 on 377v treat the hymn melody freely in the superius, transposing itup to c’ and using rests to punctuate lines of text. Two rests in all voicesat the beginning of both settings ensured that the metrical performanceof the hymn was respected. The cadences and tenor with fauxbourdonvoice are clear signposts of Du Fay, and the openings of the superius inboth settings as well as the opening of the contratenor in the first arevery similar, as are the shapes of the other parts.3

The third setting in Tr 91 is entirely different from Du Fay’s settings.Its tenor cantus firmus when transposed from g to c’ resembles mostclosely a north Italian melody from Verona.4 By using C| , its composerremoved any suggestion of the hymn’s original meter. We cannot knowhow many stanzas were to be sung or if alternatim performance wasintended, since only text incipits and music for one stanza are provided.Rests clearly punctuate text lines in all voices, however, so the clergy, whowould have known this hymn by heart, could have easily sung the remain-ing stanzas.

Alle dei filius was originally the trope Triumphat dei filius to the final Alle-luia of the processional antiphon Cum rex gloriae, the latter from St. Gall.5

Tadeusz Miazga claimed a thirteenth-century Czech Benedictine originfor the trope and published its melodies.6 Settings of this trope survivein other sources,7 and it was even used as one of multiple cantus firmi inthe Gloria of an Easter plenary mass in the Viadrina codex, PL-WRk ms. I F428.8 Tr 88, 250v–251r, is a three-voice setting of the last part of the textof Cum rex glorie Christus, beginning without intonation at Advenistidesiderabilis, where the voices of saintly people in hell (such as the unbap-tized prophets of the Old Testament) cry out to Christ that he shouldcome.9 Following immediately thereafter is the trope Triumphat dei filius,to a different melody than Alle dei, here sung as a superius-tenor faux-bourdon.

Johannes Waring’s setting of Alle dei filius in Em 128v for three voices,in C mensuration, places the cantus firmus in the tenor in white semi-breves and breves in the same rhythm as the other settings, and has anactive contratenor part.10 The two four-voice settings of Alle dei filiusalone, in Tr 91, set the cantus firmus in breves and longs, that on 94v inthe tenor, that on 145v–146r in the superius. Both give the same or a similarrhythmic shape to the cantus firmus as the Waring setting, using a duplemeter that suits the text perfectly.11 The two settings have the same modeand a particularly active wide-ranging contratenor 2.

Two settings of the alleluia of the Easter mass, Alleluia Pascha nostrum,are quite different: Tr 88, 219r, is part of a very melismatic Missa paschalis,but Tr 91, 150v–151r, stands alone. The Tr 88 setting lacks an intonationand provides a shorter, freer paraphrase of the alleluia in O for three voices,which changes to a superius-contra duo in C| at the verse. A cadence andrest precede ›immolatus‹, set to a long melisma. The Tr 91 setting has achant intonation and then a long superius paraphrase of the Alleluia in

3 Alejandro Planchart lists bothsettings on p. 122 in his “Mu-sic for the Papal Chapel inthe Early Fifteenth Century”,in: Richard Sherr (ed.), PapalMusic and Musicians in Medi-eval and Renaissance Rome,Oxford and Washington, D.C.1998, pp. 93–124. Cf. MichaelK. Phelps, “Du Fay’s HymnCycle and Papal Liturgy Dur-ing the Pontificate of EugeneIV”, in: Musica disciplina 54(2009), pp. 75–117, here pp. 91,94, 96. Phelps emphasizes therepeated use of this hymnduring the paschal season.

4 Bruno Stäblein, Hymnen (I):Die mittelalterlichen Hymnen-melodien des Abendlandes,Kassel 1956, pp. 386–387.

5 Cum rex gloriae has the Can-tus ID 201042. See BernholdSchmid, “Das Alle dei filius ausdem Mensural-Codex St. Em-meram der Bayerischen Staats-bibliothek München (Clm14272)”, in: Musik in Bayern42 (1991), pp. 17–50, here p. 19.

6 Tadeusz Miazga, Die Gesän-ge zur Osterprozession [...], Graz1979, p. 176, wrote: “Triumphatdei entstand wahrscheinlichim 13. Jh., im Benediktiner-Re-pertoire auf tschechischemBoden (Praha?).”

7 Alle dei filius is not in AH (Cle-mens Blume / Guido MariaDreves [eds.], Analecta hym-nica medii aevi, 55 vols., Leip-zig 1866–1922) or CANTUS:www.cantusdatabase.org,but several motets to that text(not to Triumphat dei), andlate fifteenth and sixteenth-century motets to Cum rexglorie are listed in the MotetOnline Database prepared byJennifer Thomas, at http://www.arts.ufl.edu/motet/default.asp. Also see Stefan En-gels, “Versteckte Polyphoniein einem Salzburger Rituale”,in: Slovenská Hudba 22/3–4(1996), pp. 331–337; T. Miazga,Die Gesänge (see note 6), andB. Schmid, “Das Alle dei filius”(see note 5).

8 Bernhold Schmid, “Doppeltercantus firmus: Kyrie und Glo-ria einer Ostermesse [...]”, in:Martin Czernin (ed.), Gedenk-schrift für Walter Pass, Tutzing2002, pp. 357–370, here p. 361.


O mensuration; the verse, in O2 and C2 also follows the chant closely butfew words are underlaid, not even the crucial ›immolatus‹. In the verse ofthe Tr 91 setting, duos alternate among the three voices.

The most well-known event of Easter morning was the performance ofthe Easter drama of the Visitatio sepulchri.12 A composition that is knownto have been sung at the very end of this Easter play in what is now Austriaand neighboring regions is the Leise, Christ ist erstanden. As Walter Lipp-hardt noticed, the beginning of the melody is the beginning of Victimepaschali laudes transposed. One of the earliest sources of Christ ist er-standen, which indeed postdates Victime, is an ordinal from the Benedic-tine abbey of St. Peter in Salzburg from ca. 1190–1198, A-Su M II 6, whichindicates that it was sung by the assembled people – hence its text inthe vernacular – after the very end of the Easter drama and just beforethe Te Deum.13 In a thirteenth-century breviary from Seckau, that order isreversed. An Augustinian convent in Ranshofen near Regensburg alsoprescribes Christ ist erstanden for Vespers: it tells us that after the alleluiaantiphon and its psalm, and then the psalm In exitu Israel, the ‘chorus’sang Victime paschali laudes, then the people sang Christ ist erstanden,and finally the Magnificat with its antiphon followed. In still other sources,Victime with Christ ist erstanden was moved to the end of the Visitatiosepulchri and yet other chant was added, such as the verse to the respon-sory Christus resurgens, Dicant nunc judaei, and, in the fifteenth century,the Latin translation of Christ ist erstanden, Christus surrexit. In short, thevernacular Christ ist erstanden and its Latin counterpart were a cry of joyby the people or clergy sung before mass or at Vespers, often near Victimepaschali laudes or Dicant nunc judaei.14 While the practice was characte-ristic of the diocese of Passau and surrounding regions, Lipphardt andothers have observed many varying local practices.15 The interesting issuehere is the assignment of the vernacular chant to assembled worshippers,raising the question of why it was set to mensural polyphony, and if thepolyphony kept the same position in the ritual. It is not surprising thatthis non-liturgical song was not intoned: all settings begin immediatelyin polyphony.

Four settings of Christ ist erstanden/Christus surrexit appear in Em,one by Brassart, the chapel master of King Frederick III. Seven other set-tings, all anonymous, are found in the Trent codices and could be fromthe region that is now Austria, despite their variety.16 Tr 88, 360v, placesthe tune in the superius as does Tr 88, 248v–249r, the former with a Germ-an text, the latter in Latin. It is clearly the same tune, though its rhythmicpresentation and later paraphrase diverges. While the paraphrase of theGerman tune is close, that of the Latin takes liberty, applying melismas(without musical rhyme but with similar cadences) to the rhyming words‘surrexit’, ‘texit’, ‘dilexit’ and ‘vexit’. The melody setting the final Kyrieeleison is not a known Kyrie melody, even though its outline suggests thebeginning of the Kyrie paschale. It is also unusual that here the originalmelody is moved down a tone to begin on g, but that cadence – in superiusand tenor on b naturals with the two contratenors closing on f – produces

9 B. Schmid, “Das Alle dei filius”(see note 5), pp. 18, 30–32. Thefull text is: “Cum rex gloriaeChristus infernum debella-turus intraret, et chorus an-gelicus ante faciem eius por-tas principum tolli precipe-ret, sanctorum populus, quitenebatur in morte captivus,voce lacrimabili clamabat di-cens: Advenisti desiderabilis,quem expectabamus in te-nebris, ut educeret hac noctevinculatos de claustris. Te nos-tra vocabant suspiria, te largerequirebant lamenta, tu fac-tus est spes desperatis, mag-na consolatio in tormentis.Alleluia.“

10 Ibid., pp. 29–30.11 Ibid., p. 23.12 See Walter Lipphardt, Latei-

nische Osterfeiern und Oster-spiele, vols. 1–9, Berlin 1975–1990.

13 Walther Lipphardt, “Studienzur Musikpflege in den mittel-alterlichen Augustiner-Chor-herrenstiften des deutschenSprachgebietes”, in: Jahrbuchdes Stiftes KlosterneuburgNF 7 (1971), pp. 7–102 with 20illustrations, here p. 16. Alsosee S. Engels, “Versteckte Poly-phonie” (see note 7), pp. 331–332, and Franz Karl Praßl, “Derälteste Salzburger Liber Ordi-narius (Codex M II 6 der Uni-versitätsbibliothek Salzburg)[...]”, in: Stefan Engels / Ger-hard Walterskirchen (eds.), Mu-sica sacra mediaevalis. Geistli-che Musik Salzburgs im Mittel-alter. Salzburg, 6.–9. Juni 1996.Kongreßbericht, St. Ottilien1998, pp. 31–47.

14 W. Lipphardt, “Studien” (note13).

15 Adequate discussion is notpossible here. Michael Nor-ton and Amelia Carr have astudy forthcoming of Klos-terneuburg practices. Prac-tices in Seckau were studiedby Inga Behrendt; those inVorau by Franz Karl Praßl,and those in Salzburg by Ste-fan Engels.

16 For the cantus firmus-MassChristus surrexit in Tr 89,342v–349r, see ReinhardStrohm’s contribution.


a tritone or assumes faith in ficta. Tr 89, 183v, treats the incipit of theLatin song in canon at the unison, but then the voices diverge.17 The tex-ture is that of a duo until the last phrase, where all four parts sing, dividinginto five at the very end.

Two virtually untexted settings of the Latin song with melismaticsuperius paraphrase are in Tr 90, 75v–76r and 227v–228r. Lipphardt singlesout the latter setting, which he dates ca. 1450, as one of few to includeboth the German and Latin texts.18 This setting appends an alleluia. An-other such setting is Tr 91, 154r – here the song in German is in the superiusin long notes, with two lower voices singing Christus surrexit as counter-point. A comparison of the mensurations and polyphonic openings of allof these settings of Christ ist erstanden shows that the song – whether inGerman or Latin – does not have a characteristic rhythmic profile in thepolyphony, suggesting that it also did not when sung in monophony,either an indication of its pre-mensural origin or resulting from its singingby townspeople.

The processional antiphon Christus resurgens is old enough to be in allCAO sources but the Compiègne and Hartker antiphoners; its verse Dicantnunc judaei is only in the antiphoner of St. Denis.19 Tr 90, 299v sets theverse alone, emphasizing ‘adorent’ with coronas. Its prominent leap inthe superius at ‘quomodo’ and its active melody of wide range remind ofPetrus Hanelle’s foundation at Cambrai Cathedral in 1469 requesting thisresponsory and asking that the verse be sung ‘with jubilation’, but this isof course a much earlier setting.20 The Tr 91, 148v–150r setting is of theantiphon and verse, with the chant paraphrased in the superius through-out. Both settings lack the final alleluia, surely because the last word ofthe verse, ‘dicentes’, was to lead to the repeat of the antiphon, which itselfended with alleluias. This is the way the antiphon is treated in theProcessionale monasticum of 1893.21

The single Easter Gloria setting from the Missa Paschalis in Tr 88 para-phrases the chant in the superius, punctuating it with rests. Notable arethe long melisma on ‘glorificamus’ and the high e’’s on ‘Domine Deus’and ‘omnipotens Domine’, also at the very end on ‘Ihesu Christe’.

The melody of the gradual Hec dies and its verse is an elaborate recitationon c’ characteristic of second-mode graduals. Of greatest musical interestis the treatment of the word ‘Hec’, because the chant includes a b flat,the only one in this gradual and its verse. B flat was not very acceptableto Guido, and the Cistercians and German chant dialect avoided it.22 Thus,the intonations of Tr 88, 218v and Tr 91, 97v–98r simply skip from a’ to c’.Both of these settings paraphrase the chant in the superius; the Tr 91setting appropriately gives the verse longer melismas than the gradual.What is probably the oldest setting, Tr 89, 101v–102r, has a B flat in thesignature (which is not used in the Liber usualis or Graduale novum),23

and places the chant in the tenor in breves and longs, but after theintonation and apart from the recitation on c’, this melody varies from

17 See Thomas Noblitt, “The Ear-liest Plenary Mass for Eas-ter”, in: Albert Clement andEric Jas (eds.), From Ciconia toSweelinck. Donum natalici-um Willem Elders, Amster-dam 1994, pp. 31–48, here p.37, where Noblitt cites a Chris-tus surrexit with imitation indifferent voices.

18 Ibid., p. 38.19 René-Jean Hesbert, Corpus

antiphonalium officii, 6 vols.,Rome 1963–1979. Christus re-surgens and its verse are CAO1796.

20 Barbara Haggh, “GuillaumeDu Fay and the Evolution ofthe Liturgy at Cambrai Ca-thedral in the Fifteenth Cen-tury”, in: László Dobszay /Ágnes Papp / Ferenc Sebõ(eds.), IMS Study Group ‘Can-tus Planus’. Papers Read atthe Fourth Meeting, Pécs, Hun-gary, 3-8 September 1990, Bu-dapest 1992, pp. 549–569,here p. 561.

21 Monks of Solesmes (eds.),Processionale monasticum adusum congregationis Galli-cae Ordinis Sancti Benedicti,Solesmes 1893, pp. 66–67.

22 See Dolores Pesce, “B-flat:Transposition or Transforma-tion?”, in: Journal of Musi-cology 4/3 (1985–86), pp. 330–349.

23 LU [= Monks of Solesmes](ed.), Liber usualis, Tournai1961, pp. 778–779; ChristianDostal et al. (eds.), Gradualenovum de dominicis et festis,Regensburg 2011, pp. 166–167.


that in the Liber usualis. It is unusual that all three voices are texted here,since only the superius is texted in most of the Trent Easter polyphony.

Psalm 113, In exitu Israel, which is notorious for taking the tonus peregrinusor wandering psalm tone that recites on two tenors, could be sung onany Sunday, but was heard especially on Easter Sunday at Vespers.24 Apolyphonic performance was no small matter: the psalm has 27 versesplus the doxology, and it was sometimes performed with an antiphon.The anonymous setting in Tr 90, 346v–348r, is the In exitu by Binchois asit also appears in I-Fn Magliabechi XIX 112bis, though with musical variantsand mensuration sign O given once in the superius at the beginning ofthe polyphony, which differs from the mensurations in the other sources.Both sources present the work as a superius-tenor duet without thefauxbourdon-like contratenor found only in I-MOe A.X.I.11 (ModB), andset only the odd numbered verses after the chant intonation. The Binchoissetting in Tr 90 lacks an antiphon, sets only the final half of the doxologyand has melodic variants when compared with the other sources, espe-cially at cadences.25 The classic wandering tone is clearly audible, none-theless, with each verse first reciting on a’ and then on g.26 Often the firsthalf verse ends with a note marked by a corona in the superius and/ortenor. It is noteworthy that the intonation rises from a’ to c’ instead of tob’ flat, suggesting that this work had been or was intended to be sung ina German-speaking region.

Two other settings of In exitu are in Tr 90. The first, on 379v–382r, beg-ins as does the Binchois setting, with a chant intonation and polyphonicsettings of the odd-numbered verses. But after verse 17, the verses setare 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, with the complete doxology, thus lacking any nor-mal pattern. Furthermore, there is no trace of the tonus peregrinus. Thesuperius with the chant recites on f in the settings of verses 1, 3, 9, and 11,but on a’ in all the others, always maintaining the same reciting tonethroughout the verse.

This setting is copied in what Margaret Bent has called “grouped or‘bunched’ layout”, in which “short sections are presented with all theirparts grouped together followed by all the music for the next section”.27

She writes: “Such a layout (also found in F-CA 11) could perhaps reflectolder copying traditions in Cambrai, and may have been more commonin composers’ originals than is attested by this source from the 1440s.”This manner of copying stands out in the Trent Easter repertory, becauseit was only used for two Easter works by Du Fay, his Kyrie Paschale andVictime paschali laudes. Moreover, this In exitu setting is filled with thecoronas so copious in works by Du Fay and Cambrai composers: singlecoronas mark the cadence of all first half-verses and are thus more con-sistently used than in the Tr 90 Binchois setting, and the final Amenreceives four coronas, one on each cadential note. Also interesting arethe intonations in black notation for the purpose of coloration (the settingis in C| ) at the beginning of verses 1, 5, 13 and 24, and the decorated Landinicadences so characteristic of Du Fay at the ends of verses 1, 5, 13, 24, and28.

24 Tone in LU 117 (alone) and 160(with In exitu text). The tonesin LU differ from those of theTrent settings the tenor dipsto G in the first half-verseand the mediant descendsfrom B flat.

25 Philip Kaye, The Sacred Musicof Gilles Binchois, Oxford 1992,did not edit this source, whichhe seems not to have known.See his edition of In exitu, pp.203–217 and 314–315. In my“Binchois and Sacred Musicat the Burgundian Court”, in:Andrew Kirkman / Dennis Sla-vin (eds.), Binchois Studies, Ox-ford 2000, pp. 11–25, I arguethat Binchois’s cantus firmuswas not taken from Sarumchant, but from the Parisianchant of the court of Bur-gundy.

26 This is the same tone set inMusica enchiriadis. See Theo-dor Göllner, “Nos qui vivimus:Stages of a Polyphonic PsalmVerse”, in: Blair Sullivan (ed.),The Echo of Music: Essays inHonor of Marie Louise-Göll-ner, Warren, MI, 2004, pp.101–112.

27 Margaret Bent, “Divisi and aversi in Early Fifteenth-Cen-tury Mass Movements”, in:Francesco Zimei (ed.), Anto-nio Zacara da Teramo e il suotempo, Lucca 2004, p. 101 and109 for examples of “bunchedlayout”; her “Trompetta andConcordans Parts in the EarlyFifteenth Century”, in: Me-lania Bucciarelli / Berta Jon-cus (eds.), Music as Social andCultural Practice: Essays inHonour of Reinhard Strohm,Woodbridge 2007, pp. 38–78,here p. 42 where she refers toeight Magnificats by Dun-staple, Du Fay and Binchoisin bunched layout in ModB31r–47r; and her “The Use ofCut Signatures in Sacred Mu-sic by Binchois”, in: A. Kirk-man / D. Slavin (eds.), Bin-chois Studies (see note 25),pp. 277–312 and especiallyFig. 12.3 of F-CA 11, 42v–43r.


Taken together, these musical features and the ‘bunched’ layout mightsuggest that this setting could be from Cambrai if not by Du Fay. Yet theintonations always begin with the skip of a third (not the usual half-steprise), whether from f to a’ or from a’ to c’, the latter which is characteristicof German chant. Du Fay certainly knew the ›correct‹ tonus peregrinus,however, since he used it for the ninth antiphon of Matins in his chantfor the Recollectio festorum beate Marie virginis,28 and the tonus peregrinusgiven in F-CA Impr. XVI C 4, the early sixteenth-century printed antiphonerof Cambrai, on viiv under the rubric “Quando cantatur antiphona Nos quivivimus”, is the normal tone reciting on a’ then g. One hopes that thesesettings of In exitu in Tr 90 represent deliberate but somewhat incom-petent reworkings of better exemplars.

“Aliud In exitu” follows on 382r. This is a superius-low contratenor duetwith, for the tenor, only the instruction, “In exitu in faulxbourdon”. Thetext of the remaining even-numbered verses follow exactly those of theBinchois setting. This setting paraphrases the tonus peregrinus and beg-ins, like the other two, with the Germanic skip a’ to c’.

Most of the polyphony for Easter in the St. Emmeram and Trent codicesconsists of works sung on Easter morning, from Christus surrexit of theearly morning Easter drama, to the antiphon for the aspersion Vidi aquam,to the introit Resurrexi and the Kyrie Paschale, as we shall see now. Where-as we only have a single Gloria and a single Sanctus for Easter in theTrent codices and none in Em, Em has three settings of the Kyrie Paschaleand the Trent codices have ten, of which two were copied twice. Mosthave the same tonal plan, which does not depend on the voice with thecantus firmus, but the mensurations vary. The settings in Em are distin-guished from all but one in Tr, because they are for only two voices, inone case with a third fauxbourdon voice, and they end with an extra Ky-rie. Only the Spierinck setting in Tr 87 has the extra final Kyrie. We shouldsingle out Tr 88, 225v–226r, an exceptionally melismatic setting that ispart of the Missa paschalis, and the setting with two copies (Tr 90, 74v–75r and Tr 93, 105v–106r), which has the tenor drop out at the beginningof the Christe to produce a duo.

Attributed consistently and ‘manifestly’ to Adam of St. Victor is the se-quence used in the fifteenth century for the octave of Easter, Mundi re-novatio.29 It was widely disseminated, and so it is not surprising that thetwo settings in the Trent codices each introduce variants to Adam’s textthat are also found in central European manuscripts.30 In the settingTr 91, 203v–205r, the third line ends ‘sint solemnia’ instead of ‘sit potentia’and after it, a six-line strophe not by Adam or from Paris is interpolated,beginning ‘Ignis volat mobilis’. After the interpolation, Adam’s II:1–2 andIII:1,2,4,3 comprise the remainer of the text.31 In this unusual setting, thecantus firmus is passed back and forth between the superius and tenor,always in long notes, while the contratenor provides a bouncy counter-point. The other setting, Tr 93, 219v–220r, uses a different configurationof verses: I:1–3 with ‘sint solemnia’ as above, then II:1–2, then III:4, inter-

28 Barbara Haggh, “The Cele-bration of the ‘RecollectioFestorum Beatae Mariae Vir-ginis’, 1457–1987”, in: AngeloPompilio et al. (eds.), Atti delXIV Congresso della SocietàInternazionale di Musicolo-gia, Turin 1990, vol. 3, pp. 559–571, here pp. 562–563.

29 See, most recently, Jean Gros-fillier, Les séquences d’Adamde Saint-Victor, Turnhout2008, pp. 591–596 on thetext of Mundi renovatio, andp. 866 for his affirmation ofthe attribution to Adam. Noother polyphonic settings tothis text are in the MotetOnline Database.

30 AH, vol. 54, pp. 224–227, no.148; the variants of Tr 91 arelisted on p. 226.

31 See Margot Fassler’s trans-cription of Mundi’s text fromF-Pn lat. 14819 in Gothic Song,Cambridge 1993, p. 165.


polating ‘quod deus promiserat’ before ‘amovendo gladium’. That variantis in sources from the church of the Holy Cross in Augsburg, Olmütz andFarfa.32

The setting of the communion Pascha nostrum immolatus, Tr 91, 152v,follows the chant faithfully, but interpolates a dramatic rising gesture at“itaque”. All three voices sing throughout, with the chant mainly in brevesin the superius and accompanying tenor and contratenor parts filled withscalar passages and wide leaps. The setting ends with three alleluias.

Regina celi letare, whose first performance after Lent came on EasterSunday, is a relatively short antiphon in four phrases, each ending withthe word ‘alleluia’. Originally in the sixth mode on f, it is transposed to gand even c’ in some of the ten Trent settings. The setting by Leonel Poweris unusual in lacking any trace of a cantus firmus, taking a d final andtreating the last alleluia as a separate section. The setting Tr 88, 222v–223r moves the chant to a g final, giving it an elaborate paraphrase in thesuperius. This is a superius-contratenor duet except at the four alleluias,which are also sung by the tenor.

Four settings include the trope Alle Domine nate matris, which, asCharles Brewer noticed, appears first in a compilation from the Universityof Kraków from the 1420s and then circulated in Central Europe until theCouncil of Trent.33 He dates the Brassart setting from 1434 or later.34 Likethe other settings with the trope, Brassart places it before the final alleluiain the superius, which has paraphrased the chant throughout withouttransposition. The word ‘meruisti’ and the first alleluia include inter-polated melismas, but otherwise the paraphrase is light. This position ofthe trope appears to reproduce the old Gallican and Mozarabic practiceof extending the LE of alLEluia with a long melisma, i.e. the trope. Here,however, the syllable ‘al’ of the trope does not take the same melody asthe ‘al’ of the final alleluia, which, moreover, is sung in full, whereas inthe old practice, only the ‘luia’ would be sung.

The longest setting with the trope fills three openings in Tr 89, begin-ning at 189a verso. The chant is easily recognizable and not transposed,but significantly embellished at certain words, such as ‘portare’ and thefinal ‘Deum’ before the trope, as well as in the alleluias. The use of longsand breves with C| mensuration is distinctive. Also troped is an anony-mous setting in Tr 91, 93v–94r, with the chant transposed to have a gfinal and moving slowly in the superius above the faster-moving tenorand contratenor. Breve rests separate the sections of the antiphon. Here,too, the trope is inserted before the final alleluia. The composer of the Tr92, 232r–233r setting takes a unique approach to the chant, which hemoves to take a c’ final and paraphrases heavily in the superius. In thissetting, the first and third lines of text are sung as duets, the second andfourth in three parts, and at the second line, ‘quia quem meruisti’ (‘hewhom you merited to bear’), black notes change the meter from imperfectto perfect modus in the tenor, an isolated expressive gesture in thesesettings.

32 AH 54, p. 226.33 Charles Brewer, “Regina celi

letare / Alle Domine. FromMedieval Trope to Renais-sance Tune”, in: László Dob-szay et al. (eds.), IMS StudyGroup ‘Cantus Planus’. PapersRead at the Third Meeting,Tihany, Hungary, 19-24 Sep-tember 1988, Budapest 1990,pp. 431–448, here 442.

34 Ibid., p. 444.


The Easter mass proper that was most frequently set to polyphony alongwith the sequence was the Introit Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum, whosesinging opened the Easter mass, with ten different settings in the Trentcodices, of which seven were copied twice. The introit consists of threephrases of text, the first two each followed by an alleluia and the last bytwo or three alleluias. The cantus firmus treatment of these polyphonicsettings can be compared easily, because David Fallows published Lau-rence Feininger’s accurate table of them.35 Composers treated the struc-ture of this introit differently. Most mark phrases with rests or place longernotes at cadences. Some separate the alleluias this way, too (Tr 90, 13v–14r; 15v–16r). Others have few rests (Tr 90, 16v–17r; 17v–18r). Tr 90, 11v–12rhas only one rest after the first alleluia and otherwise punctuates thecantus firmus with long notes. The settings Tr 88, 217v–218r; Tr 88, 358v;and Tr 90, 14v clearly break before the last half-phrase of text, before‘scientia’, even though this phrase is required by the adjective ‘mirabilis’beginning the preceding half-phrase. I cannot explain it.

It is noteworthy that Resurrexi was never transposed, all settings butTr 90, 13v–14r/Tr 93, 22v are for three voices, and most begin with a notatedchant intonation (but not Tr 90, 11v–12r). The many different intonationssuggest that local practices for this opening Easter chant were carefullymaintained. Intonations may be written out at the beginning of the introitantiphon, at the psalm, and at the doxology. Some are specifically indica-ted to be sung by the ‘chorus’ in Tr 90, 14v; 15r; 15v, or assigned mensu-rations, even C| and proportio tripla (Tr 90, 15v). Initial intonations that arethe same are Tr 90, 13v–14; 14v; and 15v–16; that of Tr 90, 16v–17r is theonly one matched by the Liber usualis.36 Similar are Tr 88, 358v–359r andTr 90, 12v–13r; each unique are Tr 90, 15r and 17v–18r. The composer of thesetting in Tr 88, 217v went so far as to divide the intonation into threesuccessive parts, each having three longs. Where the word ›Resurrexi‹was set to polyphony (Tr 90, 11v–12r, 12v–13r, Tr 93, 20v–21r, 21v–22r), thechant melody was nevertheless audible.

Since the superius of all settings is fully texted, we can comparemethods of texting: each in each case, the same and different words areemphasized. Words receiving melismas are ‘posuisti’ and ‘facta’ in Tr 88,217v–218r; Tr 90, 12v–13r; Tr 90, 17v–18r; ‘facta est’ in Tr 88, 358v–359r; ‘factaest’ in Tr 90, 15v–16r; ‘posuisti’ in Tr 90, 11v–12r; ‘posuisti super’ in Tr 90,13v–14r; ‘posuisti’, ‘manum’ and ‘facta’ in Tr 90, 16v–17r; and Tr 90, 17v–18r;‘posuisti’ and ‘scientia’ in Tr 90, 11v–12r and 13v–14r. Tr 90, 12v–13r is verymelismatic throughout.37

After the introit, the psalm tone and doxology follow, all which wereset by some composers. The psalm is not set in the settings of Tr 90, 15r,16v–17r, and 17v–18r. Usually the Resurrexi settings predictably place thepsalm recitation on a’ as do the Liber usualis and Graduale novum, and aswas considered appropriate for this mode four chant, but Tr 88, 358v–359r and Tr 90, 12v–13r recite the psalm on f, and Tr 90, 11v–12r begins itwith recitation on f and continues at ‘Sicut erat’ on a. Perhaps the chantincipit, which repeats f, led some composers to recite the psalm on f, or itwas a local practice.

35 David Fallows, “Introit Anti-phon Paraphrase in the TrentCodices: Laurence Feinin-ger’s confronto”, in: Journalof the Plainsong & MedievalMusic Society 7 (1984), pp.47–77, here pp. 52–53 (Tablefor “Resurrexi”).

36 LU, pp. 777–778.37 Not to be confused with the

frequently set introit is themotet Resurrexit victor mor-tis, Em 4v–5r, ascribed to Bi-quardus, sharing its tenorwith an English song. SeeDavid Fallows, A Catalogue ofPolyphonic Songs, 1415–1480,Oxford 1999, pp. 57–58, 595.This text is not in the Vul-gate, CANTUS or Motet On-line Database; hymn Resur-rexit leo fortis in ST 459 hasno melodic concordance.


We have already seen fauxbourdon applied to the hymn Ad cenam agni,psalm In exitu Israel, and Kyrie paschali. It was also used in some settingsof the very old hymn sung at the beginning of the procession at Eastermass, Salve festa dies. This processional hymn is thought to be a Carolin-gian compilation by Angilbert of St. Riquier:38 it consists of individualverses excerpted from a versus by Venantius Fortunatus, a Christian poetwho came from Ravenna to Poitiers, where he died ca. 600. In perform-ance, the first verse Salve festa dies is a refrain, which is repeated afterevery following verse; any number of verses could be performed, depend-ing on the length or duration of the procession.39 Thus, three settingsprovide music only for the first two verses, with a double bar separatingthe music for each, and then give the text for either two (Tr 89, 13r) orthree additional verses (Tr 88, 224v; Tr 89, 230v–231r) elsewhere on thepage. These extra verses, in the case of Tr 89, 13r, are underlaid to thesecond musical section, but this would be self-evident, since the firstsection set the refrain Salve. The setting Tr 91, 98v–99r is also dividedinto two different musical sections, but the music for the three additio-nal verses is written out. Em sets just the first verse, suggesting that onlythe refrain was performed in polyphony. The settings are for two voiceswith fauxbourdon in Em 135r and Tr 88, 224v; three voices in Tr 89, 13r andTr 91, 98v–99r; and four in Tr 89, 230v–231r. Only Tr 89, 13r begins with achant intonation.40 No cues for the refrain Salve appear in these poly-phonic settings.

The verses are always ordered as follows in all of these settings: 39,31, 33, 35, 37 (according to the diagram of the text published by MichelHuglo).41 That order is attested in processionals from Salzburg and Pas-sau (also Metz, Echternach, Mainz and the Aquitaine), but it is not theorder of sources from Klosterneuburg, Ottobeuron, Bamberg, Cambrai42

or the Sarum rite. Two settings also include an alternative text for theend of the first verse that is not in the original poem.43 What this suggestsis that the settings of Salve festa dies in the Trent codices are most likelyfrom German-speaking regions if not from the region that is now Austria.

A setting probably from Central Europe if not the region of present-dayAustria is the Sanctus paschale in Tr 91, 114v, which in no way resemblesthe chant of the Liber usualis, but a search in Peter Thannabaur’s index ofSanctus melodies turned up a close match in a fifteenth-century Bohe-mian manuscript, with the chant at the same pitch as in Tr 91.44 The chantis faithfully and lightly paraphrased in the superius.

Sedit angelus ad sepulchrum, a long Gallican antiphon sung during theprocession before the Easter mass, tells the Biblical story of the angel’sannouncement of the Resurrection to the women at Christ’s grave.45

Although it therefore precedes the women’s discussion that was repre-sented by the Visitatio sepulchri, this antiphon was normally sung after-wards, during the procession before the mass and before Christus resur-gens and the processional hymn, Salve festa dies. The only setting, in Tr 91,146v–148r, follows the CAO text until ‘et dixit eis’. Then the verse Crucifixus

38 See Michel Huglo, “Les versusSalve festa dies: leur dissemi-nation dans les manuscritsdu processionnal”, in: LászlóDobszay (ed.), Papers Read atthe 12th Meeting of the IMSStudy Group ‘Cantus Planus’,Lillafüred/ Hungary, 2004.Aug. 23–28, Budapest 2006,pp. 595–605.

39 This can be seen in Monks ofSolesmes (ed.), Processionalemonasticum, Solesmes 1998,pp. 62–65.

40 Cf. T. Miazga, Die Gesänge (seenote 6), pp. 210–213 (discus-sion) and pp. 263–264 (melo-dies of Salve festa dies).

41 Ibid., p. 603.42 See the Tables in ibid., pp.

604–605. Cambrai uses 39,31, 33, 35 but leaves off 37.

43 Tr 88, 224v: 39, with an alter-native text for the ending ‘insancto affluit igne suo’, andTr 89, 13r: 39, with the samealternative ending.

44 Peter Thannabaur, Das ein-stimmige Sanctus der römi-schen Messe in der hand-schriftlichen Überlieferung des11. bis 16. Jahrhunderts, Mün-chen 1962, p. 118 (“Variantezu Melodie 32”). Melody takenfrom A-Wn ms. 15501, fif-teenth-century Mass cantio-nale from Kuttenberg in Bo-hemia.

45 CAO no. 4858, in MHDF, noothers. See Nils Holger Peter-sen, “Sedit angelus ad sepul-chrum: Reading the Wordsand Music of a ProcessionalEaster Chant”, in: László Dob-szay (ed.), IMS Study Group‘Cantus Planus’. Papers Readat the 9th Meeting Esztergom& Visegrád, 1998, Budapest2001, pp. 611–624.


in carne follows.46 After this, the older verse, ‘Nolite metuere’ is introducedby a tenor-contratenor duet later joined by the superius. Finally the verse‘Recordamini’ is sung, which ends with a long Alleluia. The superius lightlyparaphrases the chant, which differs from that in a sixteenth-century Sa-rum processional in ways that suggest a lengthy history of transmission.47

The cantus firmus of Tr 91, 146v–148r, when compared with the melodiespublished by Miazga,48 is characterized by a fourth note dipping to finstead of staying on a’ and at ‘carne’ the leap of a fourth instead of afifth.49

As we learned above, the sequence Victime paschali laudes was not onlysung during the Easter mass, but even became a way to close the Visitatiosepulchri and was also sung at Vespers. This may explain the variety ofapproaches taken by the Em and Tr composers and scribes to its structureand text. Du Fay (Tr 92, 23v–24r) and two anonymi set the even-numberedverses to polyphony (Tr 88, 219v–220r; Tr 89, 361v–362r), and another ano-nymous composer (Tr 93, 216v–217r) set the first verse and then the even-numbered verses. An anonymous German according to Planchart (Tr 91,151v–152r),50 Maioris (Tr 92, 105v–106r),51 and another anonymous musician(Tr 93, 217v–218r) set all of the verses to polyphony. Finally, Pulloys (Tr 90,286v–287v) and an anonymous composer (Tr 90, 293v–294r) set verses 1,4, 7 and some others, assigning frequent meter changes not found in theother settings. Despite this variety, the cantus firmus is never transposed,and parts stay in the same range. There is only one four-voice setting (Tr89, 361v–362r); here, where Christ rises from his sepulchre in the verymiddle of the sequence, the second contratenor drops out, the only timewhen three voices sing. The most interesting setting of the cantus firmusis Tr 91, 151v–152r, where once Victime is sung twice, by the superius andthen the tenor, and these voices then trade off singing the cantus firmusin breves.

Du Fay’s setting of the even-numbered verses in Tr 92 is copied in“bunched” layout. Notice that the chant is notated in longs, not breves.Such intonations in longs are found in F-CA 6 and 11, which are still inblack notation.

Just before the Easter mass but also on every Sunday until Pentecostinclusively, the antiphon Vidi aquam, a pre-Carolingian chant in mode 8of narrow ambitus,52 was sung while the church was sprinkled with holywater. Vidi aquam is present in six of the twelve CAO manuscripts:CBVHDF, including the oldest from ca. 800: the rubric for the Easter pro-cession is only in the antiphoners from St. Denis and St.-Maur-des-Fossés. The only text variant signaled in CAO is omnes] omnis ad quos,so it is interesting that all of the Trent settings abbreviate this word as‘oms’.

The first performance of Vidi aquam after the Lenten period, on EasterSunday, would surely have been the most appropriate occasion for poly-phony. There are six different settings in the Trent codices with six diffe-rent intonations, a clear indication of the variety of traditions represented

46 CAO no. 4858, only in D andF. Other polyphonic settingsof Sedit angelus are listed inthe Motet Online Database.

47 See Richard Pynson, Proces-sionale ad usum Sarum 1502,ed. by Leslie Hewitt, Clarabri-cken, Ireland 1980, 86r–v. Theverses here are “Nolite” then“Crucifixus”, and there is no“Recordamini” or final Alle-luia.

48 See T. Miazga, Die Gesänge(see note 6), pp. 265ff.

49 Ibid., pp. 213–232 discussionand pp. 265–272 (melodies ofSedit angelus, here p. 268).

50 See Alejandro Planchart’scontribution to this volume.

51 On this work: Annegrit Lau-benthal, “Observations onsome Polyphonic Sequencesin Trent 87 and Trent 92:Dufay, Roullet, and a PieceAscribed to ‘Maioris’”, in: Pe-ter Wright (ed.), I codici mu-sicali trentini: Nuove scopertee nuovi orientamenti dellaricerca, Trent 1996, pp. 93-105,though I disagree with herreasoning regarding theascription.

52 CAO, no. 5403.


in the codices. But here the psalm recitation is consistently on c whetherin the superius or the tenor. Notice also from the Table that all of thesesettings have the chant in the superius and the same tenor cadences. Aswith Resurrexi, the settings are evenly divided between those in C andthose in O. Some of the latter begin their polyphony with two semibreverests (Tr 90, 6v–7r; Tr 93, 7v–8r). As is the case in Regina celi and Resurrexi,the two phrases of Vidi aquam each end with ‘alleluia’, the second withtwo alleluias. Tr 90, 4v–5r and 6v–7r (= Tr 93, 5v–6r and 7v–8r) have threealleluias; Tr 90, 5v–6r (= Tr 93, 6v–7r) have just one with a long melisma.Only some settings pause logically with rests of different lengths between‘et dicent’ and ‘alleluia’: Tr 88, 223v–224r; Tr 89, 229v–230r; Tr 90, 4v–5r;and Tr 90, 6v–7r.

* * *

Having surveyed dozens of Easter cantus firmus compositions, some con-clusions can be drawn. First, most of the polyphony was composed forthe morning of Easter, the period preceding the mass through the singingof the sequence at mass. Some polyphonic settings of the liturgical textsshow no trace of a cantus firmus, meaning that its use, if the norm, wasnot obligatory. Of those that do use a cantus firmus, some notate thechant intonation, but others begin immediately with polyphony embed-ding the chant within it. Ordinals inform us that intonations were usuallysung by one or two individuals, which is why in some Resurrexi settingsan explicit rubric for a ‘chorus’ to sing an intonation was necessary. Thesettings of Resurrexi and In exitu have repeated intonations; some intona-tions are given in longs or with mensuration signs.

The polyphony exhibits virtually every manner of cantus firmus treat-ment known from the fifteenth century: the exact statement of themelody in long notes, either in the superius or the tenor, with fastermelodies in the other voices; a lightly paraphrased melody that has similarrhythmic movement to that of the other voices; and, more rarely, a melodyshaped like the cantus firmus but without any real quotation of it. It isnot surprising that in general, older settings put the chant in the tenor inlong notes; more recent settings use superius paraphrase. AlejandroPlanchart thinks the distinction is also geographic: sequence cantus firmiin longs and breves are only found east of the Rhine and especially inCentral Europe. Paraphrase works are more characteristic of Burgundianregions. Exceptional works present the chant in alternation betweensuperius and tenor, or so embellished that it is barely recognizable. Hymns,psalms and sequences make use of different schemes of alternation,which included fauxbourdon.

The following Table shows that nearly every composer respected con-ventions of voicing. Most Easter polyphony is for three voices and somealternates with duets. Changes in voicing are sometimes symbolic. Butin settings of Resurrexi, some composers reduced the voices from threeor four to two at the psalm to produce a polyphonic change in musicalstyle between the introit antiphon and psalm verse setting.


Although it was typical for the scribes of these codices to text onlythe superius, text treatment varies – we have seen emphasis on differentwords with melismas, the use of rests to signal rhythmic treatment orfor punctuation, and scribes completing phrases with one, two or threealleluias.

There is also evidence of changes to psalmody. A possible Cambrai Inexitu does not use the tonus peregrinus, and anonymous composerschanged the psalm tone of Resurrexi to f. Some cantus firmi were trans-posed; the intonations of Hec dies were adjusted to avoid B flat or toconform to the German chant dialect.

It is not surprising to find German and Central European compositionsin the Trent codices, but we have identified several more candidates asworks from these regions beyond the obvious settings of Christ ist erstan-den, Christus surrexit and Alle dei filius. These are the settings of Mundirenovatio and Salve festa dies. Comparison of chant cantus firmi for Resur-rexi and Vidi aquam with regional manuscripts may further help to localizetheir polyphonic settings. The use of “bunched layout” we observed maypoint to Cambrai.

Returning to our initial question, “Did composers take special care insetting Easter compositions?”, we can answer in the affirmative. The mostimportant evidence that they did is the careful copying of the settings ofResurrexi, sometimes with multiple intonations, always respecting localvariants, some with mensuration signs and others designated for the ‘cho-rus’. Evidently composers did not want to leave the manner of intoningthis crucial work up to chance. Furthermore, throughout the repertory,composers faithfully set music to text phrases, observed conventionsassociated with certain polyphonic settings, and applied melismas orchanges in voicing or mensuration for what to them was appropriateeffect. Rare are very lengthy compositions or those covering the chant inextravagant scales, though there are some such works here. In most cases,the composers make certain that the chant cantus firmus will be clearlyheard by lengthening strategic pitches and providing appropriate texturalsupport. Thanks to such efforts, worshippers could hear Pope Gregory theGreat’s dove singing of Christ’s resurrection through the polyphonicnovelties of early Renaissance Europe.


Table: Easter Polyphony in the St. Emmeram and Trent Codices

Office hymn: Ad cenam agni

Source Composer No. partes Vocal parts in Mensuration Cantus firmus Other(final in tenor) ms order, clefs

Tr 89, 377v [Du Fay] I (c) S-C2, Ct-F3, T-F3 [O] S paraph Related to nextsetting

Tr 89, 377v [Du Fay] I (c) S-C2, T-C4 (fauxb) O S paraph S openingresembles S andCt openings ofabove setting

Tr 91, 190v Anon. I (c’) S-G2, T-C2, Ct-C4 C| T longer notes

Final section of processional antiphon Cum rex glorie Christus with trope Triumphat dei filius; incipit here is:Advenisti desiderabilis


Tr 88, 250v–251r Anon. V (f,f,f,f,d) S-C1, T-C5, Ct-C5 C| In S throughout, Second text alonger notes; contrafactumtrope melody not for bishop Georgcantus firmus Hack von The-but borrowed S meswaldof different (Georg II)setting? (Schmid as(Schmid as cited note 9)cited note 9)

Trope to processional antiphon: Alle dei filius


Em, 128v Joh Waring I (f) S-C2, T-C5, Ct-C4 C In T in Texted in S, Tsemibreves and untexted, somebreves text in Ct

Tr 91, 94v Anon. I (f) S-G2, T-F3, [C] In T throughout,Ct1-C3, Ct2-C3 longer notes

Tr 91, 145v–146r Anon. I (f) S-C1, T-C4, C| Paraphrased in SCt1-C4, Ct2-F3 throughout,

longer notes

Mass proper, alleluia: Alleluia, verse: Pascha nostrum


Tr 88, 219r Anon. II (g, no T-duo) S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 O, C| , C| S Allel (3 vc),Pascha etc.(duo); follows“Hec dies”

Tr 91, 150v–151r Anon. III (g,g’,g) S-G2, T-C3, Ct-C4 O, O2, C2 S (with chantinton)


Processional song: Christ ist erstanden [CE] and/or Christus surrexit [CS]


Em, 45r Anon. I (d) S-C1, Ct-C4, T-C4 [O] S paraph CE, black nota-tion, concor-dances listed infacs ed.

Em, 46r Anon. I (d) S-C2, Ct-C3, T-C4 [O] T CS, black nota-tion, all vcstexted

Em, 87r Anon. I (S on f’, [no T S-C1, T-no clef, [O] S paraphrase, CE, white nota-clef], Ct on d) Ct-C4 barely tion, text incip

recognizable only

Em, 145r Brassart I (d) S-C1, Ct-C4, T-C4 [O] T CE, only S texted,white notation

Tr 88, 248v– Anon. I (b) S-C2, T-C5, Ct1-C5, C| S paraph CS, only S texted249r Ct2-C5

Tr 88, 360v Anon. I (d) S-C1, T-C4, Ct1-C3, C| S paraph CE, text incipCt2-C5 only

Tr 89, 183v Anon. I (d) 4 (D1-C2, D2-C2, C| D1 & D2 paraph CS, text incipT-C4, Ct-C4, with onlyD2 divided into2 on last note)

Tr 90, 76r Anon. I (d) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 O S paraph CS, text inciponly in S

Tr 90, 227v– Anon. II (d,d) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 O, C S paraph CE, text incip228r only, Pars II:

Alleluia

Tr 90, 375r Anon. I (d) S-C1, T-C4, C-C4 C| S longer notes CE, S texted only

Tr 91, 154r Anon. I (d) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-F4 [O2] S longer notes CE in S, CS in T,Ct,text incips only

Processional antiphon: Christus resurgens, verse: Dicant nunc


Tr 90, 299v Anon. IV (d,d’,c,d) S-C2, T-F3, Ct-F3 O, O, C| S Just Dicant nunc,only S with fulltext, other vcsincips

Tr 91, 148v– Anon. III=II antiphon, S-C1, T-C4, Ct-F3 [O] S Only S texted150r I verse (d,d,a’)

Mass ordinary: [Gloria] Et in terra paschale


Tr 88, 94v Anon. I (voice splits: S-G2, T-C3, Ct-C4 O2 S longer notesd’, g’)


Mass proper, gradual: Hec dies


Tr 88, 218v Anon. I (f) S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 C| S (with chantinton)

Tr 89, 101v– Anon. II (a,a) S-C1, [Ct]-C5, [O] In T in black All voices texted102r [T]-C4 notation and

longer notes

Tr 91, 97v–98r Anon. II (c’,a) S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C4 C2 S (with chantinton)

Vespers psalm: In exitu Israel


Tr 90, 346v– [Binchois] XVI (odd verses, S-C1, T-C4 O S throughout Corona marks348r last half dox, most half verses

recites on d) in S & T

Tr 90, 379v– Anon. [from XVI (odd verses, S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 Verses 1,3,5,7 S throughout “Bunched”382r Cambrai or by then 20, 22–24, C| ; 9 O; 11,13 layout; coronas

Du Fay?] 26, all of dox; C| ; 15 O; 17 C| ; at ends of mostrecites on f and 20 O; 22, 23, half verses in S &d; sometimes T 24 C| ; 26, Glo- Twith fauxb) ria O, Sicut

erat C|

Tr 90, 382r Anon. I (d) S-C1, [Ct]-C4, T [O] S paraph First verse nota-(fauxb) ted + full text

Mass ordinary: Kyrie paschale53


Em, 33v Anon. KCKK (e,g,g,g) S[no clef], T-C4 [O dot] T Black and rednotation

Em, 34v–35r Anon. KCKK (e,g,g, no T) S-C4, T-C4 [O] S (with inton) Inton in Huf-nagelschrift,polyphony inFrench blacknotation; all vcsfor each section

Em, 95v Raullet KCKK (e,g,g,g) S-C1, T-C3 [O] S White notation;(T fauxb for KC) followed by

response to thepriest whointones thepreface

53 In all but Tr 92, 26r, the word‘Paschale’ or ‘Pascale’ is writ-ten above or next to the com-position.



Tr 87, 36v Spierinck KCKK (a,g,g,e) S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C3 O S paraph

Tr 88, 225v– Anon. KCK (e,g,g) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 C, C| , O T paraph226r

Tr 88, 359v– Anon. KCK (e,g,g) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C3 C| T paraph360r

Tr 90, 73v [Joh. Roullet] KCK (g’,d’,f’) S-C1, T-C1, Ct-C4 O,Ø,O S paraphTr 93, 105r

Tr 90, 74v–75r Anon. KCK (e,g,g) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C3 C| (ST), [O] Ct S paraph Alternate CtTr 93, 105v– phrase in Tr 90;106r rubric only in

Tr 93

Tr 90, 75r–v [Du Fay] KCK (e,g,g) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C3 O, Ø, O S paraph No “bunched”Tr 93, 106r–v layout

Tr 90, 76v–77r Anon. KCK (e,g,g) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C3 O, C| , O T paraph

Tr 92, 26r [Du Fay] for this; KCK (e,g,g) S-F3, T-C4, Ct-C4 O, Ø, O S paraph “Bunched”ascription given layout, intona-for Victime on tion of L & B25v

Tr 93, 107r Anon. KCK (e,g,g) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C3 O, C| , O T paraph(KC)–v(K)

Mass proper, sequence: Mundi renovatio


Tr 91, 203v– Anon. I:1–3, Variant S-C1, T-C4, Ct-F3 C| Alternation of S fully texted,205r (AH 54,p.226), S,T,S,T etc. T partially

II:1–2, III:1–2, texted, Ct textIII:4,3 (cf. Fass- incipitsler, p. 165) (all e)

Tr 93, 219v– Anon. I:1–3, II:1–2, III:4 S-C1, T-C4, [O] S very paraph Only S texted220r successively (cf. Ct-C3&C5

Fassler, p. 165)(all e)

Mass proper, communion: Pascha nostrum


Tr 91, 152v Anon. I (f) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-F3 C2 S (with inton) Rubric ‘commu-nio’, 3 final allels


Office antiphon: Regina celi letare


Em, 58v–59r Anon. Inton + IV S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 [O] S chant incip Black notation,polyph (g,d,c’,c), and paraph only S textedno trope

Tr 87, 197r–198r Jo. Brassart IV (f,f,g,f), with S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C3 I,II: O; III,IV: Ø S paraph, no Ed. Mixter, onlytrope chant inton ST texted

given

Tr 88, 222v– Anon. IV (all g) S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C3 C| S inton and Only S texted223r paraph

Tr 89, 100v– Anon. IV (c’,f,c’,c), no S-C2,T-C4,Ct-C4 [C] S inton and All vcs texted101r trope throughout,

longer notes

Tr 89, 127v– Anon. IV (T only II, IV: S-C2,T-F4,Ct1-C2, C| , O, C, O S paraph, very All vcs texted129r c, G), no trope Ct2-C4 melismatic

Tr 89, 189av, Anon. IV + Allel. (all f), S-C1, T-C4, Ct1-C3, O, C| S paraph, very Only S texted189bv–191r with trope Ct2-C5 melismatic

Tr 90, 458v– [Leonel Power] IV + last Alleluia S-C1 [C2 in Tr 92], O [no sign in No cantus firmus =Tr 92,142v–143r,459r; Tr 92, Leonell anglicus separate (c,g,d, T(duo)-C4, Ct-C4 Tr 92], C| , O ed. Hamm, beg144v–145r in Tr 90 f,d), no trope with ST duet,

only S texted

Tr 91, 93v–94r Anon. IV (g,g,g,g), S-G2, T-C3, Ct-C4 [O] S throughout Only S textedwith trope

Tr 91, 95v–96r Anon. IV (a,a,a,g), S-G2, T-C4, Ct1-C3 [O] T throughout Only T textedwith trope

Tr 92, 232r–233r Anon. IV + last Alleluia S-C2, Ct-C4, T-C4 O, O, C, C, O S paraph Beg with STseparate duet, only S(c’,g’,c,b’,c) texted

Mass proper, introit: Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum


Tr 88, 217v– Anon. S inton + III + Ps. S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 C S inton and No Ps. inton,218r (T: e,e,e,e) paraph only S texted,

2 allels at end

Tr 88, 358v– Anon. S inton + III + Ps. S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 C| S inton and Only S texted,359r (T: c,e,e,e) (4th voice Ct2-C4 paraph, with Ps 2nd allel.

only at ‘Sicut erat’ inton, but no missingof doxology) doxology inton

Tr 90, 11v–12r; Anon. III + Ps. (T: f,f,d,e) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 C| Cf throughout T No inton, polyphTr 93, 20v–21r at Resurrexi,

3 allels at end,only S texted

Tr 90, 12v–13r; Anon. III + Ps. (T: f,f,d,e) S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 [O] T then S for Polyph at Resur-Tr 93, 21v–22r psalm rexi, 3 allels at

end, only Stexted

Tr 90, 13v–14r; Anon. S inton + III + Ps. S-C1, T-C4 [O] S inton and Only S texted,Tr 93, 22v–23r (T: f,f,e,f) paraph 2 allels at end



Tr 90, 14v; Anon. T choir inton + III S-C2, T-C5, Ct-C3 C| T inton notated Only S texted,Tr 93, 23v + Ps. (T: c,e,g,a’) at end for re- 3 allels

prise as ‘chorus’,S paraph beg.at ‘et adhuc’

Tr 90, 15r Anon. S inton + III S-C2, T-C5, C-C5 C| S inton marked Only S texted,(T: a’,c,e) ‘chorus’ and 3 allels

paraph, no psalm

Tr 90, 15v–16r; Anon. S inton + III S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 3 (S inton), O, 3, S inton at Ps. Only S texted,Tr 93, 24v–25r (T: e,f,f) + S in- Ø, 3 (S inton of (‘chorus’) and at but not Ps.,

ton + Ps. + S doxology) doxol (‘chorus’), 1 alleldoxol inton then at end for

beg. then Sparaph

Tr 90, 16v–17r; Anon. S inton + III S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 [O] S inton and Only S texted,Tr 93, 25v–26r (f,g,e), no Ps. paraph 3 allels

Tr 90, 17v–18r; Anon. S inton + III S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 [O] S inton and Only S texted,Tr 93, 26v–27r (c,c,e), no Ps. paraph 3 allels

Latin contrafactum of English vernacular song: [R/T?]e resurrexit victor mortis


Em, 4v–5v Biquardus III (last final is g) S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C3 Ø, 3, O T (English verna- Text only in S(erased) cular song)

Processional hymn: Salve festa dies


Em, 135r Anon. II (e,e) S-C1, T-C4 (fauxb) [O] S very para- White notation,phrased only S texted

Tr 88, 224v Anon. II (A,A) S-C3, T-C6! [O] S paraph Only S texted;(fauxb) text of supplem.

verses given

Tr 89, 13r Anon. Inton + II (e,e) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 3 (inton), S inton and Only S texted;O (polyph) paraph text of supplem.

verses given

Tr 89, 230v– Anon. II (e/g, e/g) S-C1, T-C4, C| S paraph Only S texted;231r Ct1-C4, Ct2-F3 twice last note

of T and at finalcadence of 2 Ctsdivides into 2

Tr 91, 98v–99r Anon. V (all e) S-C1, T-C4, Ct-F3 C| In S longer notes Text in S; incipitsin other vcs


Mass ordinary: Sanctus paschale


Tr 91, 114v Anon. IV + Osanna ut S-G2, T-C3, Ct-C3 O, C, O2, C| Ssup. (c’,c’,f,c’)

Processional antiphon: Sedit angelus


Tr 91, 146v–148r Anon. V (g,c’,g,g,g) S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C4 C2 S

Mass proper, sequence: Victime paschali laudes


Em, 59v [Du Fay] III=verses 2,4,6 S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 [O] S inton and = Tr 92, 23v–24r,(all d) verses 1,3,5,7,9 Em in black

(incips only here notation, only Swith rubric texted‘chorus’ for allbut 1)

Tr 88, 219v– Anon. III=verses 2,4,6 S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C5 C| No cantus firmus Chant sung for220r (all d) verses 1,3,5,7,

only S texted

Tr 89, 361v– Anon. Inton + verses S-C1, T-C4, C| S inton and Only S texted362r 2,4,6 (all d) Ct1-C4, Ct2-F3 verses 1,3,5,7 (no

inton or chantfor 3,5,7)

Tr 90, 286v– Pulloys V=verses 1,3,4, S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 S&Ct-C3/T-C|, S paraph Ed. Gülke; chant287v 6,7 (all d) O (last verse) sung for verses

2,5; only S texted

Tr 90, 293v– Anon. IV=verses 1,2,4,7 S-C2, T-C4, Ct-C4 O, C| , O S paraph Begins w. polyph,294r (all d) (last verse) only S texted

Tr 91, 151v–152r Anon. VII=all verses S-C1, T-C4, Ct-F4 [O] ST (Victime) Begins w. polyph,(all d) then TSTSTS in only S texted

alternation foreach verse,always mostlyin breves

Tr 92, 23v–24r [Du Fay] III=verses 2,4,6 S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 [O] S inton and =Em, 59v; here in(all d) verses 1,3,5,7 white notation

(almost all and “bunched”chant here) layout; all vcs

texted

Tr 92, 105v– Ja. Maioris VII+final alleluia S-C2, T-F3, Ct-C4 O (odd vs), T Begins w. polyph,106r =all verses (all d) C· (even vs) ST texted

Tr 93, 216v–217r Anon. V=verses 1,2,4,6 S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 C| S Begins w. polyph,+final alleluia only S texted(all d)



Tr 93, 217v– Anon. Text incipits for S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C4 O S paraph (poly- Only first verse219r (218v– verses 1,2,4, no phony for all texted in S,219r untexted) others, but seven verses) isolated text

polyph for all incipits butseven verses mostly untexted(all d)

Processional antiphon: Vidi aquam


Tr 88, 223v– Anon. S inton + II + Ps. S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C3 [O] S inton and Only S texted224r (T: g,g,g) paraph

Tr 89, 228v– Anon. S inton + II S-C1, T-C4, C| S inton and Only S texted229r (T: g,g), no Ps. Ct1-C3, Ct2-C4 paraph

Tr 89, 229v– Anon. S inton + II + S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C3 C| S inton and Only S texted230r inton + Ps. paraph

(T: g,g,g)

Tr 90, 4v–5r; Anon. S inton + II + Ps S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C4 C| , C S inton then Only S textedTr 93, 5v–6r (g,g,g) paraph, ps inton,

dox inton

Tr 90, 5v–6r; Anon. S inton + II + Ps. S-C1, T-C3, Ct-C3 [O], C, C·, C S inton and Only S textedTr 93, 6v–7r (T: g,g,g) paraph, ps inton

Tr 90, 6v–7r; Anon. S inton + II + Ps. S-C1, T-C4, Ct-C3 O S inton and Only S texted,Tr 93, 7v–8r (T:g,g,g) paraph, ps inton after ps inton

T-Ct Duo, thenà 3


Summary

For Easter, the holiest day in the Christian calendar, we would expect composers to givemore than usual care to any polyphonic setting for the liturgy and to the treatment of anypre-existing chant within such a setting. I test this with an overview of the use of cantusfirmi in Easter polyphony in the St. Emmeram and Trent codices: settings of processionalchant (Salve festa dies, Sedit angelus, Christus resurgens), the aspersion antiphon Vidi aquam,propers of the Easter mass, mass ordinary sections, such as the Kyrie paschale, and officechant, such as the Vespers hymn Ad cenam agni, the psalm In exitu Israel, and the antiphonRegina celi letare. Most, but not all composers, included cantus firmi, usually paraphrased atthe beginning of the superius voice if not throughout it, and only sometimes in long notesin the tenor voice. Intonations and alleluias receive special treatment. There were manyconventions for setting Vidi aquam or Kyrie paschale; fewer for Resurrexi and Victime pas-chali laudes. Conventions of copying are observed, such as “bunched layout”, which sug-gests that an anonymous In exitu setting, Tr 90, 379v-382r, is from Cambrai or perhaps by DuFay; in other cases, text and chant concordances point to the region that is Austria today orcentral Europe. In sum, this repertory gives evidence of compositional care, local practices ofsinging and writing, and of a concentration of compositional effort on Easter morning.

Zusammenfassung

Für Ostern, das höchste Fest im christlichen Kirchenjahr, würden wir erwarten, dass die Kom-ponisten mehr Augenmerk als üblich auf die Gestaltung der mehrstimmigen liturgischenSätze und auf die Behandlung der darin verwendeten Choralmelodien legen. Ich möchtedieser Vermutung im Rahmen eines Überblicks über die Verwendung von cantus firmi inmehrstimmigen Osterkompositionen im Codex St. Emmeram und in den Trienter Codicesnachgehen: in Sätzen von Prozessionschorälen (Salve festa dies, Vidi aquam, Christus resur-gens, Sedit angelus), Proprien der Osterliturgie, Ordinariumsteilen (wie das Kyrie pascale)und Chorälen aus dem Offizium (wie der Vesperhymnus Ad cenam agni, der Psalm In exituIsrael und die Antiphon Regina celi letare). Die meisten, aber nicht alle Komponisten ver-wendeten cantus firmi üblicherweise paraphrasiert, und zwar zu Beginn oder gar durchge-hend in der Oberstimme, und nur gelegentlich in langen Notenwerten in der Tenorstimme.Intonationen und Allelujas wurden andersartig gesetzt. Für eine Vertonung von Vidi aquamoder Kyrie pascale gab es viele Konventionen, weniger hingegen für Resurrexi und Victimepaschali laudes. Bestimmte Aufzeichnungsgepflogenheiten wurden beachtet, wie etwa das»gebündelte Layout« (»bunched layout«), was den Schluss zulässt, dass ein anonymer Inexitu-Satz aus Cambrai oder vielleicht von Guillaume Du Fay stammt; in anderen Fällen las-sen Konkordanzen in Text und Musik auf Regionen des heutigen Österreich oder Zentraleuro-pas schließen. Insgesamt zeugt dieses Repertoire von kompositorischer Sorgfalt, lokalen Ge-pflogenheiten in Bezug auf Gesang und Niederschrift sowie von einer Konzentration kom-positorischer Bemühungen auf den Ostermorgen.

Easter Polyphony in the Trent Codices by B. Haggh-Huglo

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Transcript of Easter Polyphony in the Trent Codices by B. Haggh-Huglo