INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC-MUSIC F001

Listening lab-Organum, Alleluia, Diffusa est gratia

Organum, Alleluia, Diffusa est gratia- A chorus of male voices sings the chant’s basic melody in unison, which gives it its distinctive sound. There is a sense of melancholy and reverence because the song is frequently sung slowly and deliberately. The chant also has a number of melismatic passages that accentuate the piece’s meditative aspect by having the vocalist hold a single syllable over several notes. I felt a little sad due to the slow pace of the piece, and the powerful context of the song left me in awe. This piece is made up of two textures, one is the melody sung in unison, and the other is the sustained notes sung by the lower voices of the choir.

The two textures have different rhythmic patterns, as the melodic chant has varied patterns compared to the sustained notes, which are held for a longer period. Although the piece has two different rhythmic patterns, the tempo of the music remains the same throughout. Gratia and Deo are some of the words in the piece whose syllables feature in the melisma. The first type of polyphony, known as organum, was first mentioned in 900 CE music theory treatises. It is made up of a plainchant tune and another melody that is performed simultaneously with the same words. The new melody developed independence over time, was embellished with melismas, and slowed down the chant notes. Later, with the addition of two counterpoints, fixed rhythms were substituted for free rhythms. At the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, a highly developed organum evolved. Composers like Master Léonin and Pérotin produced remarkable organa for as many as four melodies at once (Kerman & Tomlinson, 2015).

The three main characteristics of the high Renaissance music style are; imitation, most sacred music became acapella and most polyphonic textures used some chords (homophony), (Kerman & Tomlinson, 2015). I heard the above characteristics in the piece Gloria, from Pope Marcellus Mass by Palestrina. The piece is purely acapella where the choir sings without instrumental accompaniment. Imitations throughout the piece can be heard, which was a very crucial component of the era in achieving symmetry or moderation and balance, a characteristic of the visual arts of the High Renaissance. By using chordal harmonies, Palestrina achieves homophony in the Gloria from Pope Marcellus Mass, with the choir moving in unison and in the same rhythm, resulting in a unified sound. The opening phrase of the song is in unison, followed by four-part harmonies. All voices sing the same line at the same time, emphasizing the text with clear declarations. This creates a straight texture that keeps the listener focused on the words and the harmonies.

References

Kerman, J., & Tomlinson, G. (2015). listen-Bedford_St. Martin’s (2015).PDF. Google Drive. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OQa-jGj2JYOAwqKzeIygo7uWtUsIDzOS/view

YouTube. (2010, March 8). Pope marcellus mass Gloria Palestrina. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIvs7C2nW88

YouTube. (2011, April 7). Alleluia, diffusa est gratia – catholic gregorian chant songs. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lxDrIn14l4