Musica poetica
Encyclopedia
Musica poetica was a term commonly applied to the art of composing music in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century German schools and universities. Its first known use was in the Rudimenta Musicae Planae (Wittenberg: 1533) of Nicolaus Listenius. Previously, music had been divided into musica theoretica and musica practica, which were categorised with the quadrivium
and trivium, respectively. Since music of the time primarily meant vocal music, it was natural for theorists to make analogies between the composition of music and the composition of oratory
or poetry. Hence, the term musica poetica.
Analogies between music and the rhetorical arts were made on several levels. Gallus Dressler
(1563) suggested to liken the structure of a musical composition with that of a speech, as outlined in Classical
sources, dividing it into such sections as exordium
, medium and finis
(literally, "beginning", "middle" and "end"). Another kind of analogy was to liken the rules or grammar
of composition with those of speech, as illustrated by Joachim Burmeister
's use of tautoëpia to label consecutive fifths and octaves (which were generally regarded as illegal except in special circumstances).
Most significantly, though, special melodic, harmonic, or technical devices in music began to be associated with the figures of Classical
oratory: for example, a rising or falling sequence
in music was usually called climax
in the literature of musica poetica. However, it must be pointed out that such analogies were not always direct: terms used in musica poetica do not always correspond equivalently to their rhetorical counterparts (for example, in oratory, anaphora means a straightforward repetition of a word, but in music it can denote various kinds of repetitive device, such as the development of a subject through imitation (fugue
); also, the presence of a rhetorical figure in the text being set to music did not imply an automatic application of that figure's musical equivalent (that is, it was never mandatory for composers to respond to such verbal ideas as "going up" with rising musical phrases (known as anabasis or ascensus in musica poetica).
A knowledge of both Classical rhetoric and musica poetica can greatly enhance the listener's understanding and appreciation of works composed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, especially by such figures as Heinrich Schütz
and Giacomo Carissimi
. However, it is also important not to seek examples of musical figures on every page; while rhetoric and musical theory were strongly associated, the nature of this association was complex and variable.
Quadrivium
The quadrivium comprised the four subjects, or arts, taught in medieval universities, after teaching the trivium. The word is Latin, meaning "the four ways" , and its use for the 4 subjects has been attributed to Boethius or Cassiodorus in the 6th century...
and trivium, respectively. Since music of the time primarily meant vocal music, it was natural for theorists to make analogies between the composition of music and the composition of oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
or poetry. Hence, the term musica poetica.
Analogies between music and the rhetorical arts were made on several levels. Gallus Dressler
Gallus Dressler
Gallus Dressler was a German composer and music theorist who served as Kantor in the church school at Magdeburg.Though a few of his works have remained in the choral repertoire, he is best known for his theoretical writings, especially his Praecepta musicae poeticae , which contains some of the...
(1563) suggested to liken the structure of a musical composition with that of a speech, as outlined in Classical
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
sources, dividing it into such sections as exordium
Exordium
Exordium may refer to:* Exordium , the introductory section of a discourse in Western classical rhetoric; e.g., the 1st 4 verses of Hebrews in the Bible* Exordium , by Dutch symphonic metal band After Forever....
, medium and finis
Finis
Finiş is a commune in Bihor County, Romania, two kilometers from the town of Beiuş. It is composed of four villages: Finiş, Fiziş , Ioaniş and Şuncuiş ....
(literally, "beginning", "middle" and "end"). Another kind of analogy was to liken the rules or grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
of composition with those of speech, as illustrated by Joachim Burmeister
Joachim Burmeister
Joachim Burmeister was a north German poet, composer and music theorist.He was the oldest of five children born to a beadworker and townsman of Lüneburg. His brother Anton became the cantor of St...
's use of tautoëpia to label consecutive fifths and octaves (which were generally regarded as illegal except in special circumstances).
Most significantly, though, special melodic, harmonic, or technical devices in music began to be associated with the figures of Classical
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
oratory: for example, a rising or falling sequence
Sequence
In mathematics, a sequence is an ordered list of objects . Like a set, it contains members , and the number of terms is called the length of the sequence. Unlike a set, order matters, and exactly the same elements can appear multiple times at different positions in the sequence...
in music was usually called climax
Climax
- Common general uses :* Climax * Climax * Climax community* Climax vegetation in an ecosystem* Sexual climax, another term for orgasm- Brand names and titles :* The Climax, a 1944 film...
in the literature of musica poetica. However, it must be pointed out that such analogies were not always direct: terms used in musica poetica do not always correspond equivalently to their rhetorical counterparts (for example, in oratory, anaphora means a straightforward repetition of a word, but in music it can denote various kinds of repetitive device, such as the development of a subject through imitation (fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
); also, the presence of a rhetorical figure in the text being set to music did not imply an automatic application of that figure's musical equivalent (that is, it was never mandatory for composers to respond to such verbal ideas as "going up" with rising musical phrases (known as anabasis or ascensus in musica poetica).
A knowledge of both Classical rhetoric and musica poetica can greatly enhance the listener's understanding and appreciation of works composed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, especially by such figures as Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz was a German composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi...
and Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Carissimi was an Italian composer, one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque, or, more accurately, the Roman School of music.-Biography:...
. However, it is also important not to seek examples of musical figures on every page; while rhetoric and musical theory were strongly associated, the nature of this association was complex and variable.