Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria
Motet by Josquin des Prez
EnglishYou are inviolate, untouched, and chaste, Mary
LanguageLatin
Based onInviolata from Basilica of Our Lady, Tongeren
Publishedc. 1519
ScoringFive voices

Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria (You are inviolate, untouched, and chaste, Mary)[1] is a motet by Josquin des Prez. One of his most famous compositions, it divides the cantus firmus into three sections and is scored for five voices—two carrying the canonical melody and three free.

History

Composed by Josquin des Prez, the motet first appeared in print around 1519, with the publication of Motetti de la corona, libro quarto by Ottaviano Petrucci.[2] The cantus firmus is a twelfth-century Gregorian melody titled Inviolata that was traditionally performed during Candlemas; Josquin based his composition on a particular version of Inviolata sung at the Basilica of Our Lady, Tongeren.[3]

Structure

The motet is scored for five voices:[4] three free ones and two singing the cantus firmus,[5] which is divided into three sections and expressed in whole notes.[6] The time interval between the voices singing the cantus firmus decreases with each section, from three breves to two to one.[7] In the opening bars (1–15), perfect modus is employed, creating a dignified atmosphere,[6] whereas imperfect modus is established at the start of the second part. The five-breve phrase "O benigna, O regina, O Maria" is repeated thrice in the third section,[8] with all five voices singing the same chords.[5] In total, the motet is made up of some 144 (12 x 12) breves, a reference to the "holy" figure associated with Mary and the "woman of the apocalypse" with "a crown of twelve stars" around her head in the Book of Revelation.[9]

Legacy

The motet is one of Josquin's most famous works,[10] and was reworked by several composers especially during the early sixteenth century, such as Antonio de Cabezón and Philippe Verdelot.[4]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Champion 2017, p. 12.
  2. ^ Rees 2010, p. 203.
  3. ^ Elders 2021, p. 71.
  4. ^ a b Nelson 2002, p. 158.
  5. ^ a b Brauner 2016, p. 58.
  6. ^ a b DeFord 2015, p. 319.
  7. ^ Fitch 2020, p. 123.
  8. ^ DeFord 2015, p. 320.
  9. ^ Rees 2010, p. 214.
  10. ^ Elders 2009, p. 403.

Works cited

  • Brauner, Mitchell P. (2016). "Costanzo Festa's Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria: a Double Homage Motet". In J. Knowles (ed.). Critica Musica: Essays in Honour of Paul Brainard. Taylor & Francis. pp. 57–64. ISBN 9781134384181.
  • Champion, Matthew S. (2017). The Fullness of Time: Temporalities of the Fifteenth-Century Low Countries. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226514796.
  • DeFord, Ruth I. (2015). Tactus, Mensuration and Rhythm in Renaissance Music. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781107587717. ISBN 9781107587717.
  • Elders, Willem (2009). "Perfect Fifths and the Blessed Virgin's Immaculate Conception: On Ficta in Josquin's five-part Inviolata". Uno Gentile et Subtile Ingenio: Studies in Renaissance Music in Honour of Bonnie J. Blackburn. Epitome musical: 403–411. doi:10.1484/M.EM-EB.3.2707. ISBN 978-2-503-53163-2.
  • Elders, Willem (2021). Josquin Des Prez and His Musical Legacy: An Introductory Guide. Leuven University Press. ISBN 9789462702851.
  • Fitch, Fabrice (2020). Renaissance Polyphony. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521899338.
  • Nelson, Bernadette (2002). "A 'Parody' on Josquin's "Inviolata" in Barcelona 1967: An Unknown Mass by Philippe Verdelot?". Journal of the Royal Musical Association. 127 (2): 153–190. doi:10.1093/jrma/127.2.153. JSTOR 3840462.
  • Rees, Owen (2010). "Singing Sweetly to the Virgin: Josquin's Inviolata". In Almut Suerbaum; Manuele Gragnolati (eds.). Aspects of the Performative in Medieval Culture. De Gruyter. pp. 199–220. doi:10.1515/9783110222470.3.199. ISBN 9783110222470.
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