Canticum Canticorum (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina)

Canticum Canticorum (Song of Solomon) is a cycle of 29 motets by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Originally titled Motettorum - Lieder Quartus, this Renaissance work is one of Palestrina's largest collections of Sacred motets.

The work is in Latin and based upon excerpts from the book in the Hebrew Bible: The Song of Songs in the Old Testament. The Song of Songs is thought to be an allegorical representation of the relationship of God and Israel as husband and wife. The text uses the main image of a man and wife almost throughout, the poem suggesting movement from courting to consummation.[1]

Palestrina's setting of the text is scored for 5 voices: SATTB (1 - 18, 29), SAATB (19 - 22, 27 - 28), and SSATB (23 - 26); and was published, after revision, by Breitkopf and Härtel in the collection Palestrina Werke, vol. 4.

History

Canticum Canticorum was written in the year 1584. This work, as with many of Palestrina's works around this time, was dedicated to Pope Gregory XIII. The work can, however, also be seen as a social statement which challenged what music was commonly accepted in the church at the time.[2]

It is assumed that during its composition, he kept in mind that other church composers had lost their jobs for composing madrigals, and he, also being guilty of this fault, would ‘repent’ by composing music that celebrates divine love. His illustration of passion in this piece exceeds that of any of his other sacred works. Through the work, Palestrina insists upon the independence of musicians, firstly through the composition thereof, and secondly through admitting awareness of what he has created - a musical setting of profane love songs, but ultimately a celebration of divine love. Palestrina famously declared: "Sic enim rem ipsam postulare intelligebam" - indicating that he realised that he was creating something new which may not be suitable for use in the church. He did, however, continue to refer to the motets as sacred.[2]

Structure

The entire piece forms a dramatic lyric consisting of a series of individual motets. The work is also divided into larger sections, or episodes, distinguishable by mode. It is often questioned whether the motets were designed to be performed as a whole or separately, although it seems Palestrina attempted to arrange the text according to coherence and climax - strong evidence that the work is of a single design.

By grouping the motets together in modes, there is a sense of dramatic unity. Palestrina did not use the biblical versus in their original order, but arranged them to achieve a dramatic context. Motets 1 to 10 are in the G Dorian mode. The third motet ends with the lyrics “they made me the keeper of the vineyards”, while motet 4 opens with the text “but mine own vineyard have I not kept”. Motet 4 then continues with a question which is in turn answered in motet 5. The entire work is set-up in this way, one motet connecting to the next - telling a story that continues until the end of the first episode (motet 10). The following episodes continue with the same dramatic development. It is interesting to note how episode 2 (in G Mixolydian) ends unexpectedly with the use of a single motet in the Hypoaolian mode, the only one in the collection (motet 19). The final 2 episodes are in the E Phrygian mode and F Ionian mode respectively.[2]

The Motets are organized in the collection as follows:[2][3]

Name Translation Text (within Song of Songs) Mode Voicing
1 Osculetur me (osculo oris sui) Let him kiss me (with the kiss of his mouth) Chapter 1: 1-2 G Dorian SATTB
2 Trahe me post te Draw me after you Chapter 1: 3 G Dorian SATTB
3 Nigra sum sed formosa I am black, but comely Chapter 1: 4 - 5 G Dorian SATTB
4 Vinean mean non custodivi My vineyard I have not kept Chapter 1: 6 - 7 G Dorian SATTB
5 Si ignotas te If you do not know Chapter 1: 8 - 9 G Dorian SATTB
6 Pulchrae sunt genae tuae Thy cheeks are beautiful Chapter 1:10 G Dorian SATTB
7 Fasciculus myrrahe (dilectus meus mihi) A bundle of Myrrh (is my beloved to me) Chapter 1:13 - 15 G Dorian SATTB
8 Ecce tu pulcher es Behold thou art fair Chapter 1:16 - 2:1 G Dorian SATTB
9 Tota pulcher es You are althougher beautiful Chapter 4: 7 - 8 G Dorian SATTB
10 Vulnerasti cor meum You have ravished my heart Chapter 4:9-10 G Dorian SATTB
11 Sicut lilium inter spinas A Lilly among thorns Chapter 2:2 - 3 G Mixolydian SATTB
12 Introduxit me rex (in cellam vinariam) He brought me (into the cellar of wine) Chapter 2:4 - 5 G Mixolydian SATTB
13 Laeva eius (sub capite meo) His left hand (is under my head) Chapter 2:6 - 7 G Mixolydian SATTB
14 Vox dilecti mei The voice of my beloved Chapter 2:8 - 10 G Mixolydian SATTB
15 Surge, propera amica mea Arise, my love Chapter 2: 10 - 13 G Mixolydian SATTB
16 Surge, amica mea (speciosa mea et veni) Arise, my love (my fair one, and come away) Chapter 2:13 - 14 G Mixolydian SATTB
17 Dilectus meus mihi, (et ego illi) My beloved is mine, (and I am his) Chapter 2: 16 - 17 G Mixolydian SATTB
18 Surgam et circuibo civitatem I will rise and go about the city Chapter 3: 2 G Mixolydian SATTB
19 Adiuro vos (filiae Jerusalem) I charge you (O ye daughters of Jerusalem) Chapter 5: 8 - 10 A Hypoaolian SAATB
20 Caput eius (aurum optimum) His head (is the finest gold) Chapter 5: 11 - 12 E Phrygian SAATB
21 Dilectus meus descendit (in hortum suum) My beloved has gone down (into his garden) Chapter 6: 2 - 3 E Phrygian SAATB
22 Pulchra es, amica mea Thou art beautiful, oh my love Chapter 6: 4 - 5 E Phrygian SAATB
23 Quae est ista (quae progreditur quasi) Who is she (that cometh like the dawn) Chapter 6: 9 E Phrygian SSATB
24 Descendi in hortum nucum I went down into the garden of nuts Chapter 6: 10 E Phrygian SSATB
25 Quam pulchri sunt (gressus tui in calceamentis) How graceful are (your feet in sandals) Chapter 7: 1 - 2 F Ionian SSATB
26 Duo ubera tua (sicut duo hinnuli) Thy two breasts (are like two young roses) Chapter 7: 3 - 5 F Ionian SSATB
27 Quam pulchra es et quam decora How fair and pleasant you are Chapter 7: 6 - 8 F Ionian SAATB
28 Guttur tuum sicut (vinum optimum) Thy throat is like (the best wine) Chapter 7: 9 - 10 F Ionian SAATB
29 Veni, veni dilecte mi, (egrediamur in agrum) Come, come my beloved, (let us go forth into the fields) Chapter 7: 11 - 12 F Ionian SATTB

Analysis

The work is in five-part polyphony, which was considered un dramatic at the time. Therefore, some writers emphasised that if Palestrina intended for these motets to be a single quasi-dramatic work then the textual content would not have been set to five-part polyphony. On the other hand, Palestrina was deeply rooted in traditional polyphony, questioning the value of that claim. Nevertheless, the polyphony itself forms an important element in the work - for example, in motet XIX, Palestrina makes use of polyphony to individualise the Lover. Shs asks the Daughters of Jerusalem about her lover and they reply. The polyphony symbolises the crowd, as well as expressing the Lover as an individual.[2]

In terms of form, Palestrina was restricted by the musical practices of his day. It was common for him and his contemporaries to overcome this obstacle by creating very long pieces that can be divided into shorter works, each clearly distinguishable by their episodic character. A unity was created by building the work at large around a specific theme. Interestingly, no form of the time was suited to anything as large as even the first 10 motets, which form the first episode of this work.[2]

Stylistically the individual pieces are in fact a combination of the madrigal and the motet. The texture is notably tighter than those typically found in motets or masses of the time. There is also a powerful, passionate tone throughout the work, distinguishing it from others of its time.[2]

Notes

  1. Sweeney, Marvin A. (2011). Tanak: A Theological and Critical Introduction to the Jewish Bible. Fortress Press.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dickson, Douglas (April 1937). "Palestrina's "Song of Solomon"". Music and Letters. Oxford University Press. 18 (2): 150–157. JSTOR 728380.
  3. "Motettorum - Lieder Quartus (Palestrina)". IMSLP. Petrucci Music Library. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
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