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Some preferences of form and genre in the Leopold codex

Ian Rumbold and Reinhard Strohm

An often-discussed feature of the Leopold repertory are two motet cycles performable as substitutes for Mass sections, in the manner of the so-called ‘motetti missales’ of the Milanese court.[23] Gaude flore virginali (no. 31) is a cycle of seven motets replacing the Mass Ordinary on the feast of the Assumption of Mary (15 August); Natus sapientia (no. 32) is a cycle of eight motets for Good Friday. The text of the latter is a variant of Patris sapientia, veritas divina, a rhymed prayer for the Hours of the Passion which was well known in the region (» B. Kap. Patris sapientia); but its traditional melody is not used here. The Missa Paschalis (no. 91) comprises Kyrie, Gloria and Sanctus, as well as introit Resurrexi, motet Christus surrexit and antiphon Regina celi letare, for Easter Sunday. Another Missa Paschalis (no. 113) offers as many as nine sections: antiphon Regina celi, introit Resurrexi, Kyrie, Gloria, alleluia Pascha nostrum, sequence Victimae paschali, Credo, Sanctus and communion Pascha nostrum. This plenary cycle for Easter is followed by Proper cycles nos. 114-116 for Ascension, Pentecost and Corpus Christi respectively. A Missa [de Apostolis] consists of introit, Kyrie and Gloria only (no. 111 = 151). Many of the Mass Proper settings, antiphons and hymns use their own plainsongs, whether as structural tenors or ornamented in an upper voice.

The cantus firmi of Mass Ordinary cycles are more often borrowed sacred and secular melodies. French and Italian songs appear in cycles by Obrecht, Josquin and Compère, German songs in the anonymous Missa Ein Maid zu dem Brunnen (no. 143) and Isaac’s six-voice Missa Wol auff gesell von hinnen, which is notated twice (nos 94 and 172). See » Abb. Missa Wol auff gesell, von hinnen.

 

Abb. Missa Wol auff gesell, von hinnen [Comment peut avoir joie], Henricus Isaac

Abb. Missa Wol auff gesell, von hinnen [Comment peut avoir joie], Henricus Isaac.
Agnus dei secundum from Isaac’s six-voice Mass cycle over a melody known with both German and French words, copied twice in the Leopold codex (Noblitt nos 94 and 172). This is the earlier copy (c. 1487-88), which on fol. 195r shows the apparent copyist’s name ‘Quest [Huest?] Frölich’.
D-Mbs Mus.ms. 3154: fol. 195r (Noblitt no. 94).
© Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München. Bildnr. 403.

 

Independent settings of German secular songs are of two kinds. Nos 50 and 144 are rustic parodies; five other songs seem to form a cycle (in gathering 6) and were presumably composed locally.[24] The melodies of two of these (nos 36 and 38) are found in concordant sources; Tannhauser ir seid mir lieb (no. 38) also serves as countermelody to the hymn Veni creator spiritus, no. 82.[25]

Characteristic of the repertory are combinatory works, which associate sacred or more often secular songs with a liturgical genre, for example with a hymn (Jesu corona/Ein frischen buelen no. 87, Veni creator/Tannhauser ir seid mir lieb no. 82, Jesu fili patris/O Venus kraft no. 98) or with an antiphon (Ave mundi spes Maria/Gottes namen, no. 25). The sequence Alma chorus domini (no. 45) is composed over the (unidentified) hymn Ehre sei dir, Christe/O du armer Judas, which played a role in the Holy Week rituals of regional churches.[26] A number of works use multiple cantus firmi or quotations: the Salve regina by ‘Ar. fer.’ (no. 64) is overlaid in the top voice with four German and two French songs (see » Abb. Salve regina Ar. fer.); Isaac’s Credo (no. 95) quotes six plainsongs for Corpus Christi and perhaps Palm Sunday;[27] the Missa O Österreich (no. 97) is replete with short plainsong quotes, related to wartime topics.[28] Obrecht’s Missa Plurimorum carminum II (no. 104) exhibits one secular song model per section.

A different type of ‘composite work’ occurs apparently only once: the Mass Proper cycle for Corpus Christi (no. 116) is patched together from compositions by Isaac, Heinrich Finck and a ‘W. Raber’, who may well be the artist and play director at Bolzano, Vigil Raber (» H. Kap. Der Theaterliebhaber Vigil Raber).

Liturgical feasts dominating this repertory are Easter, Corpus Christi and the Assumption of Mary (15 August); the last-named was the patronal feast of the most important brotherhood of priests and citizens at St Jacob’s church.[29] Performances during the visit of Maximilian’s son Philip the Fair in 1503 included a solemn Mass of the Assumption (» I. Kap. Church music at St Jacob’s).

Several anonymous compositions seem to mimic more famous works by re-using their cantus firmi: there are, for example, a Missa [Une mousse de Biscaye] (no. 110, neither Isaac’s nor Josquin’s cycle), a Missa [Petite camusette] (no. 112, not Marbriano de Orto’s) and a Missa [Maria zart] (no. 117, not Obrecht’s). The two ‘motetti missales’ cycles (nos 31 and 32) may imitate the Milanese style of that name. Yet in some of these cases the Leopold work could have originated even earlier. The anonymous Missa [Maria zart][30] deserves attention for its cantus firmus treatment and rhythmic style – the beginnings of Gloria and Credo seem to echo Isaac’s motet La la hö hö

[23] Noblitt 1968Rifkin 2003. The actual ‘motetti missales’ of Milan (1470s and later) are not copied here.

[24]  » Hörbsp. ♫ Salve regina -1, Hörbsp. ♫ Salve Regina - 2, Hörbsp. ♫ Salve Regina - 3, Hörbsp. ♫ Salve regina - 4, Hörbsp. ♫ Salve regina - 5.

[25] ‘Tannhauser, ihr seid mir lieb’ (Venus addressing Tannhäuser) is a stanza of the ‘Tannhäuserlied’ (Nun will ich aber heben an), printed in Nuremberg, 1515; the Leopold codex is its earliest known source.

[26] See » A. Kap. Der Prozessionshymnus (Stefan Engels): » J. Kap. Passions- und Osterfeierlichkeiten (Andrea Horz); » Notenbsp. O du armer Judas.

[27] On this work, see Staehelin 1977, 148-50, 205.

[28] Noblitt 1992 calls this a Missa in tempore belli; see also » D. SL O Österreich. Page layout of the Agnus Dei described in Rumbold 2018, 322-23.

[29] Steinegger 1954. Further on traditions of the church, see » D. Hofmusik. Innsbruck.

[30] Page layout described in Rumbold 2018, 329-34.