Contents

TWO READINGS OF THE MISSA SANGUIS SANCTORUM

GENERAL COMMENTARY

There are two extant transmissions of Caron’s Missa Sanguis Sanctorum: VerBC 755, ff. 36^v-43^r/(43^v) and VatS 51, ff. 81^v-88^r — see Sources. In its early "musicological career", this cycle was known as the Missa sine nomine seemingly because the title does not appear in the VatS 51 transmission until the Tenor of the Patrem (f. 84^v, stave 9 — see graphic below) and its preservation in VerBC 755 was at first unknown[1]. 

[image forthcoming]

As the graphic below shows, in the Veronese transmission the title is included under the Tenor on the opening folio (36^v, stave 8)[2]. 

[image forthcoming]

While the setting is without attribution in this source, the name Caron is written in VatS 51 centre top, folio 81^v.

[image forthcoming]

In both sources the Missa Sanguis sanctorum is transmitted without an Angus Dei. Intriguing, however, is the inclusion of a superius-line fragment on folio 43^v in Verona and four ruled but without notation pages following the Benedictus-Osanna [II] section in the Vatican source. The VerBC 755 fragment is reproduced below and although without text it opening few notes are similar to the superius beginnings of the Kyrie [I], Et in terra and Sanctus[3].

[image forthcoming]

In VatS 51, the non-notated pages (ff. 88^v-90^r) suggest that the scribe[4] either knew of or expected an Angus Dei, an exemplar of which on the face if it did not become available, however. In the Vatican source, a cycle’s Agnus Dei is almost without exception entered onto either four or six pages. In the case of four-page transmissions, the "movement" either consists of a four-voice Agnus [I] and [III] and a duo Agnus [II], or an Agnus [I] and [II] with an "ut supra" [III]. Either of these configurations might apply to an assumed Agnus Dei for Sanguis sanctorum. In this case though, both possibilities are qualified: firstly, none of Caron’s other mass cycles use an Agnus [III] ut supra and secondly, ensemble variation is not used in this cycle at the sectional level[5]. If there was an Agnus Dei for this cycle, more likely is that it was short (like the Kyrie, for example), scored à 4, and probably thus completing an architectural design in "balance" with the Kyrie.

Distribution of music on the respective folios in the two transmissions is the same. Even though the physical dimensions of VerBC 755 and VatS 51 are different — see Sources — pages are each drawn up with 10 staves. The consistent indentations in the Vatican source, which are effected by the illumination opening the superius Kyrie, purposely ruled indentations and calligraphic initials drawn over pentagrams, in effect reduce stave lengths in this large choirbook. This in association with the respective sizes of script and the somewhat compact nature of the cycle itself produces the general likeness in music distribution (see Table I below).

TABLE I: Distribution of Music in the two transmissions of Caron’s Missa Sanguis sanctorum.

Other than one variant in the Kyrie [II], mensural signs are duplicated in both sources as Table II shows:

TABLE II: Distribution of mensural signatures in the two transmissions of Caron’s Missa Sanguis sanctorum.

There are no variants in the transmission of modal signatures — the lower three voices with one flat and the superius without. In both sources the CtB signature is consistently drawn as an "octave" flat (line 1, space 4). Both readings transmit an F³ clef for the CtB and a C³ symbol for the T. Other than for one exception (Benedictus-Osanna [II]: f. 88^r, stave 2 where the clef is C²), C³ is used for the CtA in VatS 51. This is also found in Verona, but in this case the one use of a C² clef in the CtA occurs in the Et resurrexit (f. 41^r, stave 3). In the VatS 51 superius transmission, the C¹ clef is mainly used; however, G² is also employed as follows: ff. 82^v, staves 2 & 6; 84^v, stave 7; 85^v, stave 7 and 87^v, stave 5. In VerBC 755, C¹ is consistently used other the one appearance of a G¹ clef (Christe: f. 36^v, stave 5).

As Table III below shows, the transmission of manuscript accidentals is mainly congruent. There are, however, two notable exceptions.

TABLE III: Distribution of manuscript accidentals in the two transmissions of Caron’s Missa Sanguis sanctorum.

* this sign is a diesis; all other accidentals are a b rotundum

The first exception concerns a series of three flat accidentals transmitted in VatS 51, but not in Verona. The harmonic context at this point in the Patrem (see Music Example I) is such that almost without question ficta processes would have been engaged had a performance been taken from the VerBC 755 reading.

MUSIC EXAMPLE I: Missa Sanguis sanctorum — Patrem, mm. 45-46.

 [image forthcoming— Patrem mm. 45-46]

Of greater interest is the single inclusion of the diesis symbol in Verona which is not replicated in VatS 51. This sign occurs in the Sanctus-Pleni-Osanna [I] tenor; and as Music Example II below shows, has harmonic impact should it be employed.

 MUSIC EXAMPLE II: Missa Sanguis sanctorum, Sanctus-Pleni-Osanna [I], mm. 33-34.

[ image forthcoming]

The shift to a major-harmony cadential and resolving sonority at this point (m. 34) is quite sensational and effects marked contrast to the immediately preceding minor harmony on the same bassus note in measure 33.

Also of interest is the common inclusion of what is seemingly a redundant B3 flat in the CtB/S duo at measure 48,3 in the Sanctus-Pleni-Osanna [I] (see Table III above, second last listing). Even though the pitch is governed as a b flat by the CtB modal signature, inclusion of the sign in this case points to the high probability that it functions as a hexachordal indicator. In this case, marking a shift to the molle side of the gamut which effects a Phrygian-type cadential progression at the end of this CtB/S duo.

Nine of the 24 manuscript accidentals transmitted in VatS 51 are extra manum[6]. The pitch, F5, is visited on 32 occasions in this setting. VerBC 755 also transmits several "extra manum" signs[7], only two of which (in the Qui tollis and the Benedictus-Osanna [II]) are common to the Capella Sistina source.

Broadly speaking, transmission of text in the two sources is mainly congruent. As Table IV below shows, there are however, some absorbing variants in the Gloria and Credo readings.

 TABLE IV: Distribution of Text in the two transmissions of Caron’s Missa Sanguis sanctorum.

Two in particular are outlined here. The first concerns placement of the text Tu solus altissimus Jesu Christe. As noted above (n. [5]) Caron applies varying duo textures for a sizeable portion of Sanguis sanctorum. In the Veronese reading, the Tu solus altissimus is clearly underlaid as part of the CtA-S duo (mm. 143-160), folio, 38^v, stave 5;

[image forthcoming]

and the following CtB-T segment (mm. 160-174) is texted with Jesu Christe (ff. 38^v, 9 and 39^r, 5).

[image forthcoming]

In VatS 51 this clear timbral delineation is obscured by the inclusion of the word Jesu in the superius and by the omission of Jesu Christe in the CtB. VerBC 755 is more likely "correct" in that it is reflective of the substantial rhetoric and symbolic element in Caron’s settings[8].

The second point of interest is the singular transmission of article 17 (the Et expecto) in the CtA of the VerBC 755 reading (f. 41^r, stave 5). Were this text to be sung at its place of underlay (mm. 226 ff.) it would be concurrent with article 16 (the Confiteor) in the other voices. In the present author’s experience of Credo settings[9], this is a highly unusual juxtaposition of the Articles of Faith. We would be most interested to hear from readers about this.

A further point of attention is the VatS 51 spelling of Pilate as it appears in the ablative form — pylato. As Dr Jason Stoessel has informed me:

In the VatS 14/51 complex, the use of pylato is exclusive to the alpha scribe, as identified by Roth[11]. It occurs only by this Hand in the collective transmissions of Caron’s masses.

THE MODEL AND ITS APPLICATION

Caron’s Missa Sanguis sanctorum takes as its text and melody model the plainsong antiphon for the second Nocturne of the Commune plurimorum martyrum.

[in progress]

Footnotes

1. Its existence was seemingly not known at all in the early editions of The Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, in that it is not included in either of the brief entries for both the 3rd and 5th editions: see About Caron, nn. 2 and 7. Two years after the 5th edition of the Grove’s… was published, the setting "was given a title by the editor [i.e. Thomson] on the basis of his discovery (1956) that the words Sanguis sanctorum were underlaid in the tenor part of the Credo as it appears in C. S. 51, where the work is attributed to Caron"; Thomson, J. Les oeuvres Complètes de Philippe (?) Caron, The Institute of Mediaeval Music, Ltd., New York, 1976, vol. VI/2, p. VI. At the time of writing his doctoral thesis (1959), however, the VerBC 755 transmission of Sanguis sanctorum was clearly unknown to Thomson: The Works of Caron, A Study in Fifteenth-Century Style, UMI Dissertation Information Service, Ann Arbor, 1960, vol. 1, p. 83. The Missa Sanguis sactorum is listed in A. Preston’s doctoral thesis: Sacred Polyphony in Renaissance Verona: A Liturgical and Stylistic Study, UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, 1969, p. 369; and the source is included in Thomson’s edition cited above, pp. I & VI. [Back]
2. In both transmissions, the title appears only once. [Back]
3. For further discussion see: Eakins, R. (ed.) An Editorial Transnotation of the Manuscript Capella Sistina 51, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, Liber Missarum, The Institute of Mediaeval Music, Ottawa, Canada, vol. XVII/3, 2001, pp. xviii-xxii. [Back]
4. Identified as copyist [alpha] in: Roth, A. Studien zum Frühen Repertoire der Päpstlichen Kapelle unter dem Pontifikat Sixtus’ IV (1471-1484), Die Chorbücher 14 und 51 des Fondo Cappella Sistina der Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1991, pp. 51-98, particularly pp. 66-73. [Back]
5. The Gloria, Credo and Sanctus collectively display an elaborate series of two-part settings, which beyond the extended CtA-S duos, explore all possible combinations other than the CtA-T ensemble. In terms of modern measures, around 38.5% of the cycle consists of duo textures. Only the Kyrie "movement" and the Osanna [I] and [II] sections are à 4 throughout. [Back]
6. These are: Kyrie [I], m. 5,2 (f. 81^v, 1, 17); Et in terra, m. 21,2 (f. 82^v, 2, 7), m. 60,2 (f. 82^v, 5, 33), m. 62,1 (f. 82^v, 6, 2); Qui tollis, m. 187,1 (f. 83^v, 6, 23) – this might also apply to mm. 187,2 and 189,1; Patrem, m. 77,4 (f. 84^v, 7, 15); Et resurrexit, m. 251,2 (f. 85^v, 7, 11); and Benedictus-Osanna [II], m. 66,2 (f. 87^v, 1, 5), m. 146,2 (f. 87^v, 5, 3). [Back]
7. These are: Christe, m. 35,1 (f, 36^v, 5, 1); Kyrie [II], m. 53,5 (f. 36^v, 6, 29); Qui tollis, m. 187,1 (f. 38^v, 6, 21) – this might also apply to mm. 187,2 and 189,1; and Benedictus-Osanna [II], m. 66,2 (f. 82^v, 1, 5). [Back]
8. Work to be included on this web site is currently underway, concerning intertextuality, rhetorical devices and symbolism in Caron’s masses. [Back]
9. This revolves around the repertoire of VatS 51 (which includes 23 Credos) and the 30 concordant readings associated with the Capella Sistina source as it is now preserved. [Back]
10. I am indebted to Dr Stoessel for this information, and we welcome readers’ comments and information on this matter. [Back]
11. See n. 4 above. [Back]

Created and maintained by: Rex Eakins and Jason Stoessel.
Last revised: 26 May, 2005
© 2004-5 University of New England Armidale, NSW, 2351. All rights reserved.