Missa Clemens et benigna

General Commentary

The two readings of the Missa Clemens et benigna

There are two extant transmissions of Caron's Missa Clemens et benigna: TrentC 89 (TrentC 89 Trento, Museo Provinciale d'Arte, Castello del Buon Consiglio, MS 89), ff. 378^v-388^r and ModE M.1.13 (ModE M.1.13 Modena, Biblioteca Estense e Universitaria, MS a M.1.13 — Lat. 456; olim V.H.10), item XII (ff. 140^v-152^r). Go to the sound files for these two versions.

On the basis that TrentC 89 may have been copied during the mid 1460s and ModE M.1.13 in the early 1480s, upwards of 15 years could separate the two readings. Interestingly, while Caron's four other known cycles appear in the VatS 51/14 complex (VatS 14 Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Cappella Sistina 14; VatS 51 Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Cappella Sistina 51), Clemens et benigna does not.

The setting is without attribution in the Trent transmission, however the title appears under the tenor of the Et in terra (f. 379^v, stave 6), Patrem (f. 382^v, stave 6) and Sanctus (f. 385^v, stave 6). In the later reading, the work is attributed to Caron and with the title at the top of the opening folio (140v) as illustrated below:

Missa Clemens et benigna - top of opening folio

The title appears under the tenor also on that folio, stave 7, and on two further occasions (also under the first stave for tenor lines: Et in terra, f. 141^v, stave 7, and Patrem, f. 145^v, stave 7).

The Trent reading, comprising most of the 33rd gathering of the source as it is now bound, is copied onto folios each drawn up with 8 staves; the Modena transmission onto folios each with 9 staves. The respective physical dimensions of the folios (Trent: ca. 315mm x 211mm; Modena: ca. 558mm x 385mm) have some bearing on the layout of music, and in specific detail, the distribution of music in these two sources is somewhat different. Of interest is the allocation of voices for those tenor tacet sections allotted to their own particular folios (the Domine Deus and Qui propter nos homines) which see Trent combine the S and CtA on verso sides and the CtB on a recto side. In Modena the format of superius/tenor on the verso and the contratenors on the recto pages is maintained, albeit with the lower four pentagrams on the verso sides left unfilled. As the table immediately below illustrates, however, there is to a fair degree a broad-level similarity.

TABLE I: Distribution of Music in the two transmissions of Caron's Missa Clemens et benigna.

Section	voices	TrentC 89	ModE M.1.13	Comments
Kyrie [I]	4	collectively: 378^v-379^r	collectively: 140^v-141^r
Christe	4
Kyrie [II]	4
Et in terra	4	379^v-380^r	141^v-142^r
Domine deus	3	380^v-381^r	142^v-143^r	tenor tacet; Trent: S/CtA verso; CtB recto. Modena: S verso; CtA/CtB recto
Qui tollis	4	collectively: 381^v-382^r	143^v-144^r
Cum sancto	4	collectively: 381^v-382^r	144^v-145^r
Patrem	4	382^v-383^r	145^v-146^r
Qui propter nos homines	3	383^v-384^r	146^v-147^r	tenor tacet; Trent: S/CtA verso; CtB recto. Modena: S verso; CtA/CtB recto
Crucifixus/Et resurrexit	4	384^v-385^r	147^v-148^r	Trent: Et resurrexit and Confiteor: thus no Crucifixus…sepultus est text; Modena: Crucifixus
Et in spiritum	3	-	collectively: 148^v-149^r	tenor tacet; not transmitted in Trent; in Modena: Et in spiritum and Confiteor
Confiteor	4	384^v-385^r
Sanctus	4	collectively: 385^v-386^r	collectively: 149^v-150^r
Pleni sunt	3	collectively: 385^v-386^r	collectively: 149^v-150^r	tenor tacet
Osanna [I]	4	collectively: 386^v-387^r	collectively: 150^v-151^r
Benedictus -	3			Benedictus/Osanna [II] cast as one section. Trent: Benedictus not referred to in tenor; Modena: included in tenor as 12 brevis rests (only 9 required).
Osanna [II]	4
Agnus [I]	4	collectively: 387^v-388^r	collectively: 151^v-152^r
Agnus [II]	4
Agnus [III]	4

Both sources consistently transmit the following clefs: S — C¹; CtA — C³; T — C³; CtB — F³. There is also a high degree of commonality in the sources' transmission of mensural signatures as table II below shows:

TABLE II: Distribution of mensural signatures in the two transmissions of Caron's Missa Clemens et benigna.

Section	TrentC 89	ModE M.1.13	Comments
Kyrie [I] Christe Kyrie [II]	O ¢ O	O ¢ Ø
Et in terra	O	O
Domine deus	O	[O]	not included in Trent CtB; not redrawn in Mod.
Qui tollis	¢	¢	C in Trent S
Cum Sancto	Ø	Ø
Patrem	O	O
Qui propter	O	[O]	not included in Trent CtA; not redrawn in Mod.
Crucifixus/Et resurrexit	¢	¢
Et in spiritum	-	[¢]	not redrawn in Mod.
Confiteor	O	O
Sanctus	O	O	not included in Trent S
Pleni sunt	O	[O]	not included in Trent S; not redrawn in Mod.
Osanna [I]	¢	¢
Benedictus-Osanna [II]	O	O	not included in Trent CtA
Agnus [I]	O	O
Agnus [II]	¢	¢
Agnus [III]	O	O

There is less consistency in the transmission of modal signatures. The one-flat signature when it is included is always for both the altus and tenor; however as table III below shows, entire sections of the setting are copied without a signature.

TABLE III: Distribution of modal signatures in the two transmissions of Caron's Missa Clemens et benigna.

Section	Voice	TrentC 89	ModE M.1.13
Kyrie [I]	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	T	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Christe	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	T	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Kyrie [II]	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	T	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Et in terra	S
	CtA		one flat
	T		one flat
	CtB
Domine deus	S
	CtA		one flat
	CtB
Qui tollis	S
	CtA		one flat
	T		one flat
	CtB
Cum sancto	S
	CtA		one flat
	T		one flat
	CtB

Patrem	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	T	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Qui propter	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Crucifixus/Et resurrexit	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	T	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Et in spiritum (Mod. only)	S
	CtA		one flat
	CtB
Confiteor	S
	CtA	one flat	one flat
	T	one flat	one flat
	CtB
Sanctus	S
	CtA	one flat
	T	one flat
	CtB
Pleni sunt	S
	CtA	one flat
	CtB
Osanna [I]	S
	CtA	one flat
	T	one flat
	CtB
Benedictus-Osanna [II]	S
	CtA	one flat
	T	one flat
	CtB
Agnus [I]	S
	CtA	one flat
	T	one flat
	CtB
Agnus [II]	S
	CtA	one flat
	T	one flat
	CtB
Agnus [III]	S
	CtA	one flat
	T	one flat
	CtB

The unusual configuration of signatures which sees a flat sign in the altus and tenor but not in the bassus is simply explained by fact that the pitch B2 is never visited. An interesting question is whether the omissions of signatures are simply scribal oversights or intentional. (Work on this is in progress — although preliminary research suggests that these exclusions are deliberate.) The major consequence of these inclusions or exclusions can be aurally compared as we have included both transmissions in our sound files: Clemens et benigna/Trent and Clemens et benigna/Modena. Listen the Gloria from Trent Gloria from Modena in the sound files.

Manuscript accidentals are almost exclusively restricted to either the uppermost line or the bassus — a matter not surprising given the nature of the modal signatures. A notable exception is a diesis transmitted in the Trent reading for the altus line of the Qui propter (see table below). The flat sign also appears in the altus for the Osanna [I] and Agnus [I] where the Modena reading does not include a flat signature. Collectively 21 accidentals are transmitted in the sources. As the table below shows, less than 50% correspond in both readings.

TABLE IV: Distribution of manuscript accidentals* in the two transmissions of Caron's Missa Clemens et benigna.

Mass Section	Voice	edition reference: measure, note	Trent reference: folio, stave, note	Modena reference: folio, stave, note
Kyrie [I]	S	3,2	378^v, 1, 4
Christe	CtB	18,2		141^r, 6, 15
Christe	CtB	30,1	379^r, 6, 21	141^r, 7, 1
Domine deus	CtB	40,2		143^r, 6, 4
Domine deus	S	47,3	380^v, 2, 13	142^v, 2, 19
Qui tollis	S	79,1	381^v, 1, 17
Cum sancto	CtB	151,1	382^r, 7, 31	145^r, 6, 23
Patrem	S	3,2		145^v, 1, 3
Patrem	S	51,3	382^v, 4, 31
Qui propter	CtA	60,1	383^r, 5, 11
Qui propter	CtB	74,1		147^r, 8, 11
Et in spiritum	CtB	213,1		149^r, 7, 19
Sanctus	CtB	20,1	386^r, 5, 32	150^r, 7, 1
Pleni sunt	CtB	34,2	386^r, 7, 14	150^r, 8, 32
Osanna [I]	CtA	53,1		151^r, 1, 15
Osanna [I]	CtB	66,1	387^r, 4, 29	151^r, 5, 29
Benedictus -	CtB	87,5		151^r, 7, 24
Osanna [II]	CtB	94,4	387^r, 6, 18	151^r, 8, 18
Agnus [I]	CtB	14,2	388^r, 5, 24	152^r, 6, 23
Agnus [I]	CtA	18,1		152^r, 2, 16
Agnus [II]	CtB	56,1	388^r, 7, 20	152^r, 8, 27

* all accidentals are a b rotundum other than the diesis in the Qui propter altus

In ModE M.1.13, three further signs are transmitted. In all cases these are "attached" to the upper most pitch (in this setting) of the superius range, F5, - this pitch technically being outside of the standard recta medieval gamut. Interestingly, the pitch is visited 9 times, but only 1/3 have the flat sign. (Further statistical data is currently being gathered on this matter with reference to the transmission of Caron's other works.)

As the table V below shows, neither reading enjoys a full transmission of text for all voices in all sections of the setting.

TABLE V: Distribution of Text in the two transmissions of Caron's Missa Clemens et benigna

Section	Voice	TrentC 89	ModE M.1.13
Kyrie [I]	S CtA T CtB	Kyrie eleyson Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie	Kyrie leyson Kyrie leyson Kyrie leyson Kyrie leyson
Christe	S CtA T CtB	Christe eleyson Christe Christe Christe	Christe leyson Christe leyson Christe leyson Christe leyson
Kyrie [II]	S CtA T CtB	Kyrie eleyson Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie	Kyrie leyson Kyrie leyson Kyrie leyson Kyrie leyson
Et in terra	S	Et in terra pax hominibus bone voluntatis laudamus te benedicimus te adoramus te glorificamus te Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam	Et in terra pax hominibus bone uoluntatis Laudamus te benedicimus te Adoramus te glorificamus te gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam
	CtA	Et in terra	Et in terra pax hominibus bone uoluntatis Laudamus te gloriam tuam
	T	[title]	Laudamus te [title]
	CtB	Et in terra
	CtB		Laudamus te gloria
Domine deus	S	Domine deus rex celestis deus pater omnipotents Domine fili unigenite ihesu christe Domine deus agnus dei filius patris	Domine deus rex celestis deus pater omnipotents domine fili unigenite iesu christe domine deus agnus dei filius patris
	CtA	Domine deus rex celestis	Domine deus rex celestis deus pater omnipotens domine fili unigenite iesu christe domine deus agnus dei
	CtB	Domine deus rex celestis	Domine deus rex celestis
Qui tollis	S	Qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe deprecationem nostram Qui sedes ad dexteram patris miserere nobis Quoniam tu solus sanctus Tu solus dominus tu solus altissimus ihesu christe	Qui tollis peccata mondi miserere nobis qui tollis peccata mondi suscipe deprecationem nostram Qui sedes ad dexteram patris miserere nobis quoniam tu solus sanctus tu solus dominus tu solus altissimus iesu christe
	CtA	Qui tollis	Qui tollis peccata
	T	Qui tollis	Qui tollis deprecationem nostram qui sedes ad dexteram tu solus altissimus
	CtB	Qui tollis	Qui tollis
Cum sancto	S	Cum sancto spiritu in gloria dei patris amen	Cum sancto spiritu in gloria dei patris amen
	CtA	Cum sancto spiritu	Cum sancto spiritu in gloria
	T	Cum sancto	Cum sancto spiritu
	CtB	Cum sancto spiritu	Cum sancto spiritu
Patrem	S	Patrem omnipotentem factorem celi et terre visibilium omnium	Patrem omnipotentem factorem celi et terre uisibilium omnium
			et inuisibilum
		et in unum dominum ihesum christum	et in unum dominum iesum christum
		filium dei unigenitum
		Et ex patre natum ante omnia secula deum de deo lumen de lumine deum verum de deo vero	et ex patre natum ante omnia secula deum de deo lumen de lumine deum uerum de deo uero
		Genitum non factum
		consubstantialem patri per quem omnia facta sunt	consubstantialem patri per quem omnia facta sunt
	CtA	patrem omnipotentem	Patrem omnipotentem factorem celi
	T	patrem [title]
	T		Uisibilium omnium [title] unum dominum iesum
	CtB	patrem omnipotentem
	CtB		Uisibilium omnium
Qui propter	S	Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de celis Et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto ex maria virgine et homo factus est	Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de celis et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto ex maria uirgine et homo factus est
	CtA	Qui propter nos homines	Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram de spiritu sancto ex maria
	CtB	Qui propter nos homines	Qui propter nos
Crucifixus/Et resurrexit	S		Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub pontio pilato passus et sepultus est
	S	Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas et ascendit in celum sedet ad dexteram patris Et iterum venturus est cum gloria iudicare viuos et mortuos cuius regni non erit finis	et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas et ascendit in celum sedet ad dexteram patris et iterum uenturus est cum gloria iudicare uiuos et mortuos cuius regni non erit finis
	CtA		Crucifixus etiam pro nobis cuius regni non
	CtA	Et resurrexit
	T		Crucifixus et sepultus est
	T	Et resurrexit
	CtB		Crucifixus etiam
	CtB	Et resurrexit
Et in spiritum	S		Et in spiritum sanctum dominum et uiuificantem qui ex patre filioque procedit qui cum patre et filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur qui loctus est per prophetas et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam
	CtA		Et in spiritum sanctam dominum et uiuificantem simul adoratur
	CtB		Et in spiritum simul
Confiteor	S	Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi seculi	Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum et et uitam uitam uenturi seculi
	S	amen	amen
	CtA	Confiteor unum bapstisma	Confiteor
	T	Confiteor unum baptisma	Confiteor baptisma
	T		resurrectionem mortuorum
	CtB	Confiteor unum baptisma	Confiteor
Sanctus	S	(S)Anctus Sanctus Sanctus dominus deus sabaoth	Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus dominus deus sabaoth
	CtA	Sanctus	Sanctus dominus
	T	[title]	Sanctus Sanctus
	CtB	Sanctus	Sanctus Sanctus
Pleni sunt	S	Pleni sunt celi et terra gloria tua	Pleni sunt celi et terra gloria tua
	CtA	Pleni sunt	Pleni sunt celi et terra
	CtB	Pleni sunt celi	Pleni sunt
Osanna [I]	S	Osanna in ex celsis	Osanna in ex celsis
	CtA	Osanna	Osanna in ex
	T	Osanna	Osanna in ex
	CtB	Osanna	Osanna
Benedictus -	S	Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini	Benedictus qui uenit in nomine domini
	CtA	Benedictus	Benedictus qui uenit in nomine
	CtB	Benedictus	Benedictus qui uenit
Osanna [II]	S	Osanna in excel sis	Osanna in ex celsis
	CtA	Osanna	Osanna in
	T	Osanna	Osanna in ex
	CtB	Osanna	Osanna in
Agnus [I]	S	Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis	Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis
	CtA	Agnus dei	Agnus dei
	T	Agnus	Agnus dei peccata mundi
	CtB	Agnus	Agnus dei
Agnus [II]	S	Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis	Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis
	CtA	Agnus	Agnus dei qui
	T	Agnus	Agnus dei miserere
	CtB	Agnus	(A)gnus dei
Agnus [III]	S	Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi Dona nobis pacem	Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi dona nobis pacem
	CtA	Agnus	Agnus dei nobis pacem
	T	Agnus dona nobis	Agnus dei qui
	CtB	Agnus	Agnus dei

Noteworthy are the differences in the respective transmissions of the Credo that see the omission of article 9 in the 3rd section and no transmission of articles 13, 14 and 15 in the Trent reading. Other than the major textual omissions in the Trent transmission of the Credo and some further fragments of the Articles of Faith, both sources see a fully texted upper line. In both sources the three lower voices transmit incipts, with the Modena reading including additional cues from time to time particularly in the trio sections.

The inclusion of the Et in spiritum…, Qui cum Patre…, and the Et unam sanctam… in the Modena reading is of considerable interest as it may point to catechesis-specific and historic-specific factors governing localised liturgical practice. (Further research into this matter is also underway, and we would be grateful for readers' thoughts on this.) From both an architectural and a musical-setting point of view, the inclusion of these articles in the Modena transmission is also of great interest.

Articles 13, 14 and 15 are set as a trio (i.e. without tenor). Looking at the macro-structure of this setting as transmitted in Trent and illustrated below, this additional trio seems out of place:

Kyrie — in three sections: all à 4
Gloria — in four sections: à 4, à 3, à 4, à 4
Credo — in four sections: à 4, à 3, à 4, à 4
Sanctus — in four sections: à 4, à 3, à 4, à 4
Agnus Dei — in three sections: all à 4

As Table II above confirms, the extra section in the Modena transmission is also outside the mensural superstructure.

Further, the nature of the setting is at odds with the other trios: the Domine deus and the Qui propter. The textures in both these sections are polyphonically conceived. The Et in spiritum clearly resides in a more homophonic approach with little rhythmic invention.

All palaeographic and codicological elements clearly indicate that the Et in spiritum was not an addition to the manuscript after the main body of the setting had been copied and thus we can with some confidence assume it was part of the exemplar.

Interpreting the above elements as a conglomerate, therefore, might yield the idea that not only was the Et in spiritum not part of the original setting — as indeed the Trent transmission suggests, but also it was not written by Caron: rather perhaps specifically written (by whom still to be considered) for the purposes of fulfilling the need of including a full setting to be sung in the chapel of the Ferrara duke, Ercole I. If this is so, then perhaps the inclusion of the Crucifixus in Modena, but not in Trent, is also in part disclosed.