Guillaume DUFAY / Cantica Symphonia
Missæ Resvellies vous & Ave Regina cœlorum

medieval.org
Stradivarius "Dulcimer" 33569, 2000
Stradivarius "Echo Series" 11013. 2006








1. Ballata “Resvellies vous”  [6: 43]
LF, GM, FF — flauto, 2 vielle, arpa


Missa “Resvellies vous”

2. Kyrie  [3:21]
LF, GM, FF, Coro — organo, 2 vielle, arpa

3. Gloria  [6:20]
LF, GM, FF, Coro — organo, 2 vielle, arpa

4. Credo  [4:18]
LF — organo, 2 vielle, arpa

5. Sanctus  [4:48]
LF, GM, FF, Coro — organo, 2 vielle, arpa

6. Agnus Dei  [3:01]
LF, GM, FF, Coro — organo, 2 vielle, arpa



Missa “Ave Regina cœlorum”

7. Kyrie  [9:40]
LF, GM, FF, MS — organo, 3 vielle, 2 tromboni

8. Gloria  [7:45]
LF, GM, FF, MS — 2 vielle, 2 tromboni

9. Credo  [10:53]
LF, GM, FF, MS — 2 vielle, 2 tromboni

10. Sanctus  [7:54]
LF, GM, FF, MS — organo, 2 vielle, tromba di tirarsi, tromboni

11. Agnus Dei  [6:36]
LF, GM, FF, MS — organo, 2 vielle, 2 tromboni






CANTICA SYMPHONIA

Laura Fabris — soprano
Giuseppe Maletto - Fabio Furnari — tenor
Marco Scavazza — baritone

Svetlana Fomina Maletto - Efix Puleo — fiddles
Kees Boeke — recorder / fiddle (track 7)
Guido Magnano — organ
Marta Graziolino — harp
Mauro Morini — trombone / slide trumpet (track 10)
David Yacus — trombone

CHOIR
Maria Silvia Maritano, Daniela Perlo, Anna Traversa — soprano
Davide Longo,  Fabrizio Longo — tenor

KEES BOEKE
musical direction

GIUSEPPE MALETTO
director

Si ringrazia per la gentile ospitalità Don Lorenzo Rivoiro

Registrazione:
Chiesa della B.V. Maria del Monte Carmelo al Colletto, Roletto (TO), 2-7/07/1999
Direttori di registrazione: Kees Boeke, Claudia Cavina
Tecnico del suono: Davide Ficco
Pre-editing Giuseppe Maletto, Svetlana Fomina Maletto
Montaggi digitali: Giuseppe Maletto
Fotografia/Photo: Giancario Maritano

The Mass "Resvellies vous"

Dufay's first and last complete Mass ordinaries bath are related to, if not, modelled after, separate compositions of he own hand. However, the way these relationships are developed could not be more different. Given the fact that both compositions were written at a time distance of at least 40 years, in the period of incredible stylistic turmoil that marked the transition from "medieval" to "renaissance music" this is of course no surprise.

The fact that the Misse Sine Nomine (in Besseler's edition) revealed itself to be the Missa "Resvellies Vous" (demonstrated by David Fallows) links it to the earliest parody tradition created by composers such as Zachara da Teramo and Bartolomeo da Bologne (Gloria Fior Gentil, Gloria Rosetta, Credo Du Village, Credo Morir desio etc.).

This "tradition" was established before the creation as such of the complete Mass ordinary, or slightly later of the cyclic Mass under the influence of English composers. It regarded principally coupled Mass movements like Gloria-Credo and Sanctus-Agnus. Stylistically the Missa Resvellies Vous strongly resembles the Gloria-Credo pairs 4 and 5 and Credo 1 (in the Besseler Edition of the Fragmenta Missarum) that I have attributed to the pared 1420-1426 (see Fragmenta Missarum...).

Dufay wrote the ballata Resvellies Vous for the occasion of the marriage of Carlo Malatesta and Vittoria Colonna on the 18th of July 1423, and therefore it is clear that the Mass can be allocated too in this same precise time frame. VVhether the Ballata constitutes the original composition after which the mass was modelled, or vice versa is a question ta be answered below. Written in the typical Italian cantilena style of the period, with an independent florid vocal-instrumental top voice over a unified tenor-contratenor pair, it displays however a however of very disparate stylistic features that should be briefly discussed here. The form is classic, AABC, with two complete strophes, in which C represents the Refrain: "Charle gentil, c'on dit de Maleteste". Less usual is the strikingly symmetric set-up with 23 breves for the A and C parts and 27 for the central B section. In more detail, the piece develops as follows:

A. (Tempus Imperfectum, prolatio malor)
1. Instrumental prelude with florid cadenza   — 7 breves
2. First 2 text lines introduced by anticipating imitation — 7 breves (repeat A1, A2 with next two text lines)
3. Instrumental postludiurn — 7 + 2 (final note) breves

B. (Tempus perfectum, prolatio minor)
1. New text line + simple florid instrumental cadenza— 4 +3 = 7 breves
2. New text line + florid instrumental cadenza — 3 + 4 = 7 breves
3. New text line in dense three-part 6/8 imitation — 6 breves
     (empus imperfectum, prolatio maior)
4. Next text line in triplets over simple 3/4 tenors with excepoonal introduction of c sharp in the Tenor at bar 47 (Golden Section?) — 6 + 1 breves
(Sup. Tempus perfectum, prolatio maior  - T/Ct: Tempus perfectum, prolatio minor.)

C. (4 Fermatae, tempus imperfecturn, prolatio maior)
1. Charle Gentil: 4 blockchords with interval g'-g sharp'' (augmented octave) in Contratenor. (Golden Section) — 8 breves
2. C'on dit de Maleteste + florid cadenza — 6 breves
3. Instrumental postludium as in A3 — 7 + 2 breves

The ingredients listed above make their appearance in the various parts of the Mass, not in a systematic way, but rather as sources of inspiration.

As Alan W. Atlas has pointed out in an extremely stimulating article (Gematria, Marriage Numbers, and Golden Sections in Dufay's "Resvellies vous"). there might be a whole set of numerical symbolical devises underlying the ballata. Without entering into the gematric argument, which is always of a somewhat speculative nature, it is however important toe point at some structural consequences of the use of the Golden Section, the proportion obtained when a line is divided in such a way that the smaller part is to the greater as the greater is to the whole.

The division of the A and C sections, as Atlas correctly observes, are placed at the beginnings of the instrumental postludium, or in the A section at the "repeat" sign. The division of the whole ballata he places after 45 breves (Golden Section of the total 73) which I believe not significant (enough) and erroneous. We have to take the full sounding form into account to find the right pivot point here. Significantly, the inclusion or exclusion of the final Longs at the end of sections A and C do not influence the final calculation. In both cases thee sought after moment happens tu be the augmented octave between Charle and gentil, exactly the middle of the four block chords, the most daring progression in the piece. Te underline the correctness of this choice, we find that even the GS division of the B and C sections as a whole falls again exactly in the same place!

At this point it can hardly be a coincidence that the opening of the Kyrie of the Mass cites precisely this audacious moment in its contratenor, of course when the rules of musica ficta are correctly applied. The significance is twofold. We have to apply the rules of ficta "avec rigueur', counting on spicy and adventurous harmonic language (like f.e. n the above mentioned Credo-Gloria 5 pair) and secondly the Ballata existed before the Mass, or rather, the Mass was modelled alter the Ballata. What is explicitly manifested in the song becomes implicit in the mass.

KYRIE: three invocations, 7 + 7 + 8 breves long (cf. RV A1, 2.3) — 23 breves
CHRISTE: three invocations, 8 + 6 + 8 breves — 23 breves
KYRIE: three invocations (in tempus perfectum, prolatio minor) (B1) — 23 breves
conclusion: dense canonic rhythms (cf. RV B3) — 9 breves + longa

GLORIA: Et in terra: Tempus imperfectum, prolatio minor, in stilo antico, syllabic solo voice plus instrumental tenor/contratenor pair — 39 breves
instrumental conclusion in dense rhythmic imitation in 6/8 (B3) — 23 breves
Domine Deus: idem (as Et in terra) - nobis — 39 breves
Qui tollis + Suscipe + instrumental conclusion — 8 + 7 + 19 breves + longa
Qui sedes: cites opening of RV adding extra bar for "dexteram" — 7 + 1 breves
Quoniam: introduction of texted tenor and contratenor based on RV refrain material (A3, C3) — 13 breves
leading up to
Jesu Christe: 4 blockchords like Charle gentil, but modifying the augmented octave g'-g"sharp into a major seventh g'-f"sharp. (Chris-te)
Cum sancto: as Qui sedes + instrumental postludium — 7 breves + 1 longa
AMEN: in my opinion three invocations in simple note values in tempus perfectum, all cadencing in G
1. in crescendo, climax — 5 breves
     instrumental interlude — 6 breves
2. in decrescendo, in canon stretto sup/ten. Ct in temp. imp. — 4 breves
     instrumental interlude in dense rhythmic imitation (B3) — 3 + 4 + 4 breves
3. static around final G. — 6 breves + longa

CREDO: apparently the earliest composition stylistically, with the least obvious relationships with the sang. Typical recitando syllabic superius, very similar to Credo (Fragmenta Missarum, 1). Tempus imp. Prol. min. It is interesting that these early "minimalist", almost prayer-like visions of the Creed soon would become the massive central "piéces of résistance' of the Mass, cf. Ave Regina Coelorum, The before-rnentioned Gloria-Credo pair (FM. 5) composed during this same period already very strongly hints in the new direction. One gets the impression that it is almost possible in these early decades of the 15th century to follow the stylistic developments year by year!
The most visible link tu the Ballata is represented by the Tenor part, which basically is built on variations upon a descending scale in G, like in the song.
At "ex Maria virgine; et homo factus est" Dufay creates a precise rhythmical reference ta the Amen 2 in the Gloria. Even more complex polyrhythmic structures are built at "Et ascendit in caelum etc".
The closing section "et in Spiritum etc" is again quiet and simple, including the Amen.
The three main sections are all 52 breves long. The Amen in an added 6 breves + longa.

SANCTUS: Three invocations: Chant. the Kyrie headmotif, a reminiscence of the third Kyrie invocation — 12 + 11 = 23 breves
Dominus: increasing use of syncopating rhythmical cell from the second bar in the B part of the Ballata — 7 + 7 breves
Pleni. Rhythm as in headmotif    — 7 + 5 breves
Osanna: after a melodious start, hoquet-like interplay with the syncopating rhythms — 5 +5 + 5 + 6 breves + longa
Benedictus: Chant
Qui venit: Very clear references to B1 and 2 of the Song.
Instrumental postludium — 22 breves + longa
Osanna: ut supra.

AGNUS: three invocations, always with Agnus Dei in chant.
1. Clever inversion of material in the first 3 bars initially gives the impression of a problem-less stating of the main theme (i.e descending from d" to g', and not the tritone g'sharp), ta then suddenly presenting the augmented octave in the fourth measure. Peccata mundi miserere recited in quiet note values — 5 + 6 + 5 breves + longa
2. Retrograde presentation of the "alternative" major seventh in Ct. Superius paraphrases Ballata and first Kyrie. Peccata mundi miserere in quiet note values — 5 + 5 + 5 breves + longa
3. Clear references ta B1, 2 and 3 of the song. I have surmised twofold invocations of the Dona nabis pacem, in all three voices on the chorale-like melodies — 24 breves + longa

The Mass AVE REGINA CAELORUM

AVE REGINA CAELORUM (AR)

AVE DOMINA ANGELORUM (AD)

SALVE RADIX (SR)
EX QUA MUNDO LUX EST ORTA (EQ)

GAUDE GLORIOSA (GG)
SUPER OMNES SPECIOSA (SO)

VALE VALDE DECORA (VV)

ET PRO NOBIS SEMPER CHRISTUM (PN)

EXORA (EX)

The CANTUS FIRMUS
The Marian antiphon "Ave Regina Ccelorum", a rather simple, repetitive chant not unlike a sequens, is built of four basic constituent elements, that all have their important functions in Dufay's incredibly sophisticated eiaborabon in the Mass:
a: The initial typical chromatic phrase C-Bflat-A-B-G-A-C, and its simpler form C-Bflat-A-G
b: The closing formula C-D-E-(D)-F-E-D-C
g: The triad motif C-(D)-E-(F)-(E)-G and its return F-E-D-C-D-E-D-C
d: The same return, but left open: F-E-D-C-D-E

The antiphon now is put together as follows:

Ave Regina  —  a + b
Ave Domina  —  a + b
Salve Radix  —  g
Ex Qua  —  a + b
Gaude gloriosa  —  g
Super omnes  —  a + b
Vale Valdes  —  g + d
Et pro nobis  —  free return
Exora  —  ornamented version of b

As can be seen from the diagram above, each main Mass section "uses up" the antiphon material in its entirety. This has been overseen by Besseler and other scholars because of the melodic similarities between the various text parts.
It creates thus a sense of extreme "completeness" of each movement and in the end of the whole Mass, notwithstanding its extraordinarily variegated texture.

The Mass opens we the 8 measure long polyphonic headmotif that will reappear at the opening of each of the five main sections. The Bassus pre-presents the CF a-section transposed at a fifth below, anticipating the entry of the Tenor with the full statement a + b in the basic key. Much later (at the very end of Agnus 2, it will be this transposed version of a to crown the Miserere nobis in the Superius, the only literal citation taken from the homonymous Motet, where it carries Dufay's name (miserere supplicanti Dufay).

Kyrie: The anomalous form of the Kyrie presents a serious problem: Only two polyphonic versions of the first Kyrie group and the Christe group are documentad, with differing "montage" in the various Mss. Ta produce three invocations we would have to introduce alternatim practice against which several arguments can he held:
1. Musically, both the second Kyrie and Chaste invocations are typically middle sections (of three) and not final
2. Which part of the chant should we use?
3. Normal alternatim practice starts with polyphony and then alternates with chant, by which system one has only one polyphonic version of the Christe.
4. The remainder of the mass does flot use alternatim.
The "Da Capo" method adopted for the recording is certainly not totally convincing, again by the necessary repetition of the Ave Regina cantus firmus. On the other hand, Ave Regina and Ave Domina are indistinguishable... In the Christe, the Salve/Ex qua will be merely repeated after the second invocation, which does not contain any cantus firmus.

The second invocation of the Kyrie introduces an idiosyncratic and seemingly instrumental idea: the inversion of the g section of the CF. VVe have treated Mis as a trombetta suggestion.
In Christe 1, the Contratenor pre-imitates the Tenor by two measures and somewhat later the Superius paraphrases the a motif.
The second Christe exists in two alternative versions: As a canon in the unison with a special Bassus part (concordans cum fuga), or without canon with a different Bassus part (concordans sine fuga). The rising tetrachords (ut-re-mi-fa) relate ta the closing formula b of the CF. The final tripla segment has echoes of a in its melodic structure.
Kyrie 4: again trie Ct anticipates the CF by two measures, proceeding however in triadic realms (inverted g). Also the Bassus seems markedly instrumental, participating in the triadic games in its own way. This is oven more outspokenly so in the next Kyrie a 3, where the Bassus becomes Contratenor 2 (concordans si placet) against two freely imitating upper voices.
The final heavy and rhythmically square Kyrie culminates again in "trombetta" triads. At the crucial moment d in the CF Dufay introduces a moment of soaring fauxbourdon in the lower voices.

Gloria: after the formal 8 opening measures the two top voices separate themselves from the lower pair of "accompanists" (Laudamus, Adoramus). Glorificamus and Gratias agimus are both set as Duos: voce 2 + 4, then voice 1 + 3.
At Domine Deus Rex coelestis full polyphony is reintroduced ta contrast with the minimal duet, Domine Deus Agnus Dei that follows. The closing bars are in triplets.
Oui tollis, starting as a Duo in the lower voices, soon turns from C major to c minor introducing the dark E flats that characterize the miserere nobis moments, here and later. At the close the Bassus skilfully paraphrases the transposed a idea to roturn to a final major. This very intense section as a whole pre-announces the Miserere citation in Agnus 2.
Extremely dense counterpoint characterizes the second Qui tollis, to suddenly simplify at Oui sedes where the next Miserere nobis awaits us. At this point Dufay brings the d ingredient (the open E endings in Vale valde) of the CF to full fruition, by interrupting the polyphonic flow twice with a fermata chord on A minor. Tu solus altissimus briefly recalls the pared top voices of the beginning of the Gloria followed by a concise massive homophonic Cum Sanctu Spiritu.
The final jubilant Duos in triple time (again 1 + 3, 2 + 4) one a perfect copy of the other an octave lower, combine the full ornamonted Exora version of b in the top part with its simple closing formula aspect below.

Credo: follows the initial stops of the Gloria, resulting in a long canonic duo by the two upper (singing) voices.
At Genitum, the moment of reintroduction of the CF (Ave Domina), "normal" full polyphony is re-established. The top voices resume their canonic and rather florid Duo at Qui propter until Salve radix announces the moment of Et incarnatus in slow moving, four part writing and coming ta a full close at the end of the CF.

An almost chaotic Crucifixus section follows, that, rhythmically fully incorporates the Ex qua cantus firmus in its texture.
The trio Et ascendit clearly draws on the tetrachord motif ut-re-mi-fa (and fa-mi-re-ut), and closes with a big climax in triple time.
Dufay in all likelihood considered the next phrases central in the test of the Mass: Et (credo) in spiritum sanctum, dominum et vivificantem, qui ex patre filioque procedit. The intense. almost recitative like setting of the top voices over the Cantus Firmus/Bassus pair gives this impression. It s followed by text-less, abstract and musically distant duo material - a reflection, a meditation almost - then hesitatingly picked up by some voices. A very unexpected citation of transposed a in the Basses triggers a madly polyrhythmic Duo between Superius and CF at the words Simul adoratur...
Solud straightforward rhythms cheracterize the Confiteor section coming however ta a halt at the d moment in Vale valde. Et expecto resurrectionem, immediately following, has the four voices in four different time frames, proceeding as a brief duo then trio (mortuorum). The closing Et vitam venturi is identical with the end of the Gloria.

In the Sanctus and Agnus, Guillaume's treatment of the antiphon becomes progressively more audacious. Although each fragment is present, the fragmentation, rhythmical stretching or compression, and crossing over into other voices make the original CF at times almost unrecognisable. The decidedly heterogeneous character of the other material, bath melodically and rhythmically, and the lack of text in these last sections (against a wealth of music!) make the choices of text underlay and instrumentation quite delicate. Especially at this point one gets the impression that the ms. copies that have survived all these centuries are really "short scores", a condensation of a much richer reality that existed in the mid 15th century. It is for that reason that in my opinion, it is not solely a matter of "interpreting" this music but rather of literally reconstructing its reality, in a process similar to the reconstruction of the action in a Shakespeare play from subtle clues in the dialogue.
The Sanctus features during its three invocations the glorious reappearance of the trombetta motif, then slides smoothly into the Dominus, Deus Sabaoth where it gradually looses grip on the CF.
The canonic Duo Pleni slowly builds up a climax via Gloria tua towards the first Osanna, which takes off brilliantly and chaotically with the trombetta in Contratenor. A brief instrumental bridge leas to in excelsis where the closing formula b now appears in all four voices (in variouss imitations).
The quiet beginning of Benedictus recalls somehow the little far-away duo in the Credo. Always in close imitation it proceeds more lively ta close with a triplet rhythm tchat initially paraphrases the closing formula.
The second Osanna is almost an enhanced version of the first, of course with a different CF (Vale). Extremely dense in ligatures, it presents itself as a solid block that stops "dead" after a cadential blue seventh on the d chord. Four bars of instrumental interlude lead seamlessly into the in excelsis, a binary restatement of the previous one.

With Agnus 1 we return to the sonorities of the first two Kyries (as was the tradition in a way). To prepare for the Miserere Dufay stops the b CF at the thirrd note E, and turns it into a d moment (with fermata and rest). Then Miserere nobis is sang almost note against note in all voices in tempus imperfectum (color).
Agnus 2 begins a duo in the mood of Benedictus, then speeds in further duos through the remaining parts of the CF to suddenly quiet clown with the last six notes of exora. Here then appears the extraordinary Miserere nobis from the motet. Apart from the before mentioned (and not particularly obvious!) "Dufay" citation in the superius this fragment bears no relationship to the rest of the Mass. It must mean that it is a real citation as such. It means the motet existed before, where the fragment makes perfect sense in the contour of the whole.
Agnus 3 takes the CF from Gaude gloriosa once more to the end, in highly complex counterpoint throughout. Three invocations: 6 measures a4, 6 measures a3, 3 measures a3. Qui tollis in triple metro lands gloomily on the d chord.
Peccata mundi still in triple time, but more homophonically moving in minims, shows a last poignant glow of the cross relation
Bflat-B natural that is inherent in the Ave Regina theme. Dona nobis pacem returns to duple time, note against note against the quintessentially (b) reduced Exora.

Recent research, notably by musicologists Rob C. Wegman and Alejandro E Planchart, has pinpointed the date of composition of Dufay's last opus to the very end of his life between 1471 and 14/2. The mass fulfilled the double purpose of the celebration of the solemn fast of Saint Mary of the Snow on the 5th of august, a date probably related to his date of birth, and the creation of an obituary mass to himself
In the ten years following its composition, the Mass was already copied into manuscripts found in centres as distant as Modena, Poznan, Trent and the Vatican, each of them adapting and modifying the Cambrai original according ta local liturgical needs and possibilities. It is in this light that we should regard our present proposal of the masterpiece, as yet another version adapted to the musical needs and possibilities of the year 2000.

© Kees Boeke, 2000

INCIPIT	VOICES TIME	CANTUS FIRMUS	HEADMOTIF	PARAFRASE	OTHER	BREVES	TOT
KYRIE
KYRIE 1	4  O	AR	yes	no		27
KYRIE 2	4  O	AD	no		triad gecg (CT)	12
KYRIE 3	4  O	AR			= Kyrie 1	27	68
CHRISTE 1	4  C	SR-EQ (AR in Sup)	no			25
CHRISTE 2	3  C	(AR in tripla in Sup)	no		canon (S/S)+T	19
CHRISTE 3	4  C	SR-EQ			= Christe 1	25	69
KYRIE 4	4  O	GG-SO	parafr.		triad gecg (CT)	20
KYRIE 5	3  O		concordans si	placet (T)	triad ceg (T)	16
KYRIE 6	4  O	VV-PN	no		triad gecg (CT)	16	52
							189
GLORIA
ET IN TERRA	4  O	AR-AD	yes	Gratias CF	Duos (Gratias)	41
DOMINE DEUS R	4  O	SR-EQ	no			19
DOMINE DEUS A	2  C		no		canonic	16
QUI TOLLIS	4  C	GG-SO	no	AR (miserere nobis,	initial canon duo	7+8+15
				quintessential)	(TB)	(30)
QUI SEDES	4  C	VV-PN (Cum Sancto)	no			7+8+10+
IN GLORIA		EX			jubilo duos amen	+18+4 (47)	153
CREDO
PATREM	4  O	AR-AD	yes	til Genitum	"2 voice/2 instr."	38+15
QUI PROPTER	4  O	SR-EQ	no	til et incarnatus	canonic Duo	20+35
ET ASCENDIT	4  C	GG-SO	no	til et in Spiritu	Trio tetrachord	23+14+26
ET UNAM	4  C	VV-PN	no			38	209
ET VITAM		EX			jubilo duos amen
SANCTUS
SANCTUS	4  O	AR-AD	yes		triad gec (CT)	37
PLENI	4  O	SR-EQ	no		duo, trio, a 4	20+6+6
OSANNA	4  O	GG-SO	parafr.		triad gec (CT)	27
BENEDICTUS	2  C		no	closing formula	canonic	30
OSANNA	4  C	VV-PN	no		tetrachord	8+18	152
	EX (in all voices)
AGNUS
AGNUS 1	4  O	AR-AD	yes			37
AGNUS 2	3  C	Duos: continuous mix of
		SR-EQ-GG-SO-VV-PN	no	motet Miserere	tetrachord inversion	34+11
				(quintessencial)	Duos + Trio (Miser.)
				end "Dufay" =	AR transposed
AGNUS 3	4  C	GG-SO-VV-PN-(EX)	no	closing formula	polyrhythmic	15+7+10	114