Cadences in the 16th and 17th centuries

Summary

This video script from early music sources.com, presented by Elam Rotem, offers an insightful exploration into the fundamentals of cadences in Renaissance music of the 16th and 17th centuries. It explains how cadences serve as the building blocks of music, essential for composers, basso continuo players, and all musicians aiming to deeply understand music. The script delves into the concept of 'Tenorizans,' a central component of cadences, and distinguishes it from the 'Tenor' voice part. It outlines the hierarchy of Renaissance music parts and describes the progression of cadences, focusing on the 'hard' (durum) and 'soft' (molle or 'mi') cadences. The video also introduces the 'authentic' and 'plagal' cadences, illustrating their structures and the significance of the 'Picardy' third in major harmony. The script further discusses the importance of recognizing the real cadence in a piece, as opposed to the coda, and emphasizes the role of cadences in shaping musical flow and structure. Through analysis of Palestrina's motet 'Osculetur me,' the script demonstrates the practical application of cadences, highlighting how composers use them to create musical balance and forward momentum.

Takeaways

• 🎼 **Cadences as Building Blocks**: Cadences are fundamental in music, serving as the basic building blocks that aid in music analysis and understanding.
• 📚 **Understanding Cadences**: A deeper comprehension of cadences is crucial for all musicians, not just composers or basso continuo players.
• 🔍 **Polyphony and Tenorizans**: Polyphony originates from adding new parts to a melody, with the Tenorizans being a central component of the cadence, distinct from the 'Tenor' part.
• 🎶 **Part Names in Renaissance Music**: The order of importance in Renaissance music parts is Tenor, Canto/Soprano, Basso, Alto, followed by additional parts like Quinto and Sesto.
• 📉 **Cadential Progression Steps**: The last step in a cadential progression is the 'Ultima', preceded by the 'Penultima' and 'Antepenultima'.
• ⚖️ **Types of Cadences**: Cadences are categorized by the Tenorizans step as either a 'hard' (whole tone) or 'soft'/'molle' (semitone) cadence.
• 🔄 **Voice Functions in Cadences**: The 'Cantizans' and 'Bassizans' are functions that can be performed by any voice, contributing to the formation of different types of cadences.
• 🔔 **Authentic Cadence**: An 'authentic cadence' is characterized by a perfect consonance (fifth and octave) between all components on the 'ultima' step.
• 🔄 **Plagal Cadence**: The 'plagal cadence' is a soft cadence that ends with a progression from the fourth to the first degree, often prolonged at the end of pieces to create a coda.
• 🏛️ **Terminology and Cadences**: Historical terminology surrounding cadences can be inconsistent and confusing, thus a simplified terminology is introduced for better understanding.
• 📊 **Cadence Strength and Placement**: The strength of a cadence is determined by the bass progression and the handling of the 'penultima' step, with stronger cadences at central points and weaker ones in the musical flow.

Q & A

What are cadences and why are they important in music?

Cadences are the clearest and most basic building blocks of music. They are important because knowing how they function can help in analyzing and understanding music better. This understanding is necessary for not only composers or basso continuo players but every musician.

What is the origin of the term 'Tenorizans'?

The term 'Tenorizans' is derived from the Latin term and is used to describe the most central and fundamental component of the cadence. It refers to a function that could be taken by any part, not specifically the tenor voice.

How are the parts in Renaissance music ordered by importance?

In Renaissance music, the parts are ordered by importance as follows: Tenor, Canto or Soprano, Basso, Alto, and then parts according to the number such as Quinto (a fifth voice), Sesto (a sixth voice), etc.

What are the steps in a cadential progression called?

The steps in a cadential progression are referred to as 'Antepenultima', 'Penultima', and 'Ultima', which represent the step before the last, the second to last, and the last step, respectively.

What is the difference between a hard (durum) and a soft (molle) cadence?

A hard (durum) cadence is characterized by the Tenorizans taking a whole tone step, while a soft (molle) cadence, also known as a 'mi' cadence, involves the Tenorizans taking a semitone step.

How does the Bassizans function in an authentic cadence?

In an authentic cadence, the Bassizans is characterized by leaping in an interval of a 4th or a 5th. It starts a 5th below the penultima of the Tenorizans and then leaps to the tonic.

What is meant by the 'Picardy' third in the context of cadences?

The 'Picardy' third refers to the phenomenon where every cadence, whether in a major or minor mode, has to have a major harmony on its ultima step. This is a modern term for an older concept.

What is a 'plagal cadence' and how is it related to soft or mi cadences?

A plagal cadence is another kind of cadence that is understood by examining soft or mi cadences. It is characterized by the Tenorizans progressing by a semitone, leading to the 'ultima' finishing on 'mi' in solmization, and involves a specific Bassizans progression that ends with perfect consonances between all components on the 'ultima' step.

How does the concept of 'cadenza fuggita' or evaded cadence differ from a complete cadence?

A 'cadenza fuggita' or evaded cadence occurs when the voices on the 'ultima' step go to different places than their designated places, creating an incomplete cadence. This contrasts with a complete cadence where all components go to their designated places as per the original theoretical plan.

What is the significance of observing the 'penultima' step in a cadence?

The 'penultima' step is significant because it is where the parts often feature movement and can include dissonances that must be prepared for, according to the rules of counterpoint. The division of the 'penultima' step into one, two, or four steps creates different types of cadences, influencing the overall structure and flow of the music.

How does Palestrina's motet 'Osculetur me' demonstrate the use of cadences?

Palestrina's motet 'Osculetur me' demonstrates the use of cadences through various types including evaded, two-step, and four-step authentic cadences, plagal cadences, and soft tenor cadences. The motet illustrates how composers manipulate cadences to control the flow of music, ensuring it moves forward smoothly and stops only at important moments.

What is the role of terminology in understanding Renaissance cadences?

Terminology is essential for distinguishing between different kinds of cadences. While historical terminology from the 16th and 17th centuries can be inconsistent and confusing, a standardized terminology helps in analyzing and understanding the structure and function of cadences in Renaissance music.

Outlines

00:00

🎼 Introduction to Cadences in Renaissance Music

Elam Rotem introduces the concept of cadences as fundamental building blocks of music from the 16th and 17th centuries. He explains that understanding cadences helps in analyzing and comprehending music better, which is crucial for all musicians. The video focuses on the basics of cadences, starting with polyphony and the 'Tenorizans', a central component of the cadence. The 'Tenorizans' is distinguished from the 'Tenor' part, highlighting its functional role over a specific voice part. The importance of the 'Ultima', 'Penultima', and 'Antepenultima' steps in a cadential progression is also discussed. Cadences are categorized into 'hard' (durum) and 'soft' (molle or 'mi') based on the Tenorizans' step. The video then delves into the construction of a 'tenor cadence' and the addition of a 'Cantizans' voice, as well as the introduction of a 'Bassizans' for a different kind of cadence known as an 'authentic cadence'. The necessity for a major harmony on the 'Ultima' step, referred to as the 'Picardy' third, is also mentioned. The video concludes with the potential for adding more parts to a cadence while respecting counterpoint rules.

05:02

🎶 Understanding Plagal and Soft Cadences

This paragraph explores 'soft' or 'mi' cadences, which are characterized by a semitone step in the Tenorizans. It explains the formation of a 'soft tenor cadence' and the adjustments made by the Cantizans to maintain the major sixth interval. The paragraph then introduces the 'plagal cadence', which involves a different Bassizans progression that ends with perfect consonances. The difference between the tonalities reached by hard and soft progressions is highlighted, emphasizing the collision of later harmonic thinking with Renaissance music theory. The paragraph also discusses the typical use of plagal cadences at the end of pieces to create a coda, and the importance of recognizing the actual cadence of a piece. Terminological distinctions between different kinds of cadences are also covered, with a mention of the historical inconsistencies and the comprehensive terminology provided by Georg Muffat and Francesco Gasparini.

10:03

🎵 Terminology and Inner Rhythmical Divisions of Cadences

The paragraph discusses the need for a consistent terminology to better understand cadences. It introduces the terms 'authentic', 'plagal', 'tenor', and 'sopran' for bass progressions and 'one-step', 'two-step', and 'four-step' for the inner rhythmical division of cadences. The concept of 'Contrapunctus simplex' is explained, where accompanying notes move in unison with the Tenorizans. The paragraph then describes how the 'penultima' step can be ornamented by making divisions or diminutions, leading to different cadence structures. The inherent nature of each component in a cadence is outlined, and the concept of a 'complete cadence' versus an 'incomplete cadence' or 'cadenza fuggita' is introduced. The importance of the 'ultima' step in determining the strength of a cadence is also discussed, with examples of how deviations can make a cadence stronger or weaker. The paragraph concludes with an analysis of Palestrina's motet 'Osculetur me', focusing on the function of cadences within the piece.

15:06

🎹 Analyzing Cadences in Palestrina's 'Osculetur me'

This paragraph provides a detailed analysis of the various cadences found in Palestrina's motet 'Osculetur me'. It discusses the different types of cadences, such as evaded, two-step, and four-step authentic cadences, as well as one-step plagal cadences. The analysis highlights how deviations in the Tenorizans, Cantizans, and Bassizans affect the strength and flow of the music. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of text synchronization in cadences and how composers use different cadential structures to control the forward momentum of the music. It also touches on the concept of a coda, explaining that what may seem like a final plagal cadence is actually part of an ornamental section that does not contain all the elements of a true cadence. The analysis concludes with the identification of the piece's final cadence and the subsequent coda.

20:09

📚 Conclusion and Additional Resources

The final paragraph summarizes the key points of the video, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the true ending of a piece and the start of a coda. It thanks the viewers for their attention and encourages them to explore the special page on the website for additional information, including footnotes. The paragraph also invites viewers to engage with the content by commenting, sharing, and liking the video. It ends with a friendly reminder to join for more insights at early music sources.com.

Keywords

💡Cadences

Cadences are the structural elements in music that signify a pause or a full stop, serving as the clearest and most basic building blocks. In the context of the video, understanding cadences is crucial for analyzing and comprehending music from the 16th and 17th centuries. The video discusses different types of cadences, such as hard (durum) and soft (molle), and their roles in shaping the flow and structure of a piece of music.

💡Tenorizans

Tenorizans refers to a functional component of a cadence, which is not necessarily the tenor voice but can be any voice performing the function. It is central to the cadence, often ending with a descending step and is distinct from the term 'Tenor', which denotes a specific part. The Tenorizans is used to illustrate the construction of cadences in the video.

💡Polyphony

Polyphony is a musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, which are woven together. In the video, polyphony is introduced as a method of creating music by adding new parts to an existing melody, with the melody often assigned to the main voice, historically the tenor voice.

💡Authentic Cadence

An authentic cadence is a type of cadence characterized by a leap in the bass voice (Bassizans) to the tonic, creating a strong harmonic resolution. It is also known as a 'perfect cadence' or 'regular cadence'. The video explains that modern terminology refers to it as an 'authentic cadence', and it is one of the most common cadences in Western music.

💡Plagal Cadence

A plagal cadence is another type of cadence that involves a progression from the fourth to the first degree, often perceived as a weaker form of cadence. The video explains that while it resembles a cadence, it is often used to prolong the 'ultima' step and create a coda, rather than serving as the actual cadence of a piece.

💡Penultima

The term 'Penultima' refers to the step before the last (or 'ultima') in a cadential progression. It is significant because it often involves a dissonance that must be resolved by the 'ultima'. The video discusses how the treatment of the 'penultima' step can affect the strength and nature of the cadence.

💡Counterpoint

Counterpoint is the art of combining melodies in a harmonically pleasing manner while maintaining their independence. The video emphasizes the importance of counterpoint in creating and ornamenting cadences, with the parts moving in relation to each other according to specific rules to achieve harmonic resolutions.

💡Picardy Third

The 'Picardy third' is a term used to describe the phenomenon where a piece in a minor mode ends with a major chord, creating a major harmony on the 'ultima' step of the cadence. The video mentions this as a characteristic that every cadence, regardless of the mode, should possess according to historical treatises.

💡Cantizans

Cantizans, like Tenorizans, is a functional component of a cadence that can be performed by any voice, not specifically the Canto or Soprano. It is typically found a major 6th above the penultima of the Tenorizans and proceeds by an ascending step, contributing to the construction of the cadence as explained in the video.

💡Soft Cadence (Molle)

A soft cadence, also known as a 'molle' or 'mi' cadence, is characterized by the Tenorizans moving by a semitone step instead of a whole tone. This type of cadence often concludes with the syllable 'mi' in solmization, indicating the final note of the cadence. The video discusses how soft cadences are used to create a different tonal resolution compared to hard cadences.

💡Evaded Cadence (Cadenza Fuggita)

An evaded cadence, or 'cadenza fuggita', occurs when the voices in a cadence do not proceed to their expected final positions on the 'ultima' step, thus creating an incomplete or 'evaded' sense of resolution. The video illustrates how composers use evaded cadences to make the music flow forward without a strong sense of finality.

Highlights

Cadences are fundamental building blocks of music in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Understanding cadences helps in analyzing and comprehending music better.

The term 'Tenorizans' refers to a functional component of a cadence, not specifically the tenor part.

The importance of the 'Tenorizans' in creating the central foundation of a cadence.

Renaissance music part names are ordered by importance: Tenor, Canto/Soprano, Basso, Alto, Quinto, Sesto, etc.

Cadential progression steps are named 'Antepenultima', 'Penultima', and 'Ultima'.

A whole tone step by Tenorizans creates a 'durum' (hard) cadence, while a semitone step creates a 'molle' (soft) cadence.

The 'Cantizans' is a functional voice that can be any part, moving a major 6th above the penultima of the Tenorizans.

A 'tenor cadence' is formed by the bass progression taking the Tenorizans.

A 'Bassizans' introduces a new kind of cadence with its characteristic leap of a 4th or 5th.

The 'authentic cadence' is also known as 'perfect' or 'regular' cadence, characterized by a major harmony on the ultima step.

The 'Picardy' third refers to the major harmony on the ultima step, regardless of the mode.

The 'Altizans' is a less defined part often added to a cadence.

Cadences can be manipulated through counterpoint rules, changing octaves and mixing parts.

A 'plagal cadence' is understood from the perspective of 'soft' or 'mi' cadences.

The Bassizans in a plagal cadence leaps to a fifth below the Tenorizans on the ultima.

Harmony in Renaissance music is a consequence of the independent voices, contrasting with later harmonical thinking.

Cadences can be complete or incomplete ('cadenza fuggita' or evaded cadence), affecting the strength of the cadence.

Terminology for cadences is essential but can be historically inconsistent and confusing.

Georg Muffat provided a comprehensive terminology for cadences, though it can be complex.

The 'one-step', 'two-step', and 'four-step' cadences refer to the inner rhythmical division of the penultima step.

A two-step cadence includes a dissonance that must be prepared on the antepenultima.

Cadences can be manipulated for strength and flow within a composition, with stronger cadences at central points.

Palestrina's motet 'Osculetur me' demonstrates the application and manipulation of cadences in Renaissance music.

Transcripts

Hello, and welcome to early music sources.com.

My name is Elam Rotem and today

we'll present to you the very basics of cadences in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Cadences are the clearest and most basic building blocks of music.

Knowing the ways cadences function may help us in analyzing music and by that, understanding it better.

A deeper understanding of music is necessary not only for composers or basso continuo players,

but to every musician.

In this episode, we'll try to explain the very basics of cadences.

Polyphony started by adding a new part or parts to an existing melody.

The melody was most often assigned to the main voice, the tenor voice in old times,

and most often ended by a descending step, like so:

In English this progression is called a 'tenor clause', but as in latin it's a bit more compact,

we will use the latin term -- simply 'Tenorizans'.

The Tenorizans is the most central and fundamental component of the cadence.

The term 'Tenorizans' should not be confused with the term 'Tenor'.

'Tenor' is a name of a part and 'Tenorizans' is a name of a function that could be taken by any part.

This is also a good time to mention the part names in Renaissance music.

In order of importance

we have the Tenor, then Canto or Soprano, then Basso,

then Alto and then parts according to the number:

Quinto (a fifth voice),

Sesto (a sixth voice), etc.

Now back to cadences,

the last step of a cadential progression is normally referred to as the 'Ultima'.

The step beforehand, the 'Penultima'.

And the step before that, the 'Antepenultima'.

The most basic categorization of cadences starts here.

If the step that the Tenorizans takes is a whole tone (like here), it's a hard ('durum') cadence.

But if it is a semitone step, it's called a soft (or 'molle') cadence, or a 'mi' cadence.

Later we'll go into the soft cadences,

but for now let's focus on the hard cadences, which are by far the most common.

So let's try to make some polyphony on this Tenorizans.

Let's add to it a second voice. This will be the 'Cantizans'.

Again not to be confused with the term 'Canto' or 'Soprano'.

Cantizans is merely a function that could be taken by any voice.

The Cantizans is found a major 6th above the penultima of the Tenorizans and proceeds by an ascending step.

With these two voices we already have a cadence.

We call it a 'tenor cadence' since its lowest voice, or its bass progression if you like,

takes the Tenorizans.

We can add more voices to the progression and the nature of the cadence will not change.

For example, like this.

However, if we add a new voice below the lowest voice (a 'Bassizans') we'll have a new kind of cadence.

The Bassizans is characterized by leaping in interval of a 4th or a 5th.

In this kind of cadence it starts a 5th below the penultima of the Tenorizans

and then leaps to the so-called 'tonic'.

Some writers call this progression a 'perfect cadence' or a 'regular cadence'.

Modern terminology, however, calls it an 'authentic cadence'.

By the way, according to the treatises,

every cadence, be it in a major or minor mode, has to have a major harmony on its ultima step.

Nowadays this phenomenon is referred to as the 'Picardy' third.

Back to our authentic cadence,

it's always possible to add more parts, the first of which is often called 'Altizans',

although it is not as defined as the other components.

Also as long as we respect the rules of counterpoint,

it is possible to change the octaves of the parts and mix them up. Like so:

It is even possible to put the Cantizans as the lowest component

thus creating a 'Canto or Sopran cadence'.

So by now, we know what is an 'authentic cadence',

what is a 'tenor cadence' and even what is 'sopran cadence'.

There is yet another kind of cadence: the 'plagal cadence'.

In order to understand it, we need to dwell a bit more on the 'soft' or 'mi cadences'.

As we said, a 'soft cadence' is when the tenorizans progresses by a semitone instead of a whole tone.

It is called also a 'mi cadence' because in solmization

it will always mean that our 'ultima' will have the syllable 'mi',

that is, the cadence finishes on 'mi'.

Now if we had a Cantizans, we'll have a 'soft tenor cadence'.

It's the exact formation we had for the hard cadences, only that here the 'chroma' (the color) is different.

Beforehand the Cantizans had a sharp and proceeded by a semitone,

but now since the Tenorizans proceeds by a semitone,

in order to maintain the major 6th between the two components,

the Cantizans proceeds by a whole step.

Like before, we can add more voices and the nature of the progression will not change.

Only by adding a new voice below the lowest voice we get a new progression.

However, we cannot use the same Bassizans we used beforehand

as it will now create a dissonance with our Tenorizans.

We have to look for another progression.

While there are several possibilities for making consonant progressions,

there is only one that ends up with perfect consonances

(fifth and octave) between all the components on the 'ultima' step.

Here it is: the plagal progression.

The Bassizans starts a third or a tenth below the Tenorizans

and we leap to become a fifth below the Tenorizans on the 'ultima'.

And here it is again with a typical fourth voice.

You are probably wondering how come, by using the same formation of Tenorizans and Cantizans,

we now ended on another tonality...

With the hard progression we ended up on 'A' harmony,

but with the soft progression we ended up on 'D'.

This is a great example of how later harmonical thinking collides with Renaissance thinking.

While in later theories, the voices come out of the harmony,

in the Renaissance the harmony is a mere consequence of the independent voices.

A last note about the plagal Cadence.

Very often at the end of pieces there seems to be a plagal cadence.

Nowadays such a progression from the fourth to the first degree is understood as a cadence.

However in most cases the real cadence of the piece already took place

and by making consonances to the cadential component

we prolong the 'ultima' step and a kind of coda is created.

The end of this coda is most often not considered as a cadence,

as usually it doesn't really have cadential components.

Therefore in such cases it's important to recognize the real cadence

and not to look for it only at the very end of the piece.

So these were the main cadential bass progressions: authentic, plagal, tenor and sopran.

Notice that the bass progressions that contain a leap, like the authentic and plagal,

are stronger than those that progress by step: the Tenor and Sopran progressions.

Stronger progressions are used in central points of the composition,

while weaker progressions are integrated in the flow of the music.

The bass progressions are not everything, however.

There are also the details of what happens during the 'penultima' step.

But before we go on, we have to shortly discuss terminologies.

Terminology is essential in distinguishing between different kinds of cadences.

However, historical terminology from the 16th and 17th centuries is rare,

inconsistent and potentially confusing.

A quick survey reveals that the only writer who supplied a complete terminology,

at least according to our criteria,

is Georg Muffat.

He gives terms both for cadential bass progressions and their inner rhythmical divisions.

However his terminology can be rather confusing when compared with Francesco Gasparini's, for example.

Muffat's 'Cadentia major' refers to a bass progression, whereas Gasparini's 'Cadenza Maggiore'

refers to the cadences in a rhythmical division.

Therefore, trying to understand cadences better, we had to come up with some terminology of our own.

For the bass progressions, we are using rather commonly used terms:

authentic, plagal, tenor and sopran.

But for the inner rhythmical division of the cadence, we are using a terminology based on steps:

One-step cadence, two-step cadence and four-step cadence. Let's see.

Until now we only used the so-called 'Contrapunctus simplex'

Simple Counterpoint.

The notes that accompany the Tenorizans

were moving with it together step by step.

In real music, however, it is most common

that the parts features a movement during the 'penultima'.

A key element in ornamenting counterpoint is by making divisions

or diminutions.

And thus it is possible to divide the 'penultima' step.

If we leave it without division, we can call it a 'one-step cadence'.

But if we divide it to two, we get a 'two-step cadence'.

And if we divide it again, we get a 'four-step cadence'.

So now, if each of the cadential progressions will be manifested three times using the 'steps-terminology',

we will get this table that constitutes a nice generic model that may help us understand cadences.

Now to sum details,

notice that the two-step cadence includes a dissonance,

that according to the rules of counterpoint,

must be prepared a step beforehand, on the 'antepenultima'.

The dissonance created by the divided Cantizans is different in each of the progressions.

In the authentic cadence it's a fourth that resolves into a third.

In the plagal cadence it's a 9th that resolves into the octave.

In the tenor cadence, it's a seventh that resolves into a sixth.

And in the Sopran cadence it's a second that resolves into a third.

In this respect the four-step cadence, which is commonly referred to as 'cadenza doppia',

is simpler because it starts off with consonances and therefore can be approached without preparation.

So now we know the two main ingredients of a cadence:

its bass progression and the division of its 'penultima' step.

We also know the inherent "nature" of each of the components of the cadence.

But let's see what happens when the components deviate from the original theoretical plan.

One can define a cadence as a "complete cadence"

when all the components went to their designated places.

The Tenorizans one step down, the Cantizans one step up, and the Bassizans leap.

As we saw, during the 'penultima' things may change.

The voices may even swap functions during this step,

but at the very last moment of the 'penultima' step,

we should recognize our Tenorizans, Cantizans and Bassizans.

The voices at this point are bound to their official formation.

However, on the 'ultima' step the voices may go to different places

and thus create an incomplete cadence or "cadenza fuggita" (evaded cadence).

When this is our aim,

it is possible to use any note that would agree with the rules of counterpoint

or even to put rests instead of notes.

By having the 'ultima' step closer or further from its original form,

we can make the cadence stronger or weaker accordingly.

Typically the cadences in the middle of pieces would be weak and evaded

and cadences in important places, and of course at the very end of the piece, would be complete and strong.

Now that we know the very basics of cadences, let's try to see how they function in real life,

in a motet by Palestrina, 'Osculetur me' , from the 4th Book of motets for five voices.

Now there are many ways to analyze the 16th century motet.

Here we will focus solely on the cadences.

Enjoy!

This piece was written in high clefs

and therefore should most probably be transposed a 4th lower in performance.

See our episode about high clefs.

For now, however, it's not important.

Already on bar 7, we see an evaded 2-step authentic cadence.

The Cantizans is in the alto part,

the Tenorizans is in the canto part,

and the Bassizans in the quinta part.

However only the Cantizans is complete.

On the 'ultima' step, the Tenorizans ascends a step upwards instead of descending a step downwards,

and the Bassizans, instead of leaping to the tonic, has a pause.

This missing note is taken by another voice -the bass-, that starts a new phrase.

All these deviations from the formal cadential structure make this cadence rather weak

and thus allow the music to flow forward instead of stopping.

Some bars later, we see a two-step sopran cadence followed by a stronger four-step authentic cadence.

Also this cadence, however, is not too strong.

The Tenorizans and Cantizans on the alto and tenor parts are complete,

but the Bassizans is again running away and another voice takes its place.

If considering the text, we see that some of the voices are still in the middle of their sentence during the cadence.

In a strong cadence the musical and textual sentences will be synchronized better.

We'll see examples for that later on.

In bar 18 we see a rather strong two-step authentic cadence.

All the clauses progresses according to the book.

However, also here we see that the text is not concluded

and only on the next bar, with another 2-step authentic cadence,

we finally find a full cadence in all its glory.

All the components are going to the right places and the text has a break in all the voices.

On bar 25 we see a 2-step authentic cadence where the Tenorizans and Cantizans are ordinary,

but the Bassizans is ascending one step upwards instead of leaping to the tonic.

In modern eyes this would be a classical example of an evaded cadence

where the harmony goes to the sixth degree instead of the first degree.

Palestrina however probably saw it as one option out of many for making the cadence weaker.

The term 'weak' might sound negative, but it's not at all the case.

In order to have a good structure one should have a balanced amount of cornerstones

and secondary support, which are often ornamental.

On bar 26 we see for the first time a one-step plagal cadence:

The Tenorizans and Cantizans on the quinto and alto parts,

the Bassizans on the bass part, and a typical filling voice on the tenor part.

On bar 31 we see again a two-step authentic cadence

that only misses the full Bassizans in order to be complete.

On bar 35 we have a strong two-step authentic cadence.

However, in order to make the music still go on, Palestrina stretches the tenor a bit

and immediately starts a new phrase on the alto.

Observing all these details, we see how important it was for composers from that period

to make sure that the music will flow forward and stop only at important moments.

On bars 38 and 40 we see two Cantizans progressions: one is in the tenor and one is in the bass.

However, as these progressions are not supported by any other cadential element,

they are very weak and might not be considered as cadences at all.

On bar 42 starts a sequence of three four-part authentic cadences, all evaded.

In the first two cadences it is the Cantizans that deviates from its fate

and thus lead the whole progression to an unknown objective.

In the third cadence the Cantizans is OK,

but the Bassizans surprisingly disappeares into a pause

and give place for the less textual phrase of the motet to begin.

In bar 52 we have another authentic cadence,

not so strong as it is in the middle of a textual phrase for most voices.

In bar 53 we have another such cadence, but this time with the Bassizans evading upwards.

In bar 55 we see for the first time a soft two-step tenor cadence:

Cantizans on the tenor and Tenorizans on the bass.

And finally, after many many cadences, we arrive at the final cadence.

If we look at the Tenorizans and Cantizans,

which, as you remember, are the most important components,

we see that the final cadence is actually on bar 60,

and after the cadence there is a little coda

that simply adds whatever possible consonances to the 'ultima' notes of the cadence.

Therefore what seems like a plagal cadence at the end is not really a cadence.

In this case it doesn't even have a Cantizans.

Structurally these codas are ornamental as the piece had already finished.

Such codas may be very long and especially in later music, but not only.

Therefore, it's very important to recognize the point where the piece really ended and where the coda starts.

If you're still here, thanks for watching our basic introduction to cadences. We hope you enjoyed it.

Don't forget to check the special page on our website with all the footnotes and other extra information.

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