Abstract
As well known, Okeghem’s setting of the tract Sicut cervus from his Requiem is included in García de Basurto’s compilation Missa in agendis mortuorum, copied c. 1520s/30s in E-Tz 5, which also includes Brumel’s communion. Although the unique source for Okeghem’s Requiem—the Chigi Codex—was in northern Spain from c. 1517 onwards, an earlier transmission seems entirely possible. In Escobar’s Missa pro defunctis, the earliest surviving Spanish requiem (c. 1507/8?), for example, there is a setting of Sicut cervus which bears an intriguing structural similarity to Okeghem’s. However, the general consensus is that Escobar’s Requiem had indigenous roots, in places reflecting techniques of improvised contrapunto.
This paper lifts Escobar’s requiem out of its immediate context and casts new light on its style via comparison with the northern requiem tradition beginning with Okeghem. In particular, close examination of three movements that share chant traits with northern settings—the introit, tract and offertory—provides demonstrable evidence of structural, contrapuntal and harmonic commonality with music of the Du Fay-Okeghem generations onwards. This may additionally be contextualised in other chant-based music, in the Colombina Codex and elsewhere. Ultimately, Escobar’s music suggests deep knowledge of aspects of northern requiems, assimilated through performance.
This paper lifts Escobar’s requiem out of its immediate context and casts new light on its style via comparison with the northern requiem tradition beginning with Okeghem. In particular, close examination of three movements that share chant traits with northern settings—the introit, tract and offertory—provides demonstrable evidence of structural, contrapuntal and harmonic commonality with music of the Du Fay-Okeghem generations onwards. This may additionally be contextualised in other chant-based music, in the Colombina Codex and elsewhere. Ultimately, Escobar’s music suggests deep knowledge of aspects of northern requiems, assimilated through performance.
Original language | English |
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Pages | 45-46 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 4 Jul 2022 |
Event | 50th Medieval and Renaissance International Music Conference, Uppsala, 2022. - Uppsala, Sweden Duration: 4 Jul 2022 → 7 Jul 2022 Conference number: 50 |
Conference
Conference | 50th Medieval and Renaissance International Music Conference, Uppsala, 2022. |
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Country/Territory | Sweden |
City | Uppsala |
Period | 4/07/22 → 7/07/22 |
Keywords
- Johannes Okeghem
- Pedro de Escobar
- Requiem Mass
- Polyphony