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cadence on D in order to set up the final cadence on G. The leading tones and cadential gestures
that abound in this first phrase serve to set up the feeling of tension and movement that dominate
the rest of the piece. The second phrase, “Eccom’appresso” (I draw near) very nearly cadences
on G on the downbeat of m. 6, but both the alto and the basso evade the cadential movement by
dropping out, leaving the tenor’s cadential ornament, the F-sharp moving to G, completely
unsupported. This evaded cadence mirrors the speaker’s unfulfilled desire for closure.
When the next phrase, “Prendim’e fa che manchi il mio dolore” (Take me and complete
all that remains of my sorrow) enters in m. 6, the alto is left out. It is not until m. 8 that the alto’s
voice again sounds, answering the request of the other voices. The alto replies, “non posso” (I
cannot) to the other voices’ request that Death remove their sorrow. Cadentially, the phrase ends
with a Phrygian A cadence on the downbeat of m. 9, the end of the word, “dolore.” While
Casulana is historically far removed from Aristotle, and his words regarding the character of
Phrygian harmony likely had little effect on Casulana’s use of Phrygian cadences, employing
Phrygian cadences, if not thought of as “violently exciting and emotional,” were still often
imbued with meaning. 79 Therefore, it is important to note these differences and where they occur
if one is to attempt to uncover any semantic meaning assigned to them by the composer. In this
case, the Phrygian cadence on the word, “dolore” serves to underpin and accentuate the speaker’s
feelings of sorrow.
The next phrase picks up with another exchange between Death and the speaker. Tenor
and basso begin with “Non pôi?” (You cannot?) in m. 9, followed by the canto which echoes the
question, and finally the alto, which answers the question with a simple, “Non.” Again, a G
79 Renée Cox Lorrainem “Recovering Jouissance: Feminist Aesthetics and Music,” in Women
and Music: A History, ed. Karin Pendle (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001), 4.
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