Manuscripts of Italian Music Theory in Translation

if it resembles the recitative, they think immediately that it is of a better order. Ifsomebody says that this is the true way to compose and that Music realises its intention,he is greatly mistaken. In fact, just as one takes away the parts of the syllogism fromLogic, or if one takes away the cues of its particular turns of phrases, one would deprivedthem of their real being, thus, equally, when Music is deprived of its own parts, of fuguesand other witty requirements, it becomes lacking in what it has of good end beautiful. Totell the truth, even Cats, Dogs, Crows and other Animals of any species sing in therecitative style in their own being. However, the reply comes that already In past timescomposers were forced to break the words, or, namely, their own meaning, because of thelong span [-f.26v-] of those fugues. I maintain that, if it is necessary not to break themeaning of the words, it is also duty of the composer that Music should have the occasionand the learned character to display simple and double fugues and other features whichbelong to it. If one does not accept their ideas, they reply that he writes in an oldfashionedstyle, not realising that a Mass by the most learned Palestina and a work byMorales is worth more that all that they can write in the span of their life. I swear that,having been a professional musician all over Italy, and being almost fifty years old,sometimes I have found myself sometimes in some churches of the main Cities where Ihave heard this Music of theirs, which it seemed almost as if we should be dancing aGagliarda or a saltarello, so ridiculous, silly and furnished with so little doctrine andrespect for the rules. So much so, that I was left shocked and incredulous, since instead ofproviding a sense of devotion and majesty, they created a certain feeling of disdaintowards the Divine worship rather than anything else, and they moved the listeners tolaughter, as if they were in front of comedies or other theatrical performances. This wassomething really undignified. I am not saying that one should not write with someattractiveness, but I maintain that they should be accompanied by some solid doctrine andrespect for the Ecclesiastical rite and that they should be more Catholic in spirit. In fact,to tell the truth, it is not good that in the Churches, where people pray and thank theDivine majesty, one should be made listen to dance music, and this is a great silliness ofwhich we, who write musical compositions, are guilty.Pupil: However, it seems to me that Your Lordship has composed this kind of cheerfulmusic, since I have sung myself some of them.Teacher: It is true that I wrote them, and I did this only because I was [-f.27r-] beingordered that, since I belonged to the ancient school of Palestina, I was not able to use thestyle that is popular today. Moreover, I hope, with God’ s help, to be able to publish manyworks which I entitle Booklets of Compositions, where different Works for two, three,four and five voices are contained, namely, Motets, Masses, Vespers and otherCompositions, which will be written in different styles, in such a way that it will be clearhow those who were going around saying this thing had been mistaken. They have toconsider that who comes out of the Roman school, is not so idiotic as these Wise menthink, who can resist everything but their own desires and wants. However, to go back toour task, which is to learn the elements which compose good Music, I would like you totell me what a fugue by contrary motion is.Pupil: It seems to me that it is the one that makes the part proceed by contrary motion; forinstance, if we have ut, re, mi, fa, sol, the part responding to it in contrary motion is la,sol, fa, mi, re, as one can see from the Sixth Table.Teacher: You speak well, but I would like you to provide me with the example. [signum]