Victoria - Exultet Coelum Laudibus
  • Jan Steele
    Posts: 4
    In this section of a hymn by Victoria which I have attached - does anyone know how Victoria decides on the rhythmization of the cantus firmus from the original plainsong?

    I can see why Victoria has decorated the Phrygian cadences at bb9-10 and at the end, but it isn't clear to me why he has chosen the rhythms at bb3-5, or why there are 6 minim (half-note) rests between the first and second phrases but only 4 between the second and third and between the third and fourth.

    Of course I assume that Victoria is using "taste" and "style" to make his rhythmic choices, but for some reason it is still confusing to me as to how to go about choosing the rhythms for using another plainsong chant in my own exercise. Do you think that Victoria fixed the plainsong in the form that it is now in in the hymn, and then made the other parts fit around it, or do you think that he might have made adjustments to it after the event?

    Also it would be very useful to know a link to this chant if it is published online.

    The excerpt is from the book Polyphonic Composition by Owen Swindale. It would also be useful to know if Owen Swindale is still alive and if he is contactable.
    Victoria Hymnp2.pdf
    46K
    Victoria Hymnp1.pdf
    47K
  • Dan McGarveyDan McGarvey
    Posts: 59
    Jan:

    I'm forwarding your inquiry to Jeremy Smith, an early music specialist at the University of Colorado. I'll let you know if he provides any insight.
  • Jan Steele
    Posts: 4
    Brilliant thanks - I guess it is a question for an academic.
  • Dan McGarveyDan McGarvey
    Posts: 59
    Okay Jan - this is the reply that I got from Jeremy Smith:

    "I did a quick check to see if Victoria might have been paraphrasing another polyphonic composition. I didn't find anything, but I may have missed something. Had that been the case, V might have adopted someone else's rhythms. Otherwise, I think it's likely that he determined the rhythmic scheme, probably with several of the good observations your colleague makes in mind. I don't know Swindale. His book was published in 1962, some 48 years ago. One hopes he's still active in musicology, but he would likely have retired by now, I suspect."

    Not terribly conclusive, I'm afraid, but we can only really guess at a composer's intentions. Hopefully this may give you another avenue to explore.

    Cheers,
    Dan
  • Jan Steele
    Posts: 4
    Thanks Dan and Jeremy. Even a non-conclusive answer is useful, because hopefully it means that I am not missing anything myself. Is the original chant published online in a readable form? I was sent a link to a manuscript version, but at the crucial point the page was reproduced very badly and it wasnt readable!
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