A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS of VINCENT at INDY 'S COURS DE COMPOSITION MUSICALE Presented by Merle Montromery To fulfill the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Theory Eastman School of Music University of Rochester June 9, 1946482728 TABLA OF CONTENTS Part I Translation of Vincent d'Indy's Cours de Composition Musicale (See Volume t ‘and Volume TT, Part 1 snd Part 2). Part II Comparative analysis of Vincent d'Indy's Cours a) Composition Musicale Page Introduction......+ 0 44 = List of tables.. : vi a List of illustra teeee vil Chapter I The approach to the subject... 1 : Chapter II Rhythmesscessescescceseeeseees 24 Chapter III Melody. pelteeetestetre a7 Chapter IV Harmony...sssccocsereeseeeeees 65 as Chapter V Tonality...... Better 92 eS Chapter VI FOrM....eseeececeeeeeeeceeecee 2106 “Part III General Summary. mee lei ~ y Part IV APPONUIX..cescsecesccerecsecessessseeacese 125 Part V BADILographys.ssecseccccccccesceecececeeee 153INTRODUCTION Purpose and Limitations to The purpose of this dissertation is two fold; translate from French into English Vincent d'Indy's Cours de composition musicele and to compare this work with other representative works in the seme field. The translation forms what we have called Part I. Part II contains a comparison of d'Indy's work with other representative works in the same field. Choosing the works for comparison had to be more or less arbitrary since it would be impractical to try to discuss more then six or soven treatises in a work of this type. The thought was to choose outstanding works thet might represent epproximetely every hundred years, trusting thereby to show the general devolopnent of the art of musical comp tion and to set definite limitations in uhich to work, Por the léth century we chose Thorias Morley's Plaine and easie introduction to practicall musicke (1597), sad Pedro Cerone's Zl melopeo y maestro (1613), Johunn Josef Fux with his Gradus ad Parnussum (1725) repreven ta tue 1th century and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger with his Griindlicho dmyexsung gur composition, (1790) the léth. Carl Czerny's Volisténdige Theoretiagh-Prakti. he Kompositionlehre(1640) was chosen for qithe 19th century and Poul Windemith's Unter yeioung im Tonsatz (1937) for the 20th century.+ It is easy to understand why these particular works were chosen when we reslize that these six works demonstrate the techniques used by the Snglish Madrigal school, the 16th century polyshonic school culmina- ting in Palestrina, the Classics, the Romantics and the Moderns. The seven treatises were compared especially with regard to the spproagh to the subject (chapter i), rhythm (chapter 11), melody (chapter ii4), harmony (chapter iv), tonality (chapter v), and form (chapter vi). The approach to the subject contains a brief summary of the material presented in each of the seven representative works as well as estab- lishes the attitude toward these mtericls. In chapter i1, the way each author deals with rhythm is followed by s compsrison of the various techniques used. The chepter on melody conteins comparative tables on the fol- lowing subjects: modes and scales, non-hermonic tones, ac- cidentals, melodic intervals, chordal and scalar progressions as well es a comparison in general. A brief review of the yor the purposes of this comparison the editions I have used ere: the original Morley, Cerone and a'Indy; the Alfred Menn trenslation (Steps to Parnessus, 1943) of the Fux Gradus ad Parnassum; the Arnold Nerrick translation of Ignaz Ritter von Beyfried’s version of Albrechtsberger's work (Thorough-Bass, Harmony and gomposition, 1634, 2nd edition); Your Bishop's translation of aEearny's treatise (School of practical composi- tion, 1848); and Arthur Mendel's translation of Peul indontth! 9 Unterweisung im Tonsstz (The craft of musical composition, 1942).theoretical principles left by Gioseffo Zarlino (1517-1590) and Jean Philippe Rameau (1683-1764), included in the next chapter, gives us an insight into the harmonic equipment used in each of the seven treatises while in chapter v, a general survey accomplishes « similer result with regard to the sub- jeot of tonality. Czerny's and d'Indy's treatments of musical form are so much more comprehensive than the others that they can not keep from dominating the last chapter. The general summary, Part III, includes the conclu- sions reached and an evaluation of the work, while Part IV, the appendix, contains a free translation of most of the titles end sub-titles listed in Cerone's elopeo y maestro. Since the Cerone titles are not available in gnglish elsewhere, the author of this dissertation felt thet students who do not read Spanish might find her notes helpful, The bibliography forms the fifth and last part. Importance In his clesses in msicel composition at the Jchola Cantorwn in Peris, Vincent d'Indy carefully and systematically surveyed the materiel he thought every student uno wishes to become a composer should know. Kr. d'Indy was unusually well qualified to undertake this difficu}t task os he was not only en excellent musicion and teacher, a fine scholar, with an inyuirine mind, but an important composer as well.Using the notes tuken in these classes by one of his students, Auguste serieyz, as a basis, Mr. d’Indy col- br. Yerieyx to write the Cours de composition is undoubtedly one of the aonumentel works of this type, In fect it will be difficult, if not impossible, ition and to find e mors comprehensive expla or the various phases of musles1 composition in any cther work. To make over 1,000 pages of practice] studies avail- able in dnglish and to compare then with the six outstanding works listed cbove should be 2 valusble contribution in the ey 5 & * the theory of musicel composition, Apne technical section of each chapter was written by Auguste serieyx who edited the notes he had tazen in dtIndy's clasces at the Schola Cantorun ond edded meteriul as he sew fit. The historion] section wes written by dtindy binseif,able 1. LIS? OF TABLES Modes and SCA108......eeeeeceseeeseceee The Range for VOLCGS...eseeeereeeeeeeee General Use of Melodic Intervals....+0+ Aecidentals. Nonsharmonic TONGS ...+sseeeseseeeeeeees Chordul und Scalar Progressions. vi Pace 49 50 52 53 5410. ele 1. 13. HATIONS. Accompanying CHOTA s.s+seesecsseeeesceevene Bffect of modulation........+ The 6th scale-step in minorsssssesereoeers The ottava battutar..sccssccceccessreenes Imposed rhythm. MOtPONOM® sesenceeeesercenaseeenceseucerene Light and heavy DOat..csecceccceceesceceee Binary rhythmeesecsecsssccccceccaveesvecee Ternary rhythm Cadences in two-part writingsssseseeeseees Cadences in three-part writing....sseeeees Parallel fifths. Natural order of intervals...sesesceeeeees vii 29 29 30 30 35 36 36 36 37 12 72 13 86CHAPTER IT THS APPROACH TO THE SUBJECT Thomas Morley (1657-1603) "I have broken the 1ce for others", When Thomas Morley wrote this statement in the con- oluding remarks of his Plaine end gaste introduction to practicall musicke, he could have had no idea of the real significance that this first Englich treatise on the rules for musioal practice wae to have. Moreover, in hie preface "To the courteous Reader", Morley makes 1t plain that he knows many will wonder why he is the one who has decided to under- take the writing out of the rules of music, since there are many in @ngland who know more than he. His reasons for doing so are: the entreaty of his friends, who tell him he owes 1t to his country; the desire to further the studies of those who, "being endowed with good natural wits, and well inclined to learn the divine Art of Music", lack teachers; the fact that hie health has forced him to stay at home. He fount hig task more difficult than he had imagined ‘ecause unon taking ths precepts learned as a child, anit com- paring them with others set down by other writers, he found that there was such a variance among them 1t was impossible to tell which to believe. It was then that he felt forced to go to the worke of the domposers themselves (both foreign and English) in order to clear up the matter. He found thathis own precents, for the most part, were false and easily refuted by the muaical works (even though this method of procedure cost him sometimes whole weeka to compile the demon- stration for one examvle). as for the method in the book, 1t was designed for the student, with a desire to make it as convenient and clear as poseible, end not for the literary critic. He felt that any- ona who could sing ut, re, mi, f gol, la in tune, would be able, without any other help, to learn to sing, make desoant, and get parts well and formally together. A brief summary of the 183 pages which form the treat- ise proper, excluding introductory and concluding remarke and musical examoles, will ehow what Mortey considered essential. Following the classical oustom, the entire book 1s in dialogue form, in which the three characters: Philomathel (lover of learning), Philomathea' brother Polymathes (widely learned) and Morley, the Master, discuss what every well bred Englishman should know about music. In the first part the convérsation 16 between Morley and Philomathes. ‘The latter had attended a party the night before the story opens and had been ashamed because he was unable to sing the part given to him by his hostess; seeking to avoid this embarrassment in the future, he aske Morley to teach him to sing. The material Morley teaches is as follows: the goale (with ite aix notes and the letters that correspond to them)the olef, the staff, acoidentals, a definition of Plainsong; the ranges of the voloea; the duration of the notes and rests; ligatures; pricks (dots); mood, time and prolation (according to Franchinus, Gafurius, Glareanus, Loscius and others); director linea; proportion (after giving examples of the English way of writing proportion, he shows the way Zarlino, or any of the great musiotene in Italy or Germany would have written it), The first part ends with the etatement that if he will practice diligently the 13 pages of musical exam- plea which are annended, Philomathes now hae all he needs to know in order to become a perfect singer. The second vart of the Introduction to Music deals with the art of Descant. Philomathes comes again to his Master Morley stating that he has now become such a singer as "you would wonder to hear me", Nevertheless, now that he knows how to sing, he feels the desire to know ali there is to know about Musto, and begs his Maeter to tell him what Desoant 1s and all about it. Morley gives three definitions of Dascant: Sometime they take it for the whole harmony of many voyces: others sometime for one of the voyors or partes: and that is, when the whole song 1a not pase- ing three voyces. Last of all, they take 1t for sing- ing a part extempore upon a playnesong, in which sence we commonly use it: so that when a man talxeth of a Descanter, 1t must be understood of one that can ex- tempore eing a part upon a playnesong. Philomathes aske, “what 1s the meane to sing upon a playnesong?" and from then on the questions and answers alllead to a comolete dissertation on what one needs to know in order to become a Descanter. Me subject matter explained in thia secon’ section of the book 1s as follows: consonance; dissonance; how many con- gonances and dissonances there are; the difference between a perfect and imperfect consonance;counternoint; cadences; sus~ pensions; motion; a fugue, with rules for writing one; melo- dtc progresaione of the voice; effects of the tritone; plain- song figuration; inductions; canon and double counterpoint. Thie vart snde with tho Master encouraging the atudent by saying that anyone who will practice desoanting diligently may in a short time become an excellent musician. Tn the third part, which digousses the comvosing or setting of songs, Philomathes calls on his Master once more and this time he takes bis brother Polymathes with him as a fellow student. This affords Morley the onnortunity to oritisise the teaching of Polymathes' former teacher and of- fera more opnortunity for conversationsl witticiams, After they review some of the rules for Desoant and discover that these same rules anply to Setting, Tables which contain the gords to be used in the comnosition of songs for three, four and nore parts, are presented. Gadences, closes and half-closes are explained and examples shown. Then, with- out more ado, Horley's General Rule for setting 18 given, proving that solving the oart-writing problem has remained much the same since the 16th century, because Morley composes lana n. 68@ soprano and a bass, and, after outlining various rules on the subject, tells Philomathes to fill in the two miasing parts! Rhythm, melody, harmony and form are discussed in an amazingly ingenious and clear manner, and, listed under “Annotations necessary for the un‘erstanding of the Booke, wherein the veritie of some of the vrecepta is nrooved, and some argumentes which to the contrary might be objected are refuted", Norley gives: several definitions of Musto; « dis- course on the scales used in music; a definition of Mutation; additional information about notation, notes, rests, ligatures, dots, mood, time, ani prolation and proporation, together with supplementary ideas concerning descant, counterpoint, inter- vals, faburden and the tonee. A final suggestion to the student that 1f he wishes to understand the theoretical part of musio more clearly he should read the Second and Third Books of Glareanus' Dode- gaghordon, the Fourth Book of Zacconi's ‘Practice of music” and the Fourth book of Zarlino's Harmonicall institutions" enda thie remarkable discourse. Four pages of music are followed by a full vage list of the authors whose authorities have been oited or used in the book. One glance at this list is enough to command the respect of any musician. Morley's scholarly aporoach and vivid imagination are evident throughout, Zvery statement has been carefullyweighed and arranged in ite place so that there is a continu- ous forward movement from the elementary facts of notation to the actual composition of musical works, Pedro Cerone (1566-1625) When Pedro Cerone left Italy in 1692 ana settled in Spain, he found such a large number of atudente who wanted to learn mueic but were unable to find teachers, he decided to compile a book that would contain all the information a person would need to become a "faultless singer and a per= fect musician". His treatise was to take the place of a teacher from which fact it gained its name El melopeo x, maestro. He divided hie work into 22 booke in order to make it easier for the student to find the information tn which he was particularly interssted.+ Beginning at the beginning, the 202 pages in Book I are devoted to general information concerning the proper age for learning, the right time of the day for studying, how one shoula conduct himself; the evils and benefits of wine, the dangers of idleness and of goinj to a foreign country to study; why the clergy should be able to sing; how music should be used for sacred not secular purposes, even how much recreation 1s needed by a person who wants to beoome perfect in the liberal arts or science! In addition, ap= 1gee Appendix A for a more detailed description of the mater fal in this work.proximately 60 leaders in musical thought are recommended to the atudent either from the theoretical or practical stand- point and Morley's choice of musicians shows how mature his Judgement was, because we see essentially only those names that are still considered to be the outstanding loaders of their centuries, names such ast Guido d'Arezzo, Gafurius, Glareanus, Zarlino, Willaert, Orlando de Lassue, Marenzio, Vecohi, with Palestrina's name recognized as the epitome of perfection. The rules used by the anclents, vartous definitions, the deviations of scales, notation and other theoretical questions are explained in Book II in order that the student may have a backgroun¢ of musical knowledge on which to build. Booke III, IV, and V give the rules and regulations for writing and singing plain song, while VI and VII are de- voted to organ music. Counterpoint 1s the subject of the next two books after which we are considered ready for actual composition, Exolicit rules for vart-writing, a definition of Musica ficta, a plan for all the known musical forms used for sacred music such as a motet, a mass, hymns, oto., then a plan for canons, fugues, even a complete analysis of Palestrina's L'homme armé mass are contained in Books X to XX, while Book XXI discusses musical instruments, their tone qualities, ranges, how to tune them and their use in the concerto form,The last book is a musical dessert given as a reward to the faithful few who have finished the course; 1t contains 45 musical enigmas vhich are ontenaibly to test the student's ingenuity but actually to furnish recreation. Thus we see that Cerone'’s treatine goes beyond Morley's in that he devotes more space to the writing for inetrumente and goes into more detail generally. ‘The amount of informa- tion organized within these 1039 pages 1s actually awe-in- spiring. Johann Josef Fux (1660-1741) The first section of Johann Josef Fux'a Gradus ad Parnaseum includes a discussion on sound and ita physical properties; numbers; the various kinds of proportion; the arithmetic, harmonic and geonetrio divisions of the ootave; simple and compound intervals and their diviaion, The ap- pendix summarizes the modern diatonic and chromatic ayntens end prescribes the following fundamental rules for the progression of consonance and dissonance: Rule I- From a perfect consonance to a perfect consonance, progress by contrary or oblique motion. Rule II - From a perfect consonance to an imperfect conaonance, progress by parallel, contrary or oblique motion. Rule III - From an imperfect to a perfect consonance, progreas by contrary or oblique motion. Rule IV - From an imperfect to another imperfeot consonance, progress by all three motions.It 1s easy to see that in thie vart we find no ap- parent progress over earlier treatises. Cerone deale with every one of these subjects, and Morley refers the reader to the worke’of Zarlino and othér theoretical writera who @isouse them in detail, For the purnose of this dissertation, only that part of the Gradus ad Parnassum which has survived ae the easence of Fux's teaching: the study of counterpoint-- will be used. Like Morley and Cerone, Fux begins by eaying that he knows people will wonder why he is attempting to set down rules. His purpose too, as set forth in his Foreword, 18 the same ae theire: to help young persons who want to learn, but, lacking means and a teacher, cannot realize their ambition, Fux felt the need of inventing a simple method ty which the novice could progress gradually, “ascending step by step to attain mastery in this art", He worked out a system similar to that by which children learn firet let~ ters, then syllables, then combinations of syllables, and finally how to read and write. When using this method, he found that pupils made amazing progress within a short time, therefore he felt that he owed it to the musical world to share the experience of nearly thirty years with it. The same dialogue principle used by Morley holds our interest through two characters: Aloyeiue, the master (who represents Palestrina) and Josephus, the student, who wants to learn the art of composition.1o The method used by Fux in his five species consists of clearly defined rules for writing a Counterpoint against a Cantus Firmus; the first snecies being one note against another note; the second, two notes againat one; the third, four notes against one (Fux thinks three notes against one 1s 80 easy that it does not need a sevarate treatment); the fourth, syncopation against a Cantus Firmus; and the fifth, a florid melody against one. The same procedure 1s followed for three-voiced writing, and finally for four parte. The concluding chavters of the Gradug are moré con- cerned with critiotem, and with the appreciation of musto in general. The subject#disoussed briefly are! variation, an- ticipation, modes and keys, musical taste, melody and musical phrases. We see that Palestrina 1s the model for Fux as he was for Morley an4 Cerone. In reality, other than an empha- sized simplicity, there 1s not mich difference between the way Pux teaches and the way Morley teaches, You wonder if Morley had written in Latin, whether Fux would have written at all. Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736-1809) Although a survey of the contents listed in Yolume II of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger's Anwelaung gur Composition1 shows very little novelty in comparison with that o* the earlier writers, the examnles given are deotdedly different, expectally from a rhythmical and tonal standnoint. ‘The manual of Thoroughbass and Harmony which te in= eluted as Book I of Albrechteberger's theoretical works, although 1t was actually compiled after his death by his student, Ignaz, Ritter von Seyfried, ie frankly in addition to the traditional plan, besause here the object 19 not to teach singing, counterooint or the art of "setting songs® but to teach keyboard harmony in the most modern sense of this term. Since Von Seyfried stated that this aubject matter was taught to him orally by Albrechteberger we are Justified in including a disousaion of it. Almost in spite of Albrechtaberger, we see the effects of Rameau'e theory of fundamental bass, the tempered scale, the school of key feeling and its domination over the nodes, the bar-line rhythm, the ascendency of the kayboard, and the Anatrunental as opposed to the vooal style. ‘The Thoroughbags and harmony manual inoludes defin- itione and copious illustrations oft triads, seventh, ninth, eleventh ani thirteenth chords in all positions an? inversions, with the numbers that represent thea in figured base; the vrogreesion of the chords, with the preparation and resolu- tion of dissonances; modulation; cafenoea; olose and dispersed harmony and ende by explaining augmented sixth chords.12 In the Guide to gomposition, a brief review of inter- vals, consonances, dissonancés, and movements 18 followed by an explanation of ancient and modern modes and keys (major with ite relative minor); the five enecies again (the method of presenting them 1s dry and uninteresting after Morley and Fux, although 1f we exclude the dialogue, much the same pro- cedure 1s followed); imitation; inversion; the fugue; double counterpoint; double fugue; and canon. Garl Gzerny (1791-1857) The title page of the next treatiae to be discvased gives us an indication of the progress the theory of music Yas made during the last century. Translated from the original German into English, it 1s: Sohool of Practical Consosition’, or, Complete Treatise ‘on the Gonposttion of all Kinds of Music, both instru- mental and vocal; from the most simple theme to the Grand Sonata and Synchony ana from the shortest Song to the Opera, the Mase, an? the Oratorio; together with a Troatise on Inetrumentation. The whole en- Tiched with numerous practical examles selected from the works of the moat Classical Composers of every age. Here, there 1s no diacussion of acoustical phenomena nor of modes, no harmony manual, not even any mention of the Unwin no treatise on thorough bass which has yet appeared, has the manner of constructing a sonata, a variation, a quartet, a symphony, or even 4 waltz, been fundamentally desoribed". See author's preface, p. 1.five species except to say that these subjects have been thoroughly explored by Albrechtsberger, Marpurg, Reicha and others. As atated in the author's preface, the two objecta were to supvly a treatise on musical forms and on the art of inetrumentation. Gyerny realized thet the vhrase dootrine ‘of gomposition had been understood to mean only the inetruc- tion in thorough-bass and counterpoint. He admite that these sciences are "indisputably as essential to the com- poser, as orthogravhyand grammar are to the person who wishes to become a poet and author", but assunes that thore who are to use his work already possess a complete "theoretical knowledge of composition, namely, of harmony, counterpoint, the correct conduct of the parte, etc.* His vlan wae to explain the form and construction of all musical pieces, ani to point out to the young composer thé meane of arranging hie ideas and using his theoretical knowledge in such a way that he might comoose all tynes of compositions. The numeroue examoles were included to save the student time and expense. This assumption that the student must know the ele- mentary ani fundamental vrinoiples of musical theory before beginning the etudy of musical composition shows a huge step forward, It 48 interesting to note also that the nhrase “for self-instruction" was omitted from the title page. Obviously,