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Padre Martini discusses the plagal cadence in his <EM>Esemplare, o sia saggio fondamentale pratico di contrappunto sopra il canto fermo</EM> (Bologna, 1774-75). His use of the term (in Italian) is the earliest I've seen. I believe he says something to the effect that this cadence is not restricted to plagal modes, but that he hints at a connection. Sorry I can't give you a page or volume number (two volumes). <BR>
In 16th-century music the <EM>supplementum</EM> Peter Schubert mentions is indeed very common as a coda prolonging the melodic final after the structural authentic cadence. The authentic cadence is not possible, however, in the deuterus modes 3 and 4 (so-called "Phrygian"). The simplest solution is for the tenor's semitonal descent F-E to be matched by the bass D-E, a linear-contrapuntal progression from minor 3rd to unison, or sometimes d-e in the tenor, F-E in the bass: major 6th to octave. <BR>
Often, however, the bass does not move directly to the final E, but to A (or a) a perfect fifth under the tenor E (or e), before leaping by descending 4th to the final -- what Martini later calls the plagal cadence. <BR>
Zarlino says that m3-unison and M6-octave actions are true cadences; he also mentions motions resolving to the perfect 5th instead of the octave (which of course is what I've just described): he classes them among the "imperfect cadences," which he says are not actually cadences, strictly speaking ("Et benche ve ne siano alcune altre, che finiscono per la Quinta, et alcune altre per la Terza, et alcune per diuerse altre consonanze; non sono però da esser dette assolutamente Cadenze, se non ad vn certo modo, et con vna aggiuntione, cioè Cadenze imperfette" Le istitutioni harmoniche, Part 3: 221 <A href="http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/smi/cinquecento/ZAR58IH3_TEXT.html">http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/smi/cinquecento/ZAR58IH3_TEXT.html</A>). I believe he does not address the plagal cadence directly. <BR>
In answer to Cristobal's second question, it's clear that Renaissance composers felt that the plagal cadence on its own was "conclusive enough to end a work," in modes 3 and 4, at least. It would be interesting to look at Zarlino's Mode-3 and -4 compositions (he lists several in Part 4, Chs. 20-21) to see how he reconciles his theory with practice. <BR>
<BR>
Richard Porterfield<BR>
Instructor, Mannes College; Ph.D. Candidate in Music Theory, CUNY GC<BR>
<A href="mailto:porterfr@hotmail.com">porterfr@hotmail.com</A> <BR>
<BR> <BR>
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Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:30:27 -0400<BR>From: peter.schubert@mcgill.ca<BR>To: garciagallardo@terra.es; smt-talk@societymusictheory.org<BR>Subject: Re: [Smt-talk] Plagal cadence<BR><BR>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In a most repertoire the final is in fact approached by the usual 6-8 motions you describe, but the final is often sustained in one voice. This is the coda-like thing that Burmeister calls the supplementum – he says these motions “make it very clear that the ending has arrived” (Rivera’s translation, p. 151 ). The so-called plagal cadence generally results from the oblique motions that occur while the final is being sustained. Sometimes the final is only virtually sustained, with all voices moving, but the effect is the same.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">What I’d like to know is where this term occurs for the first time. I don’t recall seeing it in any treatise in the sixteenth century or even the early 17<SUP>th</SUP>. My bet is French treatises from the late 17<SUP>th</SUP>-early 18<SUP>th</SUP> cc.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Peter Schubert, Chair</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Department of Music Research</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Schulich</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> School</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> of Music</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">McGill</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> University</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> smt-talk-bounces@societymusictheory.org [mailto:smt-talk-bounces@societymusictheory.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Cristóbal García<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Saturday, April 18, 2009 2:34 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> smt-talk@societymusictheory.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [Smt-talk] Plagal cadence</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Dear List,</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I would like to ask about plagal cadence in 16th (and 15th) century music. What is interesting to me is the fact that this cadence seems to escape the basic cadential process of this kind of music: the progress from an imperfect to a perfect consonance (usually major 6th to octave) in a two-voice framework (usually proceeding stepwise by contrary motion), typically preceded by a dissonance (the 7th as a suspension).</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I have two main questions:</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<LI class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Does somebody know about theoretical explanations of the plagal cadence in 16th century music?</SPAN></FONT></LI></UL>
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<LI class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Was plagal cadence seen as conclusive enough by itself to end a work (since it is usually preceded by a more usual cadence)?</SPAN></FONT></LI></UL>
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<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(I must say that I’m not an expert on 16th century music theory –though I´ve read on the subject-, so forgive me if these are too simple questions)</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thanks,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Cristobal Garcia-Gallardo</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Conservatorio de Malaga (Spain)</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=EC_MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="mailto:garciagallardo@terra.es">garciagallardo@terra.es</A></SPAN></FONT></P>
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