Agricola's songs without words: the sources and the performing traditions

Edwards, W. (2006) Agricola's songs without words: the sources and the performing traditions. In: Schwindt, N. (ed.) Alexander Agricola : Musik zwischen Vokalität und Instrumentalismus. Series: Trossinger Jahrbuch für Renaissancemusik (6). Bärenreiter: Kassel, pp. 83-121. ISBN 9783761819937

Abstract

It would seem only common sense to link the many early sources from across Europe that transmit Agricola’s compositions without any words to instrumental rather than vocal practice. However, there is no reliable evidence for this, save in the case of tablatures specifically for keyboard or lute. Indeed, the instrumental assumption sits uncomfortably with the widely (though not universally) held belief that untexted parts in compositions conceived for and transmitted with words had long been widely performed by voices alone. An alternative explanation for textlessness is called for. Arguably, for Agricola and his contemporaries, the essence of a musical work was the music itself. They did not necessarily conceptualise words as integral to their compositions. In the circumstances the idea that songs without words are necessarily instrumental seems to lose its cogency. In any event, it had no currency in contemporary thought. Admittedly there are a few contemporary references to arranging vocal music for instruments and writing it down. And presumably Agricola was himself an instrumentalist (at least the author of his musical <i>Epitaphion</i> says he was ‘clarus vocum manuumque’). Moreover, there can be little doubt that many of his wordless compositions based on pre-existent <i>cantus figuralis</i> tenors can be placed firmly within certain improvisatory traditions that instrumentalists cultivated (though not necessarily to the exclusion of vocalists). Agricola, it seems, composed such works throughout his career. Contrary to the received view, nothing suggests that the inspiration for them can be attributed specifically to Italy. All this seems to lead to the conclusion that the idea of associating vocality and instrumentality with songs with and without words c.1500 is essentially one of our own making. Agricola, at any rate, was preoccupied with neither aspect, but simply with <i>music</i>.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Keywords: Agricola, Alexander Songs without words Instrumental music, c.1500
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Edwards, Dr Warwick
• Authors: Edwards, W.
• Subjects: M Music and Books on Music > M Music
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Music
• Publisher: Bärenreiter
• ISSN: ISBN 9783761819937
• ISBN: 9783761819937
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2006 Bärenreiter
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with permission of the publisher.