HOSE WHO CLICK on #79075 will find marvelous items. The first is a special “Mode 7” version of the MAGNIFICAT combining versions from Father Guerrero, Father Morales, and Palestrina. (All are seventh mode, so they mix together well.) The score helps singers understand that the Mode 7 plainsong appears in each voice elongated (“in augmentation”) depending upon the movement. (In the live recording below, the final movement is omitted). Not only that, but rehearsal videos for each individual voice are provided at #79075. On top of all that, two (2) YouTube videos containing a discussion about this marvelous “Guerrero+” composition are linked to.
Before Covid-19 hit, our choir was learning this Magnificat. Here’s a recording made during one of our rehearsals:
Disclaimer: The microphones cannot capture the true beauty of choral singing, just as a Postcard cannot capture the true beauty of a sunset.
In the section by Father Cristóbal de Morales, we find parallel fourths. (The same exact thing happens in measures 29-30.) See for yourself:
But are parallel fourths allowed in Renaissance polyphony?
The student of Father Morales was Father Guerrero (who turned out to be an even greater composer than his teacher). In Missa Beata Mater, Father Guerrero uses parallel fourths:
Please let me know your thoughts about parallel fourths in the Facebook combox. Thanks!
