Chromaticism, Word Painting, and the Tenebrae Responsories: The Stylistic Connections Between Carlo Gesualdo and Pomponio Nenna
Open Access
- Author:
- Rhine, Benjamin
- Graduate Program:
- Music (MA)
- Degree:
- Master of Arts
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- April 06, 2023
- Committee Members:
- R J David Frego, Program Head/Chair
Marica Susan Tacconi, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Eric John Mckee, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Carlo
Gesualdo
Pomponio
Nenna
Renaissance
music
motet
Tenebrae
Responsory
Responsoria
Responsories
chromaticism
harmony
O vos omnes
Caligaverunt oculi mei
Tenebrae factae sunt
Italian
chromatic
Riemann
Neo-Riemannian
theory
musicology
style
sacred
service
services
Holy Week
Easter
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
Maundy Thursday - Abstract:
- Towards the end of his life, Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa (1566–1613) produced three collections of sacred music: two books of the Sacrae Cantiones published in 1603 and the Tenebrae Responsoria for Holy Week in 1611. The latter collection of music includes some of Gesualdo’s most chromatic harmonies and expressive music. Within music history, Gesualdo stands out among the most chromatic composers from the Renaissance, adding more accidentals than any of his predecessors. This thesis explores a possible line of influence on Gesualdo: one of the composers he kept in his castle, Pomponio Nenna (1556–1608). Nenna worked in Gesualdo’s castle for many years and was an accomplished composer, producing many madrigals and three responsory cycles throughout his life. Among these is his own setting of the Tenebrae Responsories, like Gesualdo. Nenna has been suggested as a possible influence on Gesualdo. Nenna’s entire Tenebrae cycle remains unedited, and for the purposes of this study, three excerpts are transcribed and edited from their original prints and included in this thesis. These selections are “Tenebrae factae sunt,” “Caligaverunt oculi mei,” and “O vos omnes.” The first two are part of the Good Friday service and the third is for Holy Saturday. This thesis comparatively analyzes Gesualdo’s and Nenna’s settings of the same texts, focusing on compositional techniques such as word painting, chromaticism, textural contrast, and use of dissonance. The Introduction provides all editorial notes on the three excerpts from Nenna’s Tenebrae Responsories, describes the theoretical methodology employed, and overviews the musical relationship between Gesualdo and Nenna. Chapter One analyzes “Tenebrae factae sunt” and examines aesthetic innovations present in both composers’ work. Chapter Two explores “Caligaverunt oculi mei,” drawing compositional parallels between the two and briefly explores two other motets by Gesualdo. Chapter Three analyzes “O vos omnes” and how the expressive power of the text is captured in music primarily through contrast of diatonic and chromatic passages. The Conclusion revisits the initial question of influence on Gesualdo, finding that there are indeed aesthetic developments in harmony, silence, and chromaticism that link both composers. To summarize, this thesis intends to examine a stylistic origin for Gesualdo in the music of Nenna by comparing their settings of the same texts.