This is the fourth and last part of our four part series on Rhetoric and Music. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here, Part 3 is here and Part 4 is here.

Examples of figures

This is the simple analysis of a work by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1612-1675). Hammerschmidt was called the "Orpheus of Zittau" and was one of the most famous and influential church composers of his time. "De Musicalische Andacht", his collection of motets, belonged to the standard repertoire of the Protestant choirs in Germany until the 18th century.

This motet score can be viewed publically at : http://imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/b/b3/IMSLP46758-PMLP99620-Hammerschmidt_O_barmherziger_Vater.pdf

Here is motet "O barmherziger Vater"

(GERMAN)
O barmherziger Vater,
ich armer Sünder komm zu dir
mit herzlicher Reue
und tu dir einen demütigen Fussfall,
ich bekenne meine Sünde.

O Vater!
Erbarme dich meiner,
ich bitte dich,
wende dich zu mir,
vergib mir meine Sünde
und sei mir gnädig.

(TRANSLATION)
O merciful Father,
I, poor sinner, come to you
with heartfelt repentance
and make a humble footfall,
I confess my sin.

O Father!
Have mercy on me,
I pray to you,
You address me,
forgive me for my sin
and be merciful to me.

Exclamatio

"Exclamatio is the good way to move the affects, which must be done with increasing the intensity [...]."
_{from Michael Praetorius: Syntagma Musicum III: “Exclamatio ist das Mittel die affectus zu moviren, so mit erhebung der Stimm geschehen muss […].” (Wolfenbüttel 1619, pag 231)}

Bar 1: The leaps at the word "barmherzig" with a magnitude of quarter, fifth and octave represent both the size of the mercy of God and the calling of the father by the sinner.

Passus Duriusculus and Anabasis

"Passus Duriusculus, of a voice against itself, is, when a voice rises, or falls a semitonium minum (small semitone)."
_{from Christoph Bernhard: “Passus Duriusculus, einer Stimmen gegen sich selbst, ist, wenn eine Stimme ein Semitonium minum steiget, oder fället.” (Tractatus Compositionis Augmentatus, pag. 77)}

"Anabasis, Ascensus, Ascend. Occurs when the pitch rises in height according to the text"
_{Meinrad Spiess: “Anabasis, Ascensus, Auffahrt. Geschiehet, wann man mit der Stimm nach Besag des Texts auch zugleich aufsteiget.” (Tractatus pag. 155)}

Bar 6: The grievous "sinner" is represented by the Passus Duriusculus, a chromatically altered melodic line upwards, at the same time an Anabasis. It stands for ascension of the soul of the sinner.

Hypotyposis

"Hypotyposis is a figure that clarifies the content of the text in a way that makes the words without mind or spirit seem to come to life."
_{Joachim Burmeister: “Hypotyposis est illud omamentum. quo textus significatio ita deumbratur, ut ea, quae textui subsunt &. animam vitamque non habent, vita esse praedita, videantur.” (Musica Poetica, Rostock 1606, pag. 62)}

Bar 16: The footfall is indicated in all voices by a falling fifth.

Noema, Syncopatio, Climax/Gradatio

"The Noëma is the state of a harmony [...] which consists of unified voices and an equal number of notes."
_{Joachim Burmeister: "Noëma […] est talis harmoniae affectio, sive periodus, cujus habitus voces conjunctas habet in eadem sonorum quantitate.” (Musica Poetica, Rostock 1606, pag. 59)}

"* Syncopatio* or syncope [..] means an offsetting displacement or splitting of a note [...]"
_{Johann Gottfried Walther: “Syncopatio oder syncope [..] bedeutet eine wider den Tact angebrachte Rück- oder Zertheilung einer Note [...]” (Musicalisches Lexicon, Leipzig 1732)}

"Climax or gradatio is a musical passage that rises step by step, and is often used in affections such as divine love and the desire for the heavenly kingdom."
_{Athanasius Kircher: “Vocatur Climax sive gradatio, estque periodus harmonica gradatim ascendens adhiberique solet, in affectibus amoris divini & desideriis patriae coelestis.” (Musurgia Universalis, Rome 1650)}

All these figures are found in the passage from bar 25 onwards. They emphasize the begging of the sinner. Also the Passus Duriusculus appears again.

Saltus Duriusculus

"Earlier has been mentioned that one has to watch out for unnatural leadings and jumps. In the stylo luxuriante they were allowed. The leap of a small sixth was not usual in the past, except between re, fa and mi, fa. "
_{Christoph Bernhard: Tractatus Compositionis Augmentatus, pag 78 “Droben [..] ist gesagt worden, daß man sich für unnatürlichen Gängen und Sprüngen hüten solle. In stylo luxuriante communi aber werden etliche derselben zugelaßen. Der Saltus hexachordi minoris ist bey denen Alten nicht gebräuchlich gewesen, als nur zwischen re, fa und mi,fa.”}

Bar 32: Here Hammerschmidt uses the Saltus hexachordi minoris to clarify the word "(to) pray".

At the end of the motet we find another Noëma:

Here are some more figures

These were not used in this particular motet:

Aposiopesis (Greek: concealment).
General pause: representing dying, sleeping or silencing.

Circulatio (Latin circulus: circle):
A circular figure or movement around a note; stands for a similar movement that is described by the text, also for the (peaks of a) crown.

Dubitatio (Latin dubitare: doubting, hesitating):
Doubt is expressed by a confusing modulation or a standstill.

Interrogatio (Latin: question):
A rising melodic figure, often a step of a second, often also in combination with the next harmonic turn.

Jorn Boysen

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