Compositional phenomena in the Missa Papae Marcelli

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In this paper the Kyrie, Sanctus/Benedictus and Agnus Dei I of the Missa papae Marcelli are submitted to close readings in order to address some of these questions. Research of this sort can be valuable in a number of ways. Its main purpose might be seen as shedding light on how a work has been put together through detailed analysis, but this process itself can have unexpected consequences. Sometimes passages that sound similar may turn out to be constructed along quite different lines. Perhaps more surprisingly, passages that sound similar may in fact differ crucially as far as fuga is concerned. This is indeed the case when one compares Kyrie I with Agnus Dei I: the thematic connection is unmistakeable, but contrapuntally (and harmonically) there are significant points of disagreement. Close analysis reveals other important aspects of compositional structure that are to a greater or lesser extent hidden from the listener, performer or from the casual reader of the score. It is a simple enough matter to recognize pairs of fuga statements (interlocks) or subject-countersubject duos. But these contrapuntal (two-part) phenomena often give rise to much larger blocks, or cells, of polyphony. These cells can be re-stated in full or in part, the repetition being more or less exact, or with an exchange of material between the voices comprising the cell. Palestrina is therefore able to generate substantial passages of mass movements through a process of varied repetition, and free parts may be added, subtracted or modified to add another layer of complexity.