CADENZA NELLA SALMODIA

CADENCE IN PSALMODY. - When psalms are sung in their entirety at one time, or are performed by alternating the two choirs, or when only certain verses are taken, if these retain the form of psalmody, they are always distinguished by a melodic cadence; this is more or less ornate according to the moment at which it is sung. It is more ornate in solo chants; less ornate in those of the "Schola," and simpler when intended for the people. In ornate psalmody, such as that of the Gradual of the Mass and also in the Tract, the cadences are not made only at the end of the verse, but the entire melodic line is subdivided into cadences, more or less important according to the development of the theme; the last one, as a rule, is the most ornate. In these chants, which have easily become "melodic types," the cadences remain almost fixed, and for the application or adaptation of the text, the general rules are followed according to whether the words are or are not "tonic." In the simpler psalmody of the Office, each verse perhaps had only one cadence in antiquity, as is still observed in Ambrosian chant. In the psalmody of the Introit, as in some Gospel chants, a new cadence was soon introduced before the pause, halfway through the verse, which was practiced for the convenience of the singers. After the asterisk cadence, the singing is suspended for a time, whereas no such pause is required between one choir and another. The last melodic cadence varies not only for each "mode" but also within the same "mode," so that when the Antiphon is resumed, the passage is more convenient and more harmonious. Hence the mnemonic formula EUOUAE (saeculorum amen) depends on how the antiphon begins. The simple melodic cadences of psalmody are distinguished between cadences with one accent and cadences with two, according to whether melodic emphasis is given to the last tonic accent (before the asterisk and at the end) or also to the last two tonic accents.