Cadence in Psalmody

CADENZA NELLA SALMODIA. — When the psalms are sung in their entirety at one time, or 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 c.; this is more or less ornate according to the occasion on which it is sung. It is more ornate in the chants of the soloist, less ornate in those of the «Schola», and simpler when intended for the people. In ornate psalmody, such as, for example, that of the Gradual of the Mass and also in the Tractus, the c. are not made only at the end of the verse, but the entire melodic line is divided into c., more or less important according to the thematic development; the last is usually the most ornate. In these chants, which readily became «type melodies», the c. remain almost fixed, and for the application or accommodation of the text the general rules are followed according as they are or are not «tonic». In the simpler psalmody of the Office, each verse perhaps had in antiquity only one c., as is still observed in Ambrosian chant. In the psalmody of the Introit, as in certain evangelical chants, a new c. was soon introduced before the pause, halfway through the verse, which was practiced for the convenience of the singers. After the c. at the asterisk the chant is suspended for a time, whereas no such pause is required when proceeding from one choir to the other. The final melodic c. varies not only for each «mode» but also within the same «mode», so that at the resumption of the Antiphon the passage may be more convenient and more harmonious. Thus the mnemonic formula EUGUAE (saeculorum amen) depends on how the antiphon begins. The simple melodic c. of psalmody are distinguished as c. with one accent and c. with two, according as melodic prominence is given to the last tonic accent (before the asterisk and at the end), or also to the two last tonic accents.