The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order
This paper explores the liturgical use of the organ in the sixteenth century according to the judgments of Tommaso de Vio, Cajetan (1469–1534) and the Dominicans. In particular, it asks the question: In worship, is solo organ music capable of conveying a specific meaning or a particular text (as see...
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MDPI AG
2014-08-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/3/751 |
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| author | Michael O'Connor |
| author_facet | Michael O'Connor |
| author_sort | Michael O'Connor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the liturgical use of the organ in the sixteenth century according to the judgments of Tommaso de Vio, Cajetan (1469–1534) and the Dominicans. In particular, it asks the question: In worship, is solo organ music capable of conveying a specific meaning or a particular text (as seemed to be expected in alternatim practice)? The Dominican sources show an increasingly skeptical attitude, with a consequent tendency to limit the organ’s role in worship. The implication of this study is that organ alternatim did not fall out of favor (with the Dominicans at least) because it failed to carry out the job it was given in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but because it could not do the new job is was given in the sixteenth century. Organ alternatim made sense in a gothic worldview, but less so under the influence of renaissance humanism. While these Dominicans accepted the use of the organ, they did so with great concern at the potential influx of secular music into worship, since secular melodies and rhythms, even without their original words, bring multiple inappropriate associations. To remedy this, various strategies were used to harness instrumental music to text. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:15:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6403ba500bac49909bf0907be166eee6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:15:31Z |
| publishDate | 2014-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-6403ba500bac49909bf0907be166eee62022-12-22T02:49:00ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442014-08-015375176610.3390/rel5030751rel5030751The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican OrderMichael O'Connor0St Michael's College, University of Toronto, 81 St Mary's Street, Toronto, M5S 1J4, CanadaThis paper explores the liturgical use of the organ in the sixteenth century according to the judgments of Tommaso de Vio, Cajetan (1469–1534) and the Dominicans. In particular, it asks the question: In worship, is solo organ music capable of conveying a specific meaning or a particular text (as seemed to be expected in alternatim practice)? The Dominican sources show an increasingly skeptical attitude, with a consequent tendency to limit the organ’s role in worship. The implication of this study is that organ alternatim did not fall out of favor (with the Dominicans at least) because it failed to carry out the job it was given in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but because it could not do the new job is was given in the sixteenth century. Organ alternatim made sense in a gothic worldview, but less so under the influence of renaissance humanism. While these Dominicans accepted the use of the organ, they did so with great concern at the potential influx of secular music into worship, since secular melodies and rhythms, even without their original words, bring multiple inappropriate associations. To remedy this, various strategies were used to harness instrumental music to text.http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/3/751CajetanDominican orderorganalternatimRenaissance |
| spellingShingle | Michael O'Connor The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order Religions Cajetan Dominican order organ alternatim Renaissance |
| title | The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order |
| title_full | The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order |
| title_fullStr | The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order |
| title_short | The Liturgical Use of the Organ in the Sixteenth Century: the Judgments of Cajetan and the Dominican Order |
| title_sort | liturgical use of the organ in the sixteenth century the judgments of cajetan and the dominican order |
| topic | Cajetan Dominican order organ alternatim Renaissance |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/3/751 |
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