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Concerti ecclesiastici by Giovanni Battista Cocciola
in the light of the seconda prattica
We have very little knowledge of the life of Giovanni Battista Cocciola whose works are
fairly extensively represented in the sources of Polish provenance. The composer of the turn
of 17th century came from Vercella in northern Italy. According to Gerber, he was a famous
composer.1 It is possible that he came to Poland together with his brother, or rather a distant
relative,2 Giovanni Andrea, a castrato. It is not clear when the musicians came to the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth. Giovanni Andrea and Giovanni Battista Cocciola could have
come to Poland already in the 1590s on their own, or in the late 1590s together with other
Italian artists recruited in Rome by Luka Marenzia.3 Probably for the first few years they were
connected with the royal court of Sigismundus III in Krakow and Warsaw. Then, their paths
diverged. Giovanni Andrea Cocciola was invited into a music band of the King of Bohemia
and King of Hungary Ferdinand II, a member of the House of Habsburg, in Graz, apparently
at the request of the then Kapellmeister, Pietro Antonio Bianco (around 1540-1611)4. A tenor
singer, composer and later Kapellmeister in Graz, Pietro Antonio Bianco was obliged to
recruit Italian artists to the court of the archduke.5 He went to Venice several times to this end
and, in 1592, together with the attendants of Anna of Habsburg, Ferdinand’s younger sister,
came to the Commonwealth for the wedding celebration of Sigismundus III Vasa in May-June
of that year.6 It is impossible to find out at the moment, if Bianco could have met Giovanni
Andrea Cocciola in Warsaw already in 1592 or had brought him to Graz from Venice,
bypassing the Commonwealth. Giovanni Andrea Cocciola was active at the court in Graz
related to the Polish royal court (Ferdinand II’s younger sisters, Anna and Constance, were
the wives of King of Poland Sigismundus III Vasa) between 1603 and 1615.
1
Ernst Ludwig Gerber, Historisch Biographisches Lexikon der Tonkünstler, Leipzig 1790, Vol.1, p.291:...ein
berümter Komponist des vorigen Jahrhunderts aus Vercelli in Savannen, war Kapellmeister des Lithaunischen
Canzlers Leonis Sapieha und lies im. J.1612 zu Wenedig eine Motete nebst einer 8 stimmigen Missa cum B.C. in
4 Drucken. Auch findet man in des Bergameno Parnasso music. Verschiedene Motetten von seiner Arbeit. [sic!
only one his motet was recorded there]; The note refers to G. B. Bonometti (end of the 16th century – after 1627),
born in Bergamo, an Italian singer and publisher of the anthology Parnassus musicus. Cf. Répertoire
Internationale des Sources Musicales, Recueils imprimés, XVIe-XVIIe siècles, Ouvrage publié sous la direction
de François Lesure. Liste chronologique. [Series] B I-1, München-Duisburg 1960, (RISM) 1615(13);
2
Helmut Federhofer, Musikpflege und Musiker am Grazer Habsburgerhof der Erzherzöge Karl und Ferdinand
von Innerösterreich (1564-1619), Mainz 1967, p.159;
3
Cf. Irena Bieńkowska, Giovanni Battista Cocciola. Dzieła zebrane, Warsaw 2004, pp.9-13;
4
Federhofer, op.cit.;
5
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, ed. by S. Sadie, J. Tyrrell, Oxford —
Massachusetts 2001, Vol.1-29 (NGroveD).
6
Federhofer, op.cit, pp.50, 60;
Giovanni Battista Cocciola aroused the interest of the Royal Secretary and future Grand
Crown Secretary Szymon Rudnicki (1552-1621), who received several church benefices,
including a canonry in the chapter of Warmia, from the king. In 1604, Rudnicki became the
Bishop of Warmia. Already in 1606, Giovanni Battista Cocciola was a musician at his court7
in Lidzbark Warmiński (in German: Heilsberg), or perhaps even earlier, for instance already
in 1604. It is not clear how long Cocciola was connected with Lidzbark. He could have stayed
there until Bishop Rudnicki’s death in 1621, but it cannot be ruled out that he had changed his
employer before. It is known that in the mid-1620s Cocciola was even further north in
Europe, as he became the Kapellmeister of the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,
Leon Lew Sapieha (1557-1633) in Vilnius, which is evidenced by the title page of the
collection of his works from 1625.8 Giovanni Battista Cocciola’s later fate is not known.
For nearly 20 years (from at least 1606 to 1623) Giovanni Battista Cocciola was active in
the northern part of the Commonwealth: in Lidzbark and Vilnius. This area is also the source
of manuscripts most profusely representing his works, above all the Pelplin Tabulature (PLPE), the Warmia Manuscript (PL-Kj 40063), the Oliwa Tabulature (Lt-Bn F15-284) or the
manuscript from Braniewo (S-Uu 394-399).9 During Cocciola’s activity in the
Commonwealth his works also appeared several times in print in the printing houses of
Venice, Antwerp, and Strasbourg.10
7
A note in the Altus book (the only one of this type in manuscript) at Cocciola’s composition reads as follows:
Joan. Battistae Ciozzolae Mus. R.s.Episc. Varen[sis] Ao 1606 and indicates that Tribulationes cordis mei is the
oldest composition of G. B. Cocciola known today, S-Uu 394-399;
8
Concentus harmonici ecclesiastici. Duabus, tribus, quatuor & quinque vocibus cum basso continuo ad
organum, Antwerpen, Pierre Phalèse, now stored at the Central Library of Rijkuniversiteit in Ghent. Cf.
Répertoire Internationale des Sources Musicales, Einzeldrucke vor 1800, Band 11, Addenda et Corrigenda, ed.
Ilse and Jürgen Kindermann, [Series] A/I/11, London 1986, (RISM A/I/11); the above print must have been
ready for publication in 1623 at the latest, when Sapieha still held the office of the Chancellor of the Grand
Duchy of Lithuania, and Cocciola undoubtedly was his musician; it is possible that he was active at the court still
in 1625, when Sapieha became Great Lithuanian Hetman; cf. also B. Przybyszewska-Jarmińska, Historia muzyki
polskiej. Vol III. Barok. Część pierwsza.1595-1696, Warsaw 2006, p.86;
9
The full list of sources and G.B. Cocciola’s works in those sources in: Bieńkowska 2004, pp. 46-48;
10
The first self-contained print of Cocciola’s works has not survived. It is known that it was published in Venice
in 1612; it included eight-part compositions, including a mass and at least one motet. Cf. Indice di tutte le opere
di musica, che si trovano nella stampa della Pagina di Alessandro Vincenti in Venetia, Venice, 1619, 1649 in:
Rechnungs legung über die Monatshefte für Musikgeschichte für das Jahr 1881, Berlin 1882. In the 1619
catalog, Section XII “Messe a piú voci con il basso per sonar” No. 24 – Messa, motetti Cociola á 8. In the 1649
catalog, Section XXXIV “Messe a piú con il Basso per sonare” No. 23 Gocciolo a otto [price] Lire 7; Primeira
parte do index da livraria de musica do muyto alto e poderoso Rey Dom Joao o IV. Nosso Senhor, Lisbon 1649;
Gerber, op. cit.; Fètis Francois-Joseph: Bibliographie Universelle des Musiciens, Bruxelles 1837, Vol. 3; the
other print has survived only in the form of the bassus voice: Concentus harmonici ecclesiastici…Antwerpen
1625, Pierre Phalèse, Cf. RISM A/I/11; In anthologies the composer’s two three-part religious concerts have
survived: Ave mundi spes Maria a 3 and O quam metuendus est locus iste a 3 recorded first in the anthology
Parnassus musici by Ferdinand Battista Bonometti published in Venice in 1615, cf. RISM 1615 (13) and, then,
in Promptuarii musici concentus ecclesiasticos by Joannis Donfrid published in 1627, Strasburg, cf. RISM 1627
(1);
The time of composer’s activity – the early 17th century – was a time of stormy changes in
musical practice, with Italy being the most important center shaping new stylistic patterns.
Owing to Claudio Monteverdi, a differentiation into two composer’s styles was introduced
into the musical practice, according the criterion of their connection with the tradition: into
prima pratica, the traditional style, and seconda pratica, the modern style. In the early 17th
century the old and new practice coexisted, and sometimes they were combined in one work.
Composers were aware of the definite advantage of the old practice based on the Renaissance
a cappella polyphony which was excellent for conveying the mood of contemplation. For this
reason prima pratica was a dominating practice in various types of religious music. The
essence of the old practice was the superior role of music against the word which was
subordinated to musical coincidences.
This made the old practice different from the new one, the seconda pratica, which chiefly
demanded that music be subordinated to the word (the demand: ut oratio sit domina oratione
= to make speech the mistress of harmony), and resulted in the creation of an entirely new
method of musical expression: a monody with the accompaniment of basso continuo. It
increased the significance of instrumental accompaniment, which only duplicated and
strengthened vocal parts in the old practice without creating an independent line. The
concerting style, stile concertato, derived from the Renaissance practice was developed, and
the manner of leading vocal parts, termed as modulazione at that time, was changed. The
second practice, as Marco Scacchi wrote in his letter to Christoph Werner around 1648, “was
invented by the Italians for composing works with text in the national language …”11, and,
therefore, was used primarily in secular music.
A question posed with respect to G.B. Cocciola’s works is: to what extent was an Italian
musician working in the Commonwealth up to date with the latest stylistic trends of that time?
Did he try his hand in the new practice? To what extent and to what effect?
Cocciola’s output which has survived includes 58 religious compositions. It is not known,
if Cocciola composed also secular works which would be the best touchstone of the
composer’s attempts at stilo moderno. However, even in religious music, we can find
elements testifying to the composer’s interest in new stylistic trends. Nearly a half of
Cocciola’s 58 religious compositions were meant for a small number of parts, i.e., 28
compositions for two and three parts. The interest shown in works for a small number of
11
Z.M. Szweykowski, Historia muzyki w XVII wieku, Muzyka we Włoszech. Pierwsze zmiany, Krakow 2000,
p.52;
voices alone testifies to Cocciola’s up to date treatment of music. These compositions can be
considered to be religious concerts. Most of them were composed between 1606 and 1623.
Eighty-six percent of Cocciola’s two- and three-part works are compositions meant for
soprano (sopranos) and bass.12 Such a vocal allocation was not exceptional in analogous
compositions at that time, but was not frequent either. In the anthologies of the time (prints by
Bonometti, Donfrid (1627), Tripartitus SS. concentuum13), including three- and two-part
concerti ecclesiastici, such a vocal allocation appeared only in 19 percent of works.14 We will
more often find concerts for two sopranos and bass than two-part compositions with such a
polarized cast. Jacoppo Finetti, mentioned several times in the context of G. B. Cocciola’s 64
three-and two-part concerts included in Motetti, concerti et psalmi,15 applied such a polarized
cast in 11 of them. Among G. Belle’s 28 concerts included in Concerti ecclesiastici a due et a
tre voci,16 seven are for C(C)B. G. Fr. Anerio used this allocation of vocal parts in nine out of
51 three- and two-part concerts recorded in Donfrid’s third volume. The polarized cast can be
also found in three tricinias by M. Zieleński17.
The register contrast is strengthened by Cocciola by a specific lead of voices. In the
composer’s three-part structures it is simply a rule to lead voices in parallel imperfect
consonances. Even though not recommended by Zarlin, it was a popular measure in the
Renaissance practice18, especially among the composers of the Venice circle. In Polish music,
analogous phenomena were noticed by Wł. Malinowski19 in the context of M. Zieleński’s
works (tricinia No. 28-30 from the Communiones collection). A similar lead of voices is also
characteristic for M. Mielczewski’s concerts.20 Cocciola usually terced high voices, even
12
An exception: Si bona suscepimus (No. 15) for 2T and B, O quam metuendus (No. 18) for 2C and T and
Exurge quare obdornis (No. 8) for 2B and Quae est ista (No. 38); numbers according to Bieńkowska 2004;
13
Tripartitus SS. concentuum fasciculus sive trium Italiae Lucidissimorum syderum musicorum Jacobi Finetti,
Pietro Lappi et Julii Belli. I.II.III.IV.V.VI. Vocum, nunc primum in Germania divolgatae vna cum Symphonijs et
basso ad Organum, Frankfurt 1621 (hereinafter: Tr1621);
14
A total of 343 concerts from RISM 1615(13), Tr1621, RISM 1627(1), including 218 two-part ones, out of
which 25 with the CB cast, and 125 three-part ones with the CCB cast in 40 works, were taken into account;
15
Cf. Motetti, concerti et psalmi binis, trinis, quaternis octonisque e vocibus concinendi cum basso ad Organum,
autore Jacobi Finetti..., Liber Primum-Quartus, Frankfurt 1631 (hereinafter: F1631);
16
Concerti ecclesiastici a due et a tre voci Di Giulio Belli Maestro di Capella nella Cathedrale d’Imola
Novamente Composti e dati in Luce, Venice 1621 (hereinafter: B1621);
17
Władysław Malinowski, Polifonia Mikołaja Zieleńskiego, Krakow 1981, pp. 20-21;
18
Józef M. Chomiński: Historia harmonii i kontrapunktu, Vol. II, 1962, Krakow, p.251;
19
Wł. Malinowski, op. cit., pp.41-42;
20
Barbara Przybyszewska-Jarmińska, O jedność w różnorodności. Cztery religijne koncerty rondowe Marcina
Mielczewskiego in: Muzyka 1997/3, pp.5- 25, p.16;
though there are also a few cases of the use of parallel marches of thirds between the bass and
the second soprano.21
Example 1.- the lead of CI and CII in parallel thirds: Exultate Deo (No. 13), bars 1-6;
The polarized voice allocation was a modern sound concept breaking with the
Renaissance tradition of equal rights of vocal parts. The register contrast in three-voice
concerts, enhanced by a frequent use of parallel imperfect consonances, led to giving separate
functions to voices, and, consequently, on a different musical platform, to the creation of an
accompanied monody. Such an abundant use of the maximally polarized voice cast by
Cocciola in concerti ecclesiastici seems to be a fully deliberate measure, testifying to the
composer’s modern way of thinking.
The form of G.B. Cocciola’s concerti ecclesiastici is dominated by small sections. In
Cocciola’s two- and three-voice works almost 90 percent of the composition includes several
metric changes in the course of the work, which have an impact on the division of the work
into sections. Among two- and three-voice compositions all the two-voice ones (except for the
fragment of Apparuerunt Apostolis which has survived) and 11 out of 13 three-voice ones are
comprised of small sections.22 Sections are usually juxtaposed with one another, chiefly in
terms of metrics, rhythm, texture or register. The variable texture in individual sections has an
impact on a different development of melody. The melodic pattern is relatively often
21
Cf. Gloriosus Deus (No. 10), bars 40, 52; Exultate Deo (No. 13), bars 10-12, 22; Psallite Deo nostro (No. 14),
bars 37, 38, 39, 42, 43; Ave verum corpus (No. 16), bars 21, 23; Ego flos campi (No. 11), bars 21, 23-5; O quam
metuendus (No. 18), bars 9-11;
22
Cf. Irena Bieńkowska, Ukształtowania drobnoodcinkowe w małogłosowych kompozycjach religijnych
Giovanniego Battisty Coccioli in: Complexus effectuum musicologiae studia Miroslao Perz septuagenario
dedicata, ed. T. Jeż, Krakow 2003, pp. 373-383;
juxtaposed in the form of repetition of short sections, often treated sequentially. However, it
does not yet resemble the consistent sequencing of very distinctive small melodic-andrhythmic fragments typical of the new style.
Example 2a- repetitive development: Tibi laus, tibi gloria (No.12), bars 40-43, bas;
Example 2 b– sequential development: Gloriosus Deus in Sanctis (No.10), bars 49-54;
The method of leading the melody, in spite of the use of considerable jumps, is stuck
in the 16th century Renaissance tradition, as indicated first of all by the great fluidity of the
melodic course and the majority of long melodic phrases. In the composer’s works there are
no descending minor sixth’s jumps, prohibited by Zarlin, but there are ascending minor
sixth’s jumps, fairly often used in two-voice concerti ecclesiastici (15 times), less often
ascending major sixth’s jumps (descending ones only sporadically), descending minor
seventh, and ascending major seventh.23 Sporadically, there are ninth’s, tenth’s and eleventh’s
jumps. Augmented and diminished intervals are used by the composer occasionally.
Sequences of jumps in the melodic course are fairly rare in Cocciola’s compositions and
occur chiefly in the vocal bass part. This voice-part also includes melodic fragments based on
a distributed triad. Such solutions are much more frequent in two-voice concerts than in threevoice ones. Marches based on the triad structure in the first or second inversion are prevailing,
with marches based on triads in its principal form or diminished triads being only sporadic.
The multi-section structure of Cocciola’s two-and three-voice concerts is underlined
by the changing texture in individual sections of the work. In G. B. Cocciola’s religious
concerts for a small-number of voices we can also find examples of three- and two-voice nota
contra notam imitative texture and relatively rare examples of non-imitative polyphonic
texture. In three-voice compositions the homorhythmic texture in its pure and modified form
(most often due to the introduction of diminution) is prevailing. The imitative texture is used
only in some three-voice concerts. It seems to be treated by the composer as a means of
musical expression. This method of marking is used, for example, for such words as “faciens
prodigia” (Gloriosus Deus in Sanctis, bars 13-5), “iubilate” (Exultate Deo, bars 7-8),
“quoniam rex” (Psallite Deo nostro, bars 6-7), “o quam metuendus”(O quam metuendus, bars
1-4, 6–8), etc. In two-voice concerts the imitative technique is used as initial one several times
(cf., for example, In dedicatione templi, bars 1-29; Super flumina Babilonis, bars 1-4, 43-4;
Quanti mercennarii, bars 1-3, 18-20, 31-35, 37-41). The rhythmic distinctiveness of imitated
fragments combined with the text forms something like permanent melodic-and-textual
phrases.
23
The ascending major seventh appears in Psallite Deo nostro (No. 14) in bass; the ascending minor seventh
appears in Peccavi super numerum (No. 4) in bass and in Dilectus meus loguitur (No. 9) in soprano; the
descending major sixth in Quanti mercennarii (No. 5) in soprano; the ascending major sixth in Dilectus meus
loguitur (No. 9) in soprano;
Example 3 – Factum est silentium (No.7), bars 27-31, 47-9, 64-7, “millia millium”;
The sections subjected to imitation are usually small – from four to seven notes. The second
voice enters after two – five notes. Imitation takes place in the octave, fifth, fourth and third
interval.
Cocciola’s works for a small number of voices are characterized by a relatively high
saturation with dissonant consonances. A particular concentration of dissonant intervals can
be met in cadence sections, and, first of all, diminutive paces. Cocciola makes use of
transitional replacement, lateral and syncopated dissonances. Dissolutions of dissonances by
jumps in religious concerts for a small number of voices practically do not exist (the only
exception being few dissolutions of the cambiata type). Even though seldom, we can meet
dissonances dissolved “by default” as a result of a voice resting.24 As part of a measure
Cocciola uses only the consonance-dissonance-consonance sequences consistent with the
recommendations of the old practice.25 The sequences of two dissonances one after another
are only sporadic, e.g., Ave mundi spes Maria, m.11, the sequence of tritone and minor
seventh appears as a result of the introduction of diminution. Zarlin’s prohibition of the use of
dissonances is sporadically broken in the nota contra notam texture.26 In Tibi laus, tibi gloria
(No.12), in a fragment kept in a homorhythmic texture (bar 9), the augmented and perfect
fourth appears, and in Si bona suscepimus, in measure 65, two augmented fourths are
repeated.
24
The dissolution of dissonances by default, e.g., the seventh in Psallite Deo nostro (No. 14), bar 43;
E.g., in Gloriosus Deus (No. 10), bar 26: perfect fourth–diminished fifth. In Exultate Deo (No. 13), bar 26:
diminished fifth–perfect fourth-diminished fifth-perfect fourth-diminished fifth, m.31: perfect fourth–diminished
fifth –perfect fourth;
26
J. M. Chomiński, op .cit., p.252;
25
In Cocciola’s concerts for a small number of voices we will find the combinations of
imperfect and perfect consonances through a remote transition, which were used at that time,
but were not recommended by Zarlin. Thus, a third should have been dissolved into a perfect
consonance of a similar size – unison or fifth and not an octave.27 The latter dissolution,
admitted only by a second step in one of the voices by Zarlin, but not recommended, is used
extremely often in Cocciola’s three-voice religious concerts, so that it became a characteristic
feature of that output.
There are large numbers of incomplete consonances in Cocciola’s vertical three-voice
structures. The frequent use of parallel marches of thirds or sixths in voices, as mentioned
before, results in the creation of incomplete triads. The third is often doubled in such default
triads. The absence of full tone, so characteristic for the Renaissance productions, and
frequent doubling of the triad’s third was also noted in M. Zieleński’s tricinias.28
The multi-sectional nature of G.B. Cocciola’s religious concerts creates an impression
of colorfulness so characteristic for that period. The composer’s new solutions regarding the
lead of the melodic pattern, treatment of dissonances or the lead of voices are still partial and
tentative. The literary word is definitely subordinated to musical elaboration in Cocciola’s
works, even though the composer carefully underlines the most important fragments of text in
semantic terms. The connections between the music and word are conventional and fall into
the Renaissance tradition of the end of the 16th century.29 The formal fragmentation typical for
all Cocciola’s three- and two-voice religious concerts is more a consequence of the fulfillment
of the Renaissance varietas rule in those compositions than making attempts at stile
concertato. The variability of almost all structural elements of the work does not lead to any
sharp contrasts within the composition.
All the three- and two-voice religious concerts by G. B. Cocciola’s were most
probably meant as works with instrumental accompaniment. At present, we have the basso
continuo parts of only 13 out of 28 concerts: seven three-voice and six two-voice Cocciol’a
religious concerts. The 11 instrumental parts which have survived come from the PL-Kj
27
28
Ibidem;
Wł. Malinowski: op. cit., p.42-3;
29
In concerts, there is the largest number of rhetorical figures of the hypotyposis type, i.e., a simple musical illustration of the
text, and also rhetorical figures of the antitheton, exclamatio, aposiopesis category. E.g., in Factum est silentium (No. 7) two
types of mutations: per melopoeiam and per systema are used to simply theatrically highlight the characters: Michaele
(Archangel) and Draco (bars 16-19) and a rest to illustrate silence (bars 8-9). This type of figure was later called
aposiopesis;
40 063 manuscript, the other two from the Parnassus Musicus anthology by G. B. Bonometti
of 1615 (Ave mundi spes Maria)30 and J. Donfrid’s anthology of 1627 (O quam metuendus).
The nature of instrumental accompaniment in Cocciola’s religious concerts is largely
implicated by the number of voices in the composition. Instrumental parts of three-voice
concerts are characterized by a simply faithful imitation of the vocal bass line and the absence
of numerical marks and accidence. An exception to this rule can be found in two concerts:
Ave verum corpus and the only survived excerpts of Duo Seraphim clamabant, in which the
basso continuo is numbered. The Ave mundi spes Maria instrumental part, even though
deprived of any marks and duplicating the vocal bass voice in a large section of the work, is
marked by considerable freedom or even independence, absent to such an extent in any other
Cocciola’s composition (cf. Ave mundi spes Maria, bars 1-2, 8-9).
Two-voice compositions are usually accompanied by an instrumental part which is
slightly more free than that in the three-voice concerts, but is also dependent on the vocal bass
part to a large extent. These parts contain only slight differentiation of the instrumental voice
with respect to the vocal one. In his two-voice concerts Cocciola fairly heavily uses numerical
and accidental signs.31 The latter are definitely dominated by the flat and sharp used to mark
the minor (major) third which is not proper for the scale. For example, in Exurge quare
obdornis the flat was used to mark c-es in Iionic F. All the numerical marks in the composer’s
works are horizontal. Single digits are used by Cocciola to mark a fourth, a sixth or an octave.
4 appears only in Apparuerunt Appostolis which has survived in an incomplete form. 6 is used
by the composer to mark individual sixths, sixth triad in three-voice Ave verum corpus and
repeated sixths (cf. Super flumina Babilonis, bar 13). 8 appears usually after 6 as a dissolution
of a major sixth into an octave by a second step in both voices by the opposite movement and
only once after 3, as a non-recommended dissolution of a major third into an octave by a
second step in the high voice. Cocciola often uses 65 and 43 as signs marking the delay of the
sixth into a fifth and a quarter into a third. The composer readily uses “compound” numbers
such as: 8765, 7665, 5685, 4323, 345.
G.B. Cocciola’s compositions for a small number of voices, as discussed above, were
created in the first quarter of the 17th century, but it is impossible for the time being to date
them more precisely. The numbering of basso continuo was undoubtedly a sign of new
30
Cf. RISM 1615(13); Partitura Parnassus Musicus Ferdinandaeus in quo Musici nobilissimi, quà suavitate,
quà arte prosus admirabili, et divina ludunt: 1.2.3.4.5. vocum A Joanne Baptista Bonometti...., c.38:
Gio.Battista Cocciola A3. doi Canti, e Basso, Basso Continuo Ave mundi spes Maria;
31
Numbered basses Dilectus meus loguitur (No. 9) and Tota pulchra es (No. 34) containing no signs are an
exception;
harmonic thinking, the interpretation of secondo prattica. If to assume, however, that most of
these compositions came into being in the 1620s the use of numbering was nothing special at
that time any more. Similar solutions were generally used at that time, as evidenced by the
works of Wojciech Dębołecki in Competorium romanum from 1618.32 The b. c. parts are
shaped in a way similar to Cocciola’s works by Jacoppo Finetti in books I – IV of Motetti,
concerti et psalmi, a collection which is a compilation of the composer’s previous editions, in
this case from the years 1611-1613.33 These works include signs unusual for Cocciola such as
11 and 10 11 (already fairly seldom used) and the placing of one figures over the others 6 5,
43
to precisely mark the components of the entire triad (such signs were used several times, in
books II and IV of J. Finetti’s works, respectively34).
On the other hand, when to compare Cocciola’s compositions with the works of the
royal organist, Tarquinio Merulla, published in Venice in the 1624 collection Il primo libro de
motetti, e sonate, next to single examples of a nature similar to Cocciola’s works, there are
much more advanced pieces in terms of implementation of the principles of the new practice.
The removal of the basso continuo part from Cocciola’s concerti ecclesiastici would not
result in a sense of incompleteness of these works. Therefore, it should be concluded that
Cocciola’s attempts to create a new type of accompaniment on the grounds of a religious
concert were not successful; they were no more new at that time. The elements definitely
going beyond prima pratica in the composer’s concerts for a small number of voices which
should be mentioned include the polarized cast of the composition, its small-section structure,
basso continuo numbering signs and the lead of voices sporadically differing from the
traditional one.
An analysis of Giovanni Battista Cocciola’s works for a small number of voices
proves that the composer was knowledgeable about the latest stylistic trends, but definitely
felt at more ease in prima pratica, as evidenced by his excellent polychoral works. His
attempts at stile moderno are cautious and partial and do not go beyond solutions generally
used already in the 1620s. They are certainly worthwhile noting as another example of Italian
production in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the early decades of the 17th century
with elements of a modern style.
32
A. and Z.M. Szweykowski, Włosi w kapeli królewskiej polskich Wazów, Krakow 1997, pp.185-186;
The Venetian editions: Motecta, 2vv, bc (org), 1611; Sacrae cantiones, 2vv, bc (org), 1613; Sacrum
cantionum, 3vv, bc (org), 1613; cf. NGroveD, Vol.6 , p. 565;
34
F1631, in Book II Andreas Christi famulus, TB; in Book IV Laudate Dominum, 2TB;
33
Making use of the later classification by M. Scacchi dating back to the 1640s one can
include Cocciola’s works for a small number of voices among the stile embastardito
compositions, a sub-group of compositions in the church style which combined elements of
various kinds of secular music and adapted them to the principles of church music.