This is the third part of our four part series on Rhetoric and Music. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here, Part 3 is here and Part 4 is here.

Catalogue of rhetorical figures

_{Typology from Bernhard}

Unlike other authors, Bernhard knew only a limited number of figures that could be used depending on the type of composition. The stylus gravis contained four figures: Transitus (passing notes, no dissonances on the unimportant beats 2 and 4 in measure), Quasi Transitus (passing notes with dissonances on the unimportant beats 2 and 4 in measure), Syncopatio and Quasi Syncopatio (syncope or ligature and its solution, see also the example for the pleonasm above). This was known as the old style.

The stylus luxurians was a dressed style and corresponded to the Seconda Pratica. This included 23 figures that could be partially combined with the Transitus and the Syncopatio. This included the Superjectione (alternating note up when the line goes down), Anticipatione (anticipation of a note), Subsumtio (the opposite of the Superjectione), the Variatio, the Multiplicatio (the splitting of a note in several notes ) and the Passus Duriusculus (chromatic line). The Stylus luxurians could be divided further into styles that were appropriate for church, chamber and theatre. These would again also have their own figures.

How did they compose?

The duties of the composer largely corresponded to the first three tasks of the rhetorician described in Part 2. The composer in the 17th century would first analyze the content of the text and determine the type of text and the affect it contained (inventio). Then, he would examine the size and structure and lays down the paragraphs (disposito).

Next, was the decision in which style he wanted to compose. For music for the church, these choices were different than for a composition for the court. Religious compositions can endure fewer dissonances than a love song or opera aria (eluctio). Then, the composer would find a melody for each paragraph with proper intonation and emphasis. This means that the words that determine the meaning of a sentence are correctly emphasized. This can be done, in a simple example, by using a high note. Depending on the composition technique, this melody is now processed. This would happen with all paragraphs until the piece is finished.

It should not be assumed that the composer would always have a treatise with a catalogue of rhetorical figures next to him. However, the use of the various rhetorical and musical figures would have been a well-known vocabulary for the composer.

Memoria and actio were the tasks of the performer. He was usually very aware of the coherence between text and music and filled the musical figures with meaning during the performance. As a result, the notes were brought to life.
For the contemporary performer, this means that, before singing or playing, he has to examine the pieces carefully for these connections. The same applies to the content, affect, words and their correct emphases and the figures that structure the pieces. Only the conscious execution of the rhetorical meanings and the coherence between text and music would influence the performance in the intended direction of the composer.

Jorn Boysen

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