Climbing Monte Romanesca:

Eighteenth-Century Composers in Search of the Sublime

JOHN A. RICE

An expanded version of a lecture given at the Musicology Colloquium at the Bienen School of
Music, Northwestern University, on 1 December 2016 and at the Theory Group, Princeton
University Department of Music, on 3 April 2017. I thank Vasili Byros at Northwestern and
Nathaniel Mitchell at Princeton for their invitations. To Vasili and to Robert O. Gjerdingen, as
well as to their colleagues and students in Evanston, I am most grateful for many suggestions,
queries, and corrections. At Princeton, Nate, Kofi Agawu, and the whole Theory Group were
equally helpful and encouraging. I would also like to thank Dexter Edge, Don Franklin, Edward
Klorman, Kurt Markstrom, Stefano Mengozzi, Pierpaolo Polzonetti, Vanessa Tonelli, and Steven
Whiting for their advice and insights.

In his analysis of the exposition of the Andante of Mozart’s Symphony in G minor, K.

550, Robert O. Gjerdingen shows how the melodic, rhythmic, and contrapuntal content of
the opening measures returns several times, each time in the guise of a different schema
or combination of schemata.1 In Table 1 is a summary of the schematic content of
measures 1–36. We hear the opening idea, with its imitative entries, each higher than the
last, and its repeated eighth notes, three times: first with the Jupiter, the Le-Sol-Fi-Sol,
and the Prinner.2 Then the Jupiter, the Lully, and the Prinner.3 Later, after an unexpected
modulation to the distant key of D flat major, we hear a third version of the opening
passage, this time as an elaboration of a pattern that Gjerdingen has named the Monte
Romanesca (Example 1). Gjerdingen writes of the passage in D flat: “In the late 1780s
the Monte Romanesca was an archaism, and the overlay of the descending scales [in the
winds] gives this remarkable passage a Handelian grandeur.”
Mozart seems to have incorporated elements of variation technique into this
sonata-form movement. But these variations—transformations, as Gjerdingen calls
them—contradict the basic principles of variation form. What we expect to change from
variation to variation (melody, rhythm, counterpoint) stays much the same; what we
expect to stay the same (the theme’s key and its underlying schematic framework)
changes. Mozart made similar transformations in another late movement in sonata form:

                                                                                                               
1
Robert O. Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style (New York, 2007), 122–28.
2
Except where otherwise noted, all names for voice-leading schemata are introduced and
explained in Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style. On the Le-Sol-Fi-Sol see Vasili Byros,
Foundations of Tonality as Situated Cognition, 1730–1830: An Enquiry into the Culture and
Cognition of Eighteenth-Century Tonality with Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony as a Case Study
(PhD dissertation, Yale University, 2009) and several subsequently published articles.
3
On the Lully schema see John A. Rice, “Adding to the Galant Schematicon: The Lully,”
Mozart-Jahrbuch 2014 (Kassel, 2015), 205–225.
 
   2  

the Andante of his last string quartet in F major, K. 590.4 Perhaps it is no accident that
that movement begins with the same bass line (up a fifth, down a fourth) as the passage in
K. 550 that Gjerdingen calls a Monte Romanesca (Example 2).
The term “Monte Romanesca” alludes to features of the patterns to which
Gjerdingen applies it that resemble features of the Monte and the Romanesca. Like the
Monte, the Monte Romanesca is a rising sequence. Like one kind of Romanesca, it has a
bass that leaps from scale degree 1 to scale degree 5. Despite these similarities,
Gjerdingen acknowledges that the Monte Romanesca “could equally well be treated as a
separate schema.”5 I would go a little further, saying explicitly that the Monte Romanesca
is neither a Monte nor a Romanesca but a schema with its own long history and its own
set of expressive connotations.

Table 1. Mozart, Symphony in G minor, K. 550 (1788), Andante, Exposition, Schematic Content
of the First Theme and Bridge (based largely on Gjerdingen 2007, pp. 122–126)

Measures Major Formal Divisions Schematic Content Keys

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1–8 First theme, beginning Jupiter E flat major
Le-Sol-Fi-Sol
Prinner
Half Cadence

9–19 First theme, conclusion Jupiter

Lully
Prinner
Cadence-Evaded
Full Cadence

20–28 Bridge, beginning Aprile B flat

Fonte C minor - B flat major
Clausula Vera V of B flat
Clausula Vera D flat!

29–36 Bridge, conclusion Monte Romanesca D flat

Long Comma G flat
Half Cadence with
Augmented Sixth V of B flat

                                                                                                               
4
See Roman Ivanovitch, “Recursive/Discursive: Variation and Sonata in the Andante of Mozart’s
String Quartet in F, K. 590,” Music Theory Spectrum 32 (2010), 145–165.
5
Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style, 99.
   3  

Ex. 1. Mozart, Symphony in G minor, K. 550 (1788), Andante, mm. 29–35, adapted from
Gjerdingen 2007, p. 126. By “Corelli Long Comma” I mean a Long Comma that begins with a
6/5 chord and usually ends (though not here) with a 9-8 suspension. Performance: Apollo’s Fire,
Jeannette Sorrell, cond., https://youtu.be/jChn4l-ne9I?t=8m50s

œ œ bœ œ
Andante

œœ œ œ bœœ œ bœ œ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA in D flat

b 6 œ œ
&bb 8 ! ‰ ! ! ! ! ! ‰ b œ ? ! ! bœ ! œ œ ! bœ œ ! &

b 6 Œ
Winds

&bb 8 ‰ Œ ‰ Œ j œœ œ j œœ . œ œ
œ œ
pj bœ œ œ œ œ œ b œœ . œ.
Strings

? b 6 œ bœ œ J
bb 8 J
‰ J‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ œJ ‰ ‰
1 5

œ œ bœ œ
b b ‰ œ œ ! bœ œ ! œ bœ ! bœ œ ! œ œ bœ œ œ
! bœ !
& b œ bœ ! ‰ ! ! !
31

j œ œ œ
bb
& b œœ .
œ
b œ.
œ œ œ.
œ œ bœ.
œ
J œ. œ. œ.
? b œœ . bœ œ
J
bb J J œ
‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ J ‰ ‰
2 6

b ˙œ.
bb b b œ .. b œœ ..
CORELLI LONG COMMA in G flat

bœ œ ! œ nœ ! œ œ ! œ nœ ! œ œ ! œ
Flutes an octave AUGMENTED

œ œ ! J
33 SIXTH

&
higher

f j œ œ bœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
bb b b œ œ ! œ ! œœ b œ ! œœ œ ! b œœ b œ ! œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& bœ œ œ bœ œ œ b b œœ œ œ œ œ œ n œœ
J
f
? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b J
1 = b 6 in B b
6 7 5
 
 
   4  

Ex. 2. Mozart, String Quartet in F, K. 590, Andante, mm. 1–4. Performance: Festetics Quartet,
https://youtu.be/OPAPxpfIUKY?t=15m

‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
MONTE ROMANESCA (defined broadly)

6
Andante
& 8 œœ ‰‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ . j œœ ‰ œœ œœ œ . j
œœ œœ œ . # œœ ‰
. œœ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
Jj Jj
? 68 œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ‰ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰
. ‰
œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ‰
J ‰ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ . œJ ‰ ‰
1 5 2 6

Terminological Challenges

But how exactly are we to define the Monte Romanesca? Putting it another way, to what
musical phenomenon should we apply this term? Gjerdingen uses the term both broadly
and narrowly. Used broadly, it corresponds (more or less) to what is today known as a
rising-fifth sequence; when such passages use root-position triads, the bass typically
alternates between rising fifths and falling fourths.6 Used in this sense, “Monte
Romanesca” applies to both Examples 1 and 2. Using the term more narrowly,
Gjerdingen refers to a particular kind of rising-fifths sequence that features one or more
of the following: canonic imitation in the upper parts, 4-3 suspensions, and a melodic line
in which a rising fourth leap alternates with a descending scalar third.7 Used in this sense,
“Monte Romanesca” applies to Example 1 but not Example 2.
                                                                                                               
6    In
Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style, see the passages by Fenaroli on p. 98, C. P. E. Bach
on p. 99, and Durante on p. 102.  
7   Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style, refers to the Monte Romanesca’s 4-3 suspensions on p.

103 and p. 458. Canon is present in the passage by Quantz (p. 103) and 4-3 suspensions are
implied (and made explicit by Gjerdingen with an added bass line). 4-3 suspensions are present in
a passage in Mozart’s Attwood Studies that Gjerdingen identifies as a Monte Romanesca (p. 103).
In his online edition of Durante’s Partimenti diminuiti (partimenti in which the composer
supplied brief passages for the right hand to give the student hints about how to realize the bass),
Gjerdingen refers to several instances of the “up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth movimento” in the bass
without using the term “Monte Romanesca,” presumably because these lack 4-3 suspensions and
the other features of the Monte Romanesca in the narrow sense: http://faculty-
web.at.northwestern.edu/music/gjerdingen/partimenti/collections/Durante/diminuiti/index.htm
Gjerdingen uses the term “Monte Romanesca” in reference to a passage in François Bazin’s
harmony treatise of 1857 that includes all the melodic and contrapuntal elements of the Monte
Romanesca (in the narrow sense) in “Musical Grammar,” Oxford Handbooks Online (published
online, January 2015):
http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190454746.001.0001/oxfordhb-
9780190454746-e-2
   5  

Music that nicely exemplifies the fluidity of the line that separates the Monte
Romanesca as defined broadly and narrowly, and helps to explain why Gjerdingen
sometimes applies a single term to both, is in a set of variations in A minor by Domenico
Zipoli, published in 1716 as part of a set entitled Sonate d’intavolatura per organo e
cimbalo. The seconda parte of the binary theme begins with a rising-fifths sequence.
Although the up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth bass movimento is clear, the right-hand part lacks
the other characteristic features of the Monte Romanesca in the narrow sense. But the
analogous passage in the first variation presents a “textbook” example of the Monte
Romanesca as narrowly construed (Example 3).

Ex. 3. Domenico Zipoli, Partite in A minor, from Sonate d’intavolatura per organo e cimbalo
(1716), mm. 1–16 (theme and variation 1). In this and most subsequent examples, asterisks mark
the beginning of canonic parts of the Monte Romanesca. Performance: Susan Alexander-Max on
piano by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1720), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85x5RK3Hbv8

œ
œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
.. .. .
œ
Up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth

œ # œ # œ ˙˙ œœœ
Partita 1 (= Theme) movimento

&c œ J ˙ œ
j
œ ˙ ˙˙ œ . œ œ . œ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ˙ . # œ
? c œ # œœ ˙ ˙œ œ œ ˙ ˙
œ ˙ .. .. œ œ œ œ
Ó Œ
1 5

#œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ. œœœ œ œ œ ˙˙ .. .. œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ
6 Partita 2 (= Variation 1)

& ˙
j ˙
œ
? œ œ œœ œœ œ˙
. œ œœ œ œœ # œœ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙œ œ œ
œ # œ œ œœ œ˙ # œ ˙˙ .. ..
2 6 3

œ œ œ œ œ œ
& œ œ # œ # œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ # œ ˙ ..
MONTE ROMANESCA in C with canon at the fourth below

œ #œ ˙˙
12
*

˙
œ œ œ œ
œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
* [4-3]

˙ ˙ œ œ œœ
[4-3]

? œ
[4-3]

˙ . . œ œ œ œ .
[4-3]

œ . . œ œ œœœ œœœ œ œ .
Œ
1 5 2 6 3

The Monte Romanesca in its broad sense was an important part of the eighteenth-
century musical language. The frequency with which it appears in pedagogical treatises
suggests that musicians considered a mastery of the rising-fifths sequence to be one of the
essential first steps in the education of musicians. Friedrich Erhard Niedt (1674–1717)
showed how the basic up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth bass movimento could be elaborated in
various ways (Example 4), then how the beginner could use figuration appropriate to the
                                                                                                               
 
   6  

keyboard to improvise over the bass (Example 5). Note that none of the suggested
realizations involves the characteristic features of the Monte Romanesca as narrowly
defined. Johann Andreas Sorge (1703–1778), a musician of the next generation,
introduced his students to a variant of the rising-fifths sequence that (for reasons to be
discussed below) skips the third stage of the sequence (Example 6). Again, his
realizations lack the contrapuntal features of the Monte Romanesca in the narrow sense
(Example 7).

Ex. 4. Friedrich Erhard Niedt, a bass exemplifying the up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth bass movimento
with four variations, from Handleitung zur Variation (Hamburg, 1706), chapter 4

?c ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œœœœ
1 5 2 6 4 1 5 1 5 2 6
1

? œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œœœ œœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
œ œ œ œ œ œœ˙ œœœœœœœœ
4 1 5 1 1 5 2 6

? œ œœœœœœœœœœœœ 3 œ œ . œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ
œœ œ œœœœœœ˙ 4 œ . œJ œ
4 1 5 1 1 5 2

? œ . œJ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ . œj œ œ œ œ
J œ œ œ . œj œ œ ˙ . c œ œ œ œ œœœœœœœœ
6 4 1 5 1 1 5
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
?œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
2 4 5 1
6 1

In this paper I will use the term Monte Romanesca (henceforth MR) in the narrow
sense, limiting myself to examples that contain, in addition to the bass that rises a fifth
and falls a fourth, at least one of the contrapuntal/melodic elements mentioned above and
exemplified in Zipoli’s Variation 1.
Gjerdingen is right to hear “Handelian grandeur” in the passage in Example 1 in
which Mozart used the MR. He also points us in the right direction when he describes the
MR elsewhere as “an important part of the ‘strict’ or sacred style taught in many
partimenti.”8 Inspired by Gjerdingen’s insights, and also by the work of Vasili Byros on
the Le-Sol-Fi-Sol and the Stabat Mater Prinner and Olga Sánchez-Kisielewska on the
Romanesca/Hymn topic,9 I will explore the historical background of the MR, in the hope
                                                                                                               
8
Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style, 103.
9
Byros, Foundations of Tonality and Vasili Byros, “Topics and Harmonic Schemata: A Case
from Beethoven,” The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory, ed. Danuta Mirka (New York, 2014,
381–414; Olga Sanchez-Kisielewska, “Interactions between Topics and Schemata: The Sacred
   7  

of reconstructing the network of meanings that eighteenth-century composers might have

wanted to convey with their use of this pattern.

Ex. 5. Niedt, keyboard figuration used in the realization of the up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth
movimento (from Handleitung zur Variation, chapter 6)

MONTE ROMANESCA broadly defined

&c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙
?c ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
1 5 2 6
MONTE ROMANESCA

& œœ œ œœœ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœœœœœœœœœ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œœ œ œ

œ œ
?˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
1 5 2 6
MONTE ROMANESCA

& œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙˙ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? ˙ ˙ ˙
˙ ˙ ˙
1 5 2 6

œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
MONTE ROMANESCA

& œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ˙ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ

œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙
?˙ ˙
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
1 5

œ œ œ
& œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙ ‰ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœœ
MONTE ROMANESCA

œ œ
J
˙
?˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ
˙
2 6 1 5

œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œœJ œ œ œ œ ˙˙
J
?œ œ œ œ œ ‰ J
œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ
j
œ œ œ œ ˙
2 6

                                                                                                               
Romanesca Case,” paper given at the meeting of the Society for Eighteenth-Century Music,
Austin, Texas, 25–28 February 2016
   8  

Ex. 6. Georg Andreas Sorge, up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth movimento that skips the sequence’s third
stage, from Vorgemach der musicalischen Composition (Lobenstein, 1745), Tab. II.3

œ œ
?c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ

Ex. 7. Sorge, up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth movimento that skips the sequence’s third stage, from
Anleitung zur Fantasie, oder zu der schönen Kunst das Clavier, wie auch andere Instrumente aus
dem Kopfe zu spielen (Lobenstein, 1767), Tab. XVI.8

œ œ ˙ œ
LULLY

b ˙ œ
&b c ˙ œ œ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA broadly defined, with Stage 3 omitted

œ œ œ œ ˙
6 5

? bb c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
6 4 3
6

1 5 2 6 4 1

b ˙ œ œ 4˙
PRINNER (inverted)

&b œ œ œ 2˙ œ
1
œ œ ˙ œœ˙
4
3 CADENZA DOPPIA

? b œ œ5 œ œ6 œ7 œ œ œ œ7 œ œ œ œ7 œ œ œ œ7 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ6 œ4
2 6

b œ œ˙
3

1 suspended 1 ! " # $
7

Corelli’s MR

Even in a historical survey, it is generally a mistake to try to identify the first use of a
schema. Since my focus is on the eighteenth century, it may suffice to say that Arcangelo
Corelli (whose first set of trio sonatas was published in 1681 and who died in 1713) used
the MR often and with great effect. As a composer revered in the eighteenth century, his
frequent use of the pattern probably encouraged later musicians to follow his example.
One of the earliest examples of the MR in Corelli’s oeuvre is in Op. 1, No. 3; and
already here it serves a purpose that it will serve in many of Corelli’s later works—or, to
be more cautious, works published later. It sounds only once, late in the movement; it sets
up the final cadence. After a series of striking and beautiful passages it offers something
new, something fresh. In this sense, it goes beyond what we have heard so far, serving as
the movement’s climax (Example 8).
Corelli often turned to the MR in quasi-fugal fast movements to enhance their
energy and excitement as they approach their conclusion. In the second movement of the
trio sonata opus 3 No. 1, an imitative Allegro, an MR gives the end of the movement an
unexpected jolt (Example 9). In the Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No 2, Corelli built on the
momentum generated by a leapfrog ascent, using it as a platform from which to launch an
MR (Example 10; No. 2, Allegro); again it comes quite close to the end of the movement.
   9  

Ex. 8. Arcangelo Corelli, Trio Sonata in A major, Op. 1 No. 3 (1681), Grave (complete).
Performance: Musica Amphion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tis4Gt5LnE

SOL-FA-MI
!œ "
SOL-FA-MI

˙
# ˙. œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ
#œ ˙ œ # œœ
! #
˙œ
" #
& # c ˙.
Grave

#œ # œ œœ œ # œœ œœ œœ
#6 #4
? ## c ˙. œ5 œ # œ6 7œ 7œ
6

œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ
6 6 7 7 5 2

œ
1 2 5 1 25 1
UP-A-FIFTH, DOWN-A-
FOURTH MOVIMENTO DOWN--A-THIRD,

# œœ .œ # œ œ œ œ œœn.œ œ . œ œ œ .
UP-A-SECOND MOVIMENTO

## !œ "
˙ œ œ œ œ œ œœ . œ . œ œ œ . j œ œ œ
œ
SOL-FA-MI

œœ œ
LONG COMMA
#
# œœ ˙
6

& œ œ œ
Œ
? ## œ œ œ œ ˙ œ # œ œ œ #œ œ
6 6 9 8
4 6 7

œ
5 6 9 8 5

˙ œ
5

2 5 1 5 2 6 7 1
MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the

œœ # œœœ. œ .œ œ œ . œ œ œ . # œ œ œœ œ œ
fifth above

# # œ œ œœ œ œœœ œ œœœœ œœœ

CADENZA DOPPIA *

œ
LONG COMMA

& œ . œ# œ . œ .œ œ œ œ œœ # # œœ œœ œœ . œ.œ œ
10

#3 4- #3
*

œ. j
7

? ## œ #œ ˙ ˙
4-3 4-3

œœœ ˙
4 6 5 4-3 9-8

œ
8

˙ ˙
6 7 1 4 5 1 1 5

# # œœ. œ œ ˙ œ œ # œ œ œœ œ #œ œ œ œ œ ˙
CADENZA DOPPIA
CADENZA DOPPIA

˙ œ œ œ œ # œ œœ ˙œ # œ ˙
14

& œ œ . œ
‰J
#
? ## œ œ 5œ œ
6

œ ˙
9-8

˙
7 6

œ
4-3 7 5

˙ œ ˙
3 4 4-3

˙
2 5 6 4 5 1 4 5 1

The Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 7 shows Corelli once again using the MR as a pre-
cadential climax (Example 11).
Despite Corelli’s frequent use of the MR to signal the approaching end of a
movement, the schema is also distinctive in the variety of ways in which it could end: a
variety that is related to the fact that, at the third stage in the sequence, composers
encountered dissonance, both melodic and harmonic, that essentially blocked them from
going further. They reacted to this roadblock by breaking off the sequence and preparing
a cadence, either in the same key as that of the schema or in some other key, sometimes
   10  

Ex. 9. Corelli, Trio Sonata, Op. 3 No. 1, Allegro, mm. 32–37. Performance: Musica Amphion,
https://youtu.be/R03zBfuOvcQ?t=3m11s

MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fifth above

œ œ œœ œ
LONG COMMA

œ œ œ œ œ œ Jœ œœ œ œœ œ
*

œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Allegro

&b c œ J J J
œ
J
*J

œ œ
5 5 5 5 5

? cœ œ œ œ œ
6 5

œ œ œ œ
4-3 4–3 4-3 4-3 5 4-3

œ œ
4-3

b
9–8

œ
1 5 2 6 3 6 7 1

j
‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ Adagio
CADENZA DOPPIA

œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ. œœ ˙œ œ w
&b œ
3

œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ ˙ w
J
œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ 4˙ 5 4-3
5 7 6 5

? ˙
5 5-6 7 6

J ˙
4-3 9-8

b œ
4-3

œ w

Ex. 10. Corelli, Concerto grosso in F, Op. 6 No. 2, Allegro, mm. 42–48. Performance: Voices of
Music, https://youtu.be/-RQqdumu7SI?t=5m

LONG COMMA

Œ !˙ œ œ œ œ˙ œ
œ˙ œ œ œ "œ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fifth above

˙ œ
CORELLI LEAPFROG

˙ ˙ œ
Allegro

œ œ œ œ œ
&b c
*

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
6 *

? c œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ
3 6 6

Œ Œ Œ œ Œ
4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3

J œ
6 5 6

b
9 5 5

6 7 1 5 2 6

j" j #!
œ
CLAUSULA VERA

œœ œ œ œ #œ
LONG COMMA

œ
œ .œ œ œœ. œ nœ Œ
PASSO

œ
œ ˙ ˙
!
œ œ
INDIETRO

&b
46

Ó
œ œ ˙ n6
6 6

? œ
5 9
5

Œ ˙
4 8 4 3 7

˙ œ bœ œ œ
3

b
3 6 7 1 6 5
   11  

Ex. 11. Corelli, Concerto grosso in D, Op. 6 No. 7, Allegro, mm. 27–36. Performance: Musica
Amphion, https://youtu.be/rR8sfINxVe4?t=1h13m35s

Œ ˙
## œ ˙ œ* œœ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ ˙œ œ œ œ˙ ˙ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fourth below

˙ œ œœ œœ œ
Allegro

& c œ œ œ œ œ

. œ œ œ œ œ œ 6 4œ œ œ6 œ œ4 6 9 œ œ 4 3 9 8
*

œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœœœœ
9 4

? ## c œœ
6 4

œ ˙ ˙
6 4 6

J œ
1 5 2 6 3

# # ˙œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙œ ˙ ˙ œ œ n œ œ œ # w
Adagio
œ
32

& œ œ œ œ ˙n . œ J w
œ 6 œ œ
? ## œ œ œ # œ œ œ # œ6 œ
œ œ œ œ œ
4

œ œ œ
7 4

œœœ œ œ
6 4 9 9 7 3
7 6 4

œ #œ ˙
5

w
quite distant from key in which the MR began; or they simply skipped the third stage of
the sequence, moving directly from the second stage to the fourth (as Sorge did in
Examples 6 and 7). When the MR begins, there is no way to know for sure where it will
lead.
Johann Philipp Krieger demonstrated the tonal adventurousness that the schema
allowed in the first of the twelve trio sonatas that he published in Nürnberg in 1688 (just
seven years after the publication of Corelli’s Opus 1 and exactly 100 years before Mozart
wrote the Symphony in G minor; Example 12). The passage starts in B flat major and
ends in A minor.

Ex. 12. Johann Philipp Krieger, Trio Sonata No. 1 in D minor, from XII Suonate à due violini
(Nürnberg, 1688). Performance: Parnassi Musici, https://youtu.be/haBXWQZQfqg?t=1m54s
MONTE ROMANESCA
with canon at the fourth below

Œ œ œ Œ Œ j j œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ
CLAUSULA VERA *

œ
Adagio

œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ b œ b œ . œ
œ œ œ œ . œ œœ œ œ œœ
in B flat

& b c œ œœ .. œœ œ œ œ
! ΠJ ΠΠ*
b
? c bœ. œ œ. ˙
7-6

œ
4-3 4-3

˙ ˙
6 5

b w w ˙
6 6

J J
1 5=1in F 5
œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ n œ œ œ#.œ œ œjœ œ
œ œ œ œœ œ . .
b J Œ
6

&
#
? ˙ ˙ ˙
˙
4-3 4-3 4-3 4

b ˙
2 6 3= 1 in A minor 5 1  
   12  

Often, as in the examples 8–11, the breaking off of the sequence involves a
particular kind of Long Comma that begins with a 6/5 chord—what I call the Corelli
Long Comma, a schema that coexisted with the MR for many decades.

The MR in J. S. Bach and Handel

The MR’s potential for canonic writing and the variety of tonal destinations that it offered
were among the features of this schema that endeared it to composers of the generation
that followed Corelli, such as Handel and J. S. Bach.
I’ve yet to find an example in Corelli of the MR at the beginning of a movement,
that is, the schema being used as a movement’s principal thematic material. But Bach
obviously liked to use it this way. We find it works from several parts of his life, from the
the very early cantata “Der Herr denket an uns” (Example 13). In the Notebook for
Wilhelm Friedemann, J. S. made sure his son had command of the schema (Example 14).
In the cantata “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin” (Leipzig, 1725) the wonderful duet
“Ein unbegreiflich Licht” makes repeated use of it (Example 15).

Ex. 13. J. S. Bach, Der Herr denket an uns, BWV 196 (1708?), “Der Herr segne euch,” mm. 8–
From the cantata No. 196, "Der Herr denket an uns und segnet uns."
15. Translation: “May the Lord bless you more and more.” Performance: Jos van Veldhoven,
Translation: May the Lord bless you more and more, you and your children
cond., https://youtu.be/H6mAsmggmxs?t=6m38s

MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fourth below

˙ Ó˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙. œ ˙ Ó˙ . ˙ œ ˙˙
Der Herr seg - ne euch, der Herr seg - ne euch der Herr

˙. œ ˙
?3 ˙
2 ˙ ˙ . œ ˙ ˙
Ó Ó Ó Ó
Der Herr seg - ne euch, der Herr seg - ne euch

?3 ˙ w w ˙
NB: No 4-3 suspensions

2 ˙ w ˙ w ˙
1 5 2
˙ 6 3
CORELLI LONG COMMA

˙. œ ˙ œ ˙. ˙ œ œœ œ ˙ . œ ˙ Ó
seg - ne euch, je mehr und mehr, je mehr und mehr

? ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ œ ˙. œ ˙
12

je mehr und mehr, je mehr, je mehr und mehr

?
6

w w
5

˙
[9]

w ˙
5

˙ w
6 7 1
   13  

Ex. 14. J. S. Bach, Prelude in C major, BWV 924 (from the Notebook of Wilhelm Friedemann
Bach, 1720), mm. 1–5. Performance: Kenneth Gilbert, harpsichord,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niW1oM3XwGQ

c ! œ œ ! œ œ ! œ œ ! œ œ œ ! œœ! œœ! œœ!œœœ

MONTE ROMANESCA

& œ œ œ œ œ œ

Mœ Mœ Mœ
[4]

?c œ œ
[4] [3]

œ
[6] [4] [3] [3]

œ œ
1 5 2 6

œœ œœ œœœ œœ !œœœ!œœœ!œœœ! œœ ! œ œ ! œ œ
CORELLI LONG COMMA CORELLI LONG COMMA in A minor

& !œ !œ ! !œ
3

œ œ œ
Mœ Mœ
[3] [6

œ #Mœ
[6

œ œ
[6 5] [6

?œ #œ
5]

œ
5] 9 [6] [6]

œ
[4] 5] [9]

3 6 7 1 6 7 1

Ex. 15. Bach, Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125, “Ein unbegreiflich Licht” (1725),
mm. 1–6. Performance: Nico der Meel, tenor; Bas Ramselaar, bass; Netherlands Bach Collegium,
Peter Jan Leusing, cond., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy2VqjG5OZM

œ .œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ .œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ .œ œ œ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA

# ‰
œ œ œ œ . .
*

& c œ œœ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ
Ó œ ‰ *
œ
Canon at the

6 œ œ
œ n œ œ 3
fourth below

œ œ œ
5

?# c œ œ œ # œ
4

œ œ œ œ
3

Œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ
4 6 4

œ # œ
6 4 3

œ œœœœ œ
3

1 5 2 6 3 _

PRINNER
"
# œœœ œ œ œœ .œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ # œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ . œœ œœ œœ .œ œ œœ œœ .. œœ œœ
$
.
!
œ œ œ . œ œ˙ .œ œ œ œ œ œ
4

& œ œ œœœœ œ
4 3 1
6
2
‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
6

?# œ
_ 6 5 6

‰ œ œ
9 5 8 6

œ œ œ œ
3 7

œ
5

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
   14  

Two of these examples are duets; possibly the strong association between the MR
and canon led Bach—and many later composers—to use this schema in duets.
Handel also used the MR at the beginning of a movement—and as part of a
ritornello whose repetition ensured that the schema would be a dominant feature of the
movement—in the Andante of his Organ Concerto, Op. 4 No. 4 (Example 16).10 He
deployed the MR with great gusto, three times in three different keys, with repeated
sixteenth-notes that intensify the effect of the suspensions, in the Allegro of his Concerto
Grosso in D, Opus 6 No. 5 (Example 17).
Another German member of Bach and Handel’s generation, Gottfried Stölzel, also
used the MR thematically, in his German Te Deum. In the brief opening chorus we hear
the schema twice: right at the beginning (Example 18), and about half-way through.
The use of the MR in vocal music by J. S. Bach and his contemporaries
encourages us to start thinking about what this particular pattern might have meant to
them beyond its canonic potential and its appropriateness for duets. First of all, the vocal
music is mostly sacred; I’ve found few examples of the MR in opera, cantatas, and other
kinds of secular vocal music. The music in which it occurs is predominantly festive. It is
music for celebration, praise, and thanks-giving.

Ex. 16. Handel, Organ Concerto, Op. 4 No. 4 (1735–1736), Andante, mm. 1–5. Performance:
Simon Preston and the English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, cond.,
https://youtu.be/u5VdopDf3eI?t=3m46s

MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fifth above or the fourth below CORELLI

b ‰ œ œ œ œ.nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
LONG COMMA

œ œ œ œ. œ œ
Andante

& b c œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ
*

‰
? b c ˙ ˙ œ œ
[6

˙ ˙
* [4-3]

b ˙
[4-3] [4-3] [4-3] 5]

1 5 2 6 3 6 7
CADENZA DOPPIA

b œ œ œ œœ . œ œœ . œ œ œ
& b œœ œœ . œ œ œ œ œ œ
4

? b œ œ œ œ œ œ
[9]

b œ œ œ
1

                                                                                                               
10
William Jones, A Treatise on the Art of Music (Colchester, 1784), 33, cites this passage as “a
good example” of a bass that “proceeds by Fourths descending or Fifths ascending”; but in
typical eighteenth-century fashion he does not mention the contrapuntal and melodic features that
make this passage an example of the MR.
   15  

Ex. 17. Handel, Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 5, Allegro. Performance: Tafelmusik, Jeanne Lamon,
cond., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VqPFjMrXEY

a) mm. 9–12: Monte Romanesca in D

œ œ@ œ@ œœ@ @œœ œœ@ œ@ œœ@ !œœ œœ@ œ "œ@œ œ@

MONTE ROMANESCA in D CORELLI LONG COMMA

# # œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ@œ
Allegro

œ œ œ
& c œ œ œ œ
J
œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œœ œ
? ## c œ œ œ œ œ6 œ 4œ œ 6œ œ 5 œ 5 œ6œ œ
8

œ
6 6

œ œ œ œ œ œ
4 6

œ œ œ œ
4

œ
4 6 9

1 5 2 6 3 6 7 1

b) mm. 23–26: Monte Romanesca in A

œ@ œ@ # œœ@ œ@œ œ@ œ@ œœ@ # œ@œ œ@ œ@ œ@ œ@ œ@

CORELLI LONG COMMA

## @ œœ œ œ œœ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA

& c œœœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œœ œ œœ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ[4-3] œ œ œ #œ œ œ
6

? ## c œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ
[4-3] [9]

œ
[4-3] [4-3] 5

œ
1 5 2 6 3 6 7 1

c) mm. 52–56: Monte Romanesca in G/D

@ @ @ @
# # n œ@œ œ@ œ@ œœ@ œ@œ œœ œ œœ@ œ@œ œœ œœ œœœ@ œ œœ@œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
CORELLI LONG COMMA in D

œœ@œ
MONTE ROMANESCA

& c œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ5 œ
? ## c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
6 6
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 5
4 6

œ œ
1 5 = 1 in D 5 2 6 3 6 7 1
   16  

Ex. 18. Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, German Te Deum, mm. 1–5. Translation: “Lord God, we
thank thee.” Performance: Kammerchor der Marien-Kantorei Lemgo, Rainer Johannes Homburg,
cond., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j_hwZ8gcyI

MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fourth below

## ‰ j j j j j
Herr Gott, wir dan - - - ken dir, wir dan - - - ken

& c œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ . œ œ œ œ œœ
*

Ó ‰ *J J J J J
j j j
Herr Gott, wir dan - - - ken dir, wir

j j
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj œj œj œ
Herr Gott, wir dan - - - ken dir, Herr Gott wir dan - ken

œ
? ## c ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œJ œ
œ
J J J œ J J J œ
‰
# œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
Herr Gott, wir dan - ken dir, Herr Gott, wir dan - ken

œœ
& # c œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
6

? ## c œ
6

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
6 6

œ œ
1 5 2 6
NB: no 4-3 suspensions

CIRCLE-OF-FIFTHS PRINNER in D CADENCE in B minor!

# œ œ
dir, Herr Gott, wir dan - - - - - - - ken

œ œ ˙ œ œ
& # œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ
œ # œœ
3

œ
J ! ‰ J " ‰ œJ # ‰ œJ œ$ ‰ œ

j j j œj j
dan - - ken dir, wir dan - - - - - - - ken

j
dir, -Herr Gott wir dan - - - - - - - - - - ken

œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ
? # # œ œ œJ œ œ . œ . œ ˙œ . œ ˙œ . œ œœ . œ
J J J J J œ œ œ
J
## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œŸ
dir, Herr Gott, wir dan - - - - - - - - - - ken

& œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
#
œ œ œ œ œ
6

? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
7 6 6 7 6 7 6
7 5

œ œ œ œ œ œ
3 4 3 2 1

The Galant MR: Porpora, C. H. Graun, and C. P. E. Bach

Early galant composers were equally fond of the MR, and they continued to use it often
in duets. But in placing it within movements, they came closer to Corelli than to Handel
and Bach. It rarely pervades whole movements as in the music by Handel and Bach.
Galant composers often used it only once in a movement, and treated it as a special
effect. They continued to associate the MR with sacred music, but not just festive music;
they found it appropriate in the setting of somber, even tragic texts.
   17  

Nicola Porpora, despite being born just a year after Bach and Handel, played an
important role in the spread of the galant style. His De profundis, written for the young
women at the Ospedeletto, one of the famous Venetian conservatories, contains a chorus,
“Quia apud te,” in which the MR comes late in the movement and plays a climactic, pre-
cadential role (Example 19). Porpora used the MR again, in a more somber context, in the
Sei duetti sulla passione del Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo, composed in Vienna in 1754
(Example 20); the text refers to the nails holding Christ to the cross.

Ex. 19. Nicola Porpora, De profundis (1744), “Quia apud te,” mm. 20–24 (out of 30).
Translation: “Lord.” Performance: Vocal Concert Dresden, Peter Kopp, cond.,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjkR4Hb0t0M

j œ.
Andante
b œœ œ œ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fifth above

& b 68 œœ . œ œœJ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
*

*J
J
b 6 j
(Do) - - - - - - - - - - - - -

& b 8 œœ. œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ
J œ. œ.

œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ
(Do) - - - - - - - - - - - - -

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b 6 œ œ œ œ
&b 8 œ œ œ œ œ

? b 6 œ œ œ œ
4 5 5

œ œ œ œ
2 5 6 3

œ œ œ
3 4

b 8 œ
2 4

1 5 2

j j j
b b œœ œœ . œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ œ
195

& J J œ œ
J J
b j r j
- - - - - - - - - - - - - mi - ne

& b œ. œ. œ.
œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ
œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ ..
œ œ
œ œ
R œJ
j
œ
- - - - - - - - - - - - - mi - ne

bb œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
& œ œ J

? b œ œ œ œœœœ 5 j
6

œ œ
5

œ œ œ œ
5

œ œ œ
9 7

b œ
4 3 4 3 8

œ
6
   18  

Ex. 20. Porpora, Sei duetti sulla passione di nostro signore Gesù Cristo, “Crimen Adae quantum
constat,” mm. 53–59. Translation: “See the nails and the torments, the pains of a grieving
mother.” Performance: Stile Galante, https://youtu.be/MyDIUmC2ErU?t=3m35s

œ œ œ
Adagio sostenuto
b œ. œ œ œ œ œ
&b c Ó Œ
MONTE ROMANESCA with canon at the fifth above

J
Vi - de cla - vos et tor - men -

b ˙
& b c œ. œ œ œ Œ ˙ bœ œ œ
*

J
Vi - de cla - vos et tor - men - - - -

œ œ bœ œ œ
? b c œ
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ
4 5 6

œ
6 7 7 6 4 6 4 6

b œ œ nœ #œ
4

1 5 6
2

b œ œ ˙ œ. œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ
CORELLI LONG COMMA CADENCE in F

˙ œ Œ
&b J J J J J J J
4
! " COMMA in F

- - - - - - - ta ma - tris pae - nas de - so - la - tae

b ˙ œ œ j
&b œ ˙ Œ œ. œ œ œ
! "
œ œ œ J J
b6 n6 n
- - - - - - - - - ta ma - tris pae-nas

? b œ n œ œ œ 5œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n ˙
7

œ œ œ
6

œ
9 7 4 3

œ
4 4 6

b
5

1 7 1
3 6 7

A rare operatic use of the MR shows how closely galant composers continued to
associate this schema with duets. Act 2 of Carl Heinrich Graun’s Cesare e Cleopatra
(1742) ends with a quartet in da-capo form. The B-section begins with a passage for
Cleopatra and Cesare alone, and Graun contributed to the duet-like character of this
passage by having his prima donna and primo uomo sing an MR (Example 21).
A passage in C. P. E Bach’s Magnificat seems to acknowledge his father’s love of
the MR and use of it in duets. But Bach, immersed in the galant aesthetic, used it just
once, saving it for a special moment—in this case the expression of a single word, a
single idea: “exaltavit.” Bach skillfully set up the MR with a three-stage Monte; the rise
of the Monte Romanesca is all the more spectacular becomes it builds on the rise of the
Monte directly before it. Again, as in the passage from Porpora’s “Quia apud te,” the MR
sets up an important cadential arrival (Example 22).
   19  

Ex. 21. Carl Heinrich Graun, Cesare e Cleopatra (1742), “All’armi,” mm. 46–58 (duet-like
passage at the beginning of the B-section). Translation: Cesare “You’re weeping, my dearest.”
Cleopatra “Sadness overwhelms me.” Together “I will (May you) be victorious fighting for you
(me). Performance: Rene Jacobs, cond., https://youtu.be/MVj0Dw9O04s?t=1m30s  

MONTE ROMANESCA in G
with canon at the fifth above

Ó Œ Ó
Cleopatra
Allegro
## ˙
c œ œ
M'op - pri - me!il do - lo - re.

œ œ œ nœ nœ œ nœ
j
& œ œ j
œ œœ œ œœ
Cesare

Ó
œ œ
j
œŒ
JJ
j
Tu pian - gi mio co - re. Sa - rò vin -ci -

## œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& c ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœœ
p nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? ## c ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
J
1

# Πj j j j j
COMMA in D

j ˙ œ œ œ œ
œœ œ œœ œ œ œ n œ œ œ˙ œ œ œœ œ œœœ œ œ
Sii pur vin - ci - to - re pu - gnan - do per
me, pu - gnan - - - - - -

& # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.
50

œ œ œ œ œœœ œœ
J J J J J - -
to - re pu -gnan - do per te, pun - gnan - - - - - - - -

# ˙ œ œœœ
& # ˙œ œ œ ˙œ œ œ œ˙ n œ œ œ˙ œ œ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ [4] œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Jœ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
[3] [4]

? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
[4]

œœœœœœ œ œ œœœœœœ œ œ
[3]

œœœ œ œœœ œ
5 6 7 in D 1
2

# j œ j j œj j -
œ œ œj œ œj œj œ œ œj œj œ œ œ j œj œ
PONTE

& # œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ
- - - - - - - do, pu - gnan - do per me, pu - gnan - do per me.

œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
54

œ œ œ J œœ œ œ J J œ œ œ
J - J- J- - J J J J J J
j j j j j j
# # œj œ œ
- -

j
- - do, pu - gnan - do per te, pu - gnan - do per te.

& œœ œ
œœ
œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ
œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
œ œœ J œ œ œ œ
J J J J J J J œ œ
œœ œœœ œ
? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Œ Ó ‰ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
5
   20  

Ex. 22. C. P. E. Bach, Magnificat (1749), “Deposuit potentes,” mm. 37–51. Translation: “And he
lifted up the humble.” Performance: Ruth Sandhoff, mezzo; Andreas Karasiak, tenor; La Stagione
Frankfurt, Michael Schneider, cond., https://youtu.be/WprbvZzdxOQ?t=21m30s

Allegretto MONTE in G: IV. . . V...

FENAROLI in C FENAROLI in D

&c j j œ
se - de, et ex - al - ta - - - - - - - - vit hu - - - - mi -

œ œ ˙ œœ œœ œœ # œÓ œ ˙ œœ
œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ #œ œ
et ex - al - ta - vit, et ex - al 3 -

Œ Œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ # œœ œ œ œœ # œ œ œœ œ œ
3 3

œ
3 3

& c œœœ œœ œ œœ
3

œœ Ó œ œ Œ Ó
œ Œ Œ
?c œ3 œ
b
œœ œ4 + #œ
4 6

œ œœ
9 8 6

Ó Œ Ó Œ
8

#œ
6

œ
4 2 5 9 6 5

œ
3

vi Canon at the fourth below

FENAROLI in E

j j
LONG COMMA in G MONTE ROMANESCA

œ ˙ # œœ œœ œ œœ . œ ˙ ˙œ
les, et ex - al - ta - - - - vit hu - mi - les, ex - al - ta - - - - -

œ # œœ
41

& # œœ œœ œÓ œ œ œ
*

Œ #œ J
œ œ *
ta - vit, et ex 3 - al 3 - ta - vit hu - - les,mi et ex - al -

Œ #œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
#œ œ œ œ œ *œœ œ œ œ œ œ
3 3
Canon at the fifth above 3

& œ Œ Ó œ œ œ œ œ
Œ œœ œœ 6 3
œ
œ8 5œ œ 3 œœ œœ
? œ#œ œ Œ œ œ # œ5
*

œ œ 6œ 3 œ #œ œ
6

Ó
9 4 6 9 8 3

3
6 7 1

œ œ ˙ ˙œ ˙˙ ˙
- - vit, ex - al - ta - - - - - - - - - - - -

& œ˙ œ œ
45

˙ œ œ ˙

œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ
ta 3 - - 3 - - - - - - vit, ex - al 3 - ta 3 - - 3 - - - -
3

& œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ
œ n 3 œ œ œ3
?œ
3

œ œ œ œ
4 3

œ œ œ Œ
3 4 3
4 3 3

5 2 6

j
CORELLI GRAND CADENCE

˙ ˙ œ
LONG COMMA in C

˙ œ œ œ œ. œ œ
48 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vit hu - mi - les.

&w ˙. œ œ ˙ œ. œ œ
! "- J r- les.
‰ œ œ
.
- - - - -3 - - - - - vit hu - - - - mi

œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œœ
3 3 3

&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
6n 3
œ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
6

? œ œ
3 7 9 3 3 6 3

œ
5 5 5 3 5

6 7 1
   21  

Like his father, C. P. E. associated the MR with sacred celebration; but there is surely
something else going on here. This is such an intense and expressive passage that it
naturally raises the question of what the MR itself is contributing to it, what the MR itself
means. It seems to take us into a new realm. We get an almost palpable sense of a door
that opens and reveals something astonishing—something that I’m tempted to call the
sublime.

The MR as a Signifier of the Sublime

The sublime was one of the most important concepts in eighteenth-century aesthetic
theory, and is the subject of a vast amount of scholarship.11 Under the title Traité du
Sublime (Treatise on the sublime) the French poet and critic Nicolas Boileau published in
1674 a translation with commentary of an obscure treatise on rhetoric by an ancient
Greek writer so obscure that we don’t even know his name; today he’s know as Pseudo-
Longinus. Boileau made “le Sublime” (the English “sublime” is borrowed directly from
the French) an aesthetic category that fascinated the eighteenth century. For Boileau the
sublime was primarily a literary concept. Later writers, primarily in England, went
further afield, finding the sublime in all the arts, the natural world, mathematics, morality,
and religion. The most famous of the English writers on the sublime, Edmund Burke,
author of Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and
Beautiful (1757) presented the beautiful and the sublime as two mutually exclusive
categories.12 Written in plain English, reprinted often, and translated quickly into French
and German, Burke’s treatise ensured that the sublime continued to be a hot topic
throughout the rest of the century.  
There was much debate about what actually constituted the sublime, and Burke
himself had some eccentric ideas on the subject. But a certain amount of consensus
emerged. John Baillie’s pamphlet “An Essay on the Sublime” published in 1747, defines
the sublime in terms of its effect on the person who perceives it.13 A passage heavily
indebted to Pseudo-Longinus presents a view with which many eighteenth-century
readers would have agreed:

Few are so insensible, as not to be struck even at first view with what is truly sublime;
and every person upon seeing a grand object is affected with something which as it were
extends his very being, and expands it to a kind of immensity. Thus in viewing the
heavens, how is the soul elevated; and stretching itself to larger scenes and more
extended prospects, in a noble enthusiasm of grandeur quits the narrow earth, darts from
planet to planet, and takes in worlds at one view! Hence comes the name of sublime to
every thing which thus raises the mind to fits of greatness, and disposes it to soar above
her mother earth; hence arises that exultation and pride which the mind ever feels from
the consciousness of its own vastness. That object only can be justly called the sublime,
                                                                                                               
11
For an authoritative study with up-to-date bibliography, see Robert Doran, The Theory of the
Sublime from Longinus to Kant (Cambridge, 2015).
12
Quotations below are from the fifth edition (London, 1767).
13
John Baillie, An Essay on the Sublime (1747), transcribed in
http://www.earthworks.org/sublime/Baillie/index.html All quotations below are derived from
this transcription.
   22  

which in some degree disposes the mind to this enlargement of itself, and gives her a
lofty conception of her own powers.
This exalted sensation, then, will always determine us to a right judgment; for
wherever we feel the elevated disposition, there we are sure the sublime must be.14

Baillie’s definition is wonderfully practical. If you feel “this exalted sensation,”

then whatever caused it is sublime. If we, listening to C. P. E. Bach’s MR, feel an
“exalted sensation” then the music is, by definition, sublime. That some of Bach’s north-
German contemporaries described his music (especially the late choral Heilig) as sublime
could serve to strengthen the validity of our perception.15 We could leave it at that, but
I’d like to go further. Let’s consider (without any attempt at comprehensiveness, and
limiting ourselves to the treatises of Baillie and Burke) some of the characteristics of the
sublime as understood in the eighteenth century:

Magnitude. Burke: “Greatness of dimension is a powerful cause of the sublime.”16

Baillie: “Vast objects occasion vast sensations, and vast sensations give the mind a higher
idea of her own powers.”17 The “immense expanse” of the nocturnal sky, filled with stars,
conveys the sublime. Small size, in contrast, is (for Burke) a crucial feature of the
beautiful.18

Height. We look up at the sky; thus height is another characteristic of the sublime.
Magnitude and height together make great mountains sublime objects. Baillie: “A
flowery vale, or the verdure of a hill, may charm; but to fill the soul, and raise it to the
sublime sensations, the earth must rise into an Alp, or Pyrrhenean, and mountains piled
upon mountains, reach to the very heavens.”19

Infinity. If something is so big or so far away that we cannot see its end, it has the
appearance of being infinite, and thus the potential for expressing the sublime. Burke:
“Infinity has the tendency to fill the mind with that sort of delightful horror, which is the
most genuine effect, and truest test of the sublime.”20 Elsewhere Burke refers to the starry
sky (obviously a Leitmotiv for eighteenth-century discussions of the sublime): “The stars
lie in such apparent confusion, as makes it impossible on ordinary occasions to reckon
them. This gives them the advantage of a sort of infinity.”21

Uncommonness. Baillie: “Though it does not constitute the sublime of natural objects,
[uncommonness] very much heightens its effect upon the mind... Admiration, a passion

                                                                                                               
14
Baillie, An Essay on the Sublime, section 1.
15
Annette Richards, “An Enduring Monument: C. P. E. Bach and the Musical Sublime,” C. P. E.
Bach Studies, ed. Annette Richards (Cambridge, 206), 149–72.
16
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 127.
17
Baillie, An Essay on the Sublime, section 1.
18
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 210–12.
19
Baillie, An Essay on the Sublime, section 1.
20
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 129.
21
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 140.
   23  

always attending the sublime, arises from uncommonness, and constantly decays as the
object becomes more and more familiar.”22

Contrast. Burke: “To make an object very striking, we should make it as different as
possible from the objects with which we have been immediately conversant. . .” Contrast
and uncommonness are related: the more uncommon an object is, the more contrast
between it and adjacent objects.

Difficulty. Burke: “Another source of greatness is Difficulty. When any work seems to
have required immense force and labour to effect it, the idea is grand. Stonehenge,
neither for disposition nor ornament, has any thing admirable; but those huge rude masses
of stone, set on end, and piled each on other, turn the mind on the immense force
necessary for such a work.”23

Loudness. A sublime sound is more likely to be loud than soft. This is also related to
magnitude, since large objects tend to be louder than small ones. Burke: “Excessive
loudness alone is sufficient to overpower the soul, to suspend its action, and to fill it with
terror.”24

Suddenness. Burke: “In everything sudden and unexpected, we are apt to start; that is,
we have a perception of danger, and our nature rouses us to guard against it.”25

Religion and the supernatural. Several of the characteristics of the sublime cited above
led eighteenth-century writers almost inevitably to think of objects of religious devotion,
and supernatural objects more generally, as themselves sublime. Burke’s long
disquisition on power as a source of the sublime concludes with a consideration of the
sublime feelings evoked by the Judeo-Christian God and other deities: “But whilst we
contemplate so vast an object ... we shrink into the minuteness of our own nature, and
are, in a manner, annihilated before him.”26 “In the scripture, where-ever God is
represented as appearing or speaking, every thing terrible in nature is called up to
heighten the awe and solemnity of the divine presence.”27

The sublime was such a crucial part of the eighteenth-century Zeitgeist that
composers were probably just as aware of it as any of their contemporaries, and just as
interested in exploiting it as were painters, architects, poets, playwrights, and novelists.
During the last thirty years or so, many music historians and music theorists have turned
to the Sublime as a way of understanding music of the eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries. The appendix consists of a list of some of the articles and books dealing with
the musical sublime published since 1980. The publications are presented in
chronologically arranged groups to demonstrate the explosion of interest in the musical
                                                                                                               
22
Baillie, An Essay on the Sublime, section 2.
23
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 139.
24
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 151.
25
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 152.
26
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 119.
27
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 121.
   24  

sublime in the 1990s. That interest probably resulted, in part, from the availability of
primary sources (including German sources in English translation) in Peter le Huray and
James Day’s anthology Music and Aesthetics in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth
Centuries (Cambridge, 1981; abridged edition, 1988). In what follows I will contribute to
the conversation by proposing the MR as a device that composers sometimes used to
convey the sublime.
A challenge facing all those who seek the sublime in eighteenth-century music is
that writers of the period made relatively few remarks about the musical sublime. Baillie
pleaded ignorance: “I know so little of music, that I will not pretend to determine the
sublime of it.” That didn’t keep him from proposing one feature of the musical sublime:
“Wind instruments are the most fitted to elevate [the mind], such as hautboy, the trumpet,
and organ.”28
Burke said little about the musical sublime, but he was effusive in describing what
he heard as the beautiful in music. It is characterized by “softness,” “winding surface,”
“unbroken continuance,” “easy gradation.”29 To these characteristics we might add
features that, according to Burke, are typical of the beautiful in general: small size
(perhaps equivalent in musical terms to a small ensemble), smoothness, delicacy, and
gracefulness. He wrote: “The beautiful in music will not bear that loudness and strength
of sounds, which may be used to raise other passions; nor notes, which are shrill or harsh,
or deep; it agrees best with such as are clear, even, smooth, and weak. . . . Great variety,
and quick transitions from measure or tone to another, are contrary to the genius of the
beautiful in music.”30 Since elsewhere Burke described loudness as characteristic of the
sublime, we might reasonably conclude that the loudness, shrillness, harshness, and quick
transitions that are foreign to the beautiful can, at least in some contexts, serve as
elements of the musical sublime.
If we accept loudness as an element of Burke’s musical sublime, we might also
admit magnitude. A big orchestra is louder than a small ensemble; a harpsichord louder
than a clavichord.
Turning from the musical sublime in general to the more limited problem of how
a schema might embody elements of the sublime, it is useful to return to Boileau’s
translation of pseudo-Longinus. Focusing his attention primarily on literature and
rhetoric, Boileau emphasized in his preface that the sublime does not necessarily
characterize whole works. It can be found “in a Thought only, or in a Figure or Turn of
Expression” (dans une seule pensée, dans une seule figure, dans un seul tour de paroles).
The sublime “is something extraordinary and marvelous that strikes us in a discourse and
makes it elevate, ravish and transport us.” (cet extraordinaire et ce merveilleux qui frappe
dans le discours, et qui fait qu’un ouvrage enlève, ravit, transporte).31
“A Thought only,” “a Figure,” and “Turn of Expression” all mean more or less
the same thing, and they all have an obvious counterpart in eighteenth-century music,
namely the voice-leading schema. It seems reasonable to suppose that composers, in

                                                                                                               
28
Baillie, An Essay on the Sublime, section 5.
29
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 233.
30
Burke, Philosophical Enquiry, 234.
31
Quoted in the original and translation, with commentary, in Doran, The Theory of the Sublime,
111.
   25  

looking for ways to express the sublime, should have gravitated toward a particular
schema that they perceived as being somehow appropriate for this purpose.
Several features of the MR, and of the way composers used it, suggest analogies
with eighteenth-century conceptions of the sublime, and make the schema particularly
effective in passages that composers might have hoped would “elevate, ravish and
transport” their listeners.
Mostly obviously, the MR rises, presenting an audible version of the height that is
an important characteristic of the sublime. It doesn’t go straight up, but ascends with a
jagged contour, reminding us of Baillie’s words: “mountains piled upon mountains, reach
to the very heavens.”
The uncertainty about where the schema will end, and to what key it will lead,
calls to mind the quality of the infinite that Burke attributed to the sublime. There is
something infinite about a passage whose ending we cannot predict.
The canonic upper parts so typical of the MR and the suspensions contribute to
what some eighteenth-century listeners might have perceived as “difficulty”—yet another
feature of the Burkean sublime. Audiences might have heard its dissonant 4-3
suspensions as “harsh” and consequently foreign to the beautiful in music.
The rarity with which composers (after the Bach/Handel generation) used the MR
(as I’ve mentioned, usually just once in a movement) corresponds to the
“uncommonness” typical of the sublime. In C. P. E. Bach’s Magnificat, in which another
schema, the Romanesca, occurs about seventeen times,32 the MR occurs only once.
Finally the association that Burke and other eighteenth-century writers perceived
between religious feeling and the sublime is analogous to the tendency of composers of
vocal music to use the MR primarily in settings of sacred texts.
Returning to the words of the Magnificat that Bach set as an MR, we find them
remarkably appropriate for a musical gesture that conveys the sublime. “Et exaltavit
humiles” reminds us of the “exalted sensation” that, according to Baillie, the sublime
arouses. God exalts the humble, just as the sublime object (in this case the MR) exalts the
mind of the person who perceives it (in this case the listener).

The MR in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century: Church Music and Oratorio

Fedele Fenaroli, as both Gjerdingen and Giorgio Sanguinetti have emphasized, served as
an important conduit through which the compositional lore of the first half of the
eighteenth century was passed on to later generations of musicians. The up-a-fifth, down
a fourth movimento (rising-fifth sequence) was one of the patterns that he expected his
students to master. One of the realizations he provided is a textbook MR (Example 23).
Thoroughly indoctrinated by such passages, composers continued to use the MR in the
second half of the eighteenth century. They did so mostly in church music, and mostly in
passages with a climactic pre-cadential function.

                                                                                                               
32
I say “about seventeen” because in some cases there may be disagreement about what
constitute examples of the Romanesca.
   26  

Ex. 23. Up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth bass movimento as realized as an MR in Fedele Fenaroli,

Regole musicali, as quoted in Giorgio Sanginuetti, The Art of Partimento: History, Theory, and
Practice (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 156, and Robert O. Gjerdingen,
Monuments of Partimenti: http://faculty-
web.at.northwestern.edu/music/gjerdingen/partimenti/collections/Fenaroli/Regole/regoleP18.htm
(“Del partimento, che sale di quinta, e scende di quarta”)

& C œ˙ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ # œ˙˙ # œ ww
MONTE ROMANESCA

œ œ w
*

#
*

?C œ œ œ œ4 œ œ4 œ
œ œ œ œ w
8 4 3 4 3 3

œ
4 3

1 5 2 6 3 7  

Mozart was as familiar with the MR as he was with other galant schemata. In his
setting of the Psalm “Confitebor,” from the Vespers, K. 339, composed in 1780, he used
the MR twice. After a quick modulation to the dominant, a flamoyantly exectued MR
precedes the first full cadence in the new key (Example 24).
Mozart’s repeated use of the MR in the compositional exercises he assigned to
Thomas Attwood shows that even in the 1780s he considered it an essential part of a
composer’s toolbox.33 Another student to whom Mozart may have taught the MR was
Johann Nepomuk Hummel, thirteen years younger than Atwood. For Hummel the MR
remained an effective compositional tool into the nineteenth century. His Missa Solemnis
in C (1806) begins with a large-scale Kyrie in sonata form. After cadences that bring the
exposition to a close in G major, a modulation down a third, to E flat major, signals the
beginning of the development, the movement’s brief emotional climax (Example 25).
The presentation of the movement’s gentle opening theme in the new key constitutes a
moment of repose, before an MR, in coordination with a sudden increase in activity in the
orchestra and a shift to forte, takes the music in a new, unexpected direction. An expertly
deployed Long Comma keeps the MR from rising beyond the second stage of the
sequence; and a Le-Sol-Fi-Sol bring us to the dominant of C, in preparation for the
recapitulation.

                                                                                                               
33
Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style, 103.
   27  

Ex. 24. Mozart, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339 (1780), “Confitebor tibi Domine,” mm.
15–19. Translation: “And I acknowledge the magnificence of His deeds.” Performance: The
English Concert and Choir, Trevor Pinnock, cond.,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE55IyDYfQw
Translation: And I acknowledge the magnificene of His deeds

MONTE ROMANESCA

Ó ‰ j œ
Con - fes -

b œ œ. œ œ œ
&bb c !
Allegro

‰ œ J R
J - fes
- j - sir- o
Con - - - si - o

œ œ. œœ
Ó œ œ‰ . œj œ œ œ œ
Con - fes - et mag -

? b c J R œ œ œ œ
bb œ
‰ J
œ œ œœœœœ œ œœœœœœ
Con - fes - - - si - o et mag - ni - fi -

bb c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& b œœœœœ
œ œ œ œœ
? b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ4 œ œ œ œ œœœœ
bb œœœœœœœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
6

œ œœ
5 4 6 6 4

1 5 2 6

j r j j j r
FONTE

j j j Œ
- - si - o et mag - ni - fi - cen - ti - a o - pus

b œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œœ j œ
&bb œ œ. œ n œœ
17

œ œ œ. œ œ œ Œ
J J J J R J J
et mag - ni - fi - cen - ti - a o - pus

j r j j
˙ ˙ œ. œœ œœ Œ
ni - - - - fi - - - - cen - ti - a o - pus

? b nœ. œ œ bœ œ
bb J œ nœ œ œ J Œ
R J
cen - ti - a o - pus e - ius, o - pus

b œ œ nœ œ Œ
& b b nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ n6
? b n œ5 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ5 œ œ b œ œ œ œ n œ œ b3
6 6 6

œ œ Œ
6
5

bb œ
5 5 5

 
   28  

Ex. 25. Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Missa Solemnis in C, ed. Allan Badley, Kyrie, mm. 135–57.
Performance: Tower Voices New Zealand, https://youtu.be/Y5wJOEyo9ss?t=3m35s

Œ Œ
& 43 b ˙˙
Allegro moderato

œœ b œ b œœ œœ œœ b œœ œœ œ b ˙˙ œœ b œ b œœ œœ b ˙˙ .
j
bœœ
J
bœ Œ Œ œ
p Ky -
? 3 b b ˙˙ œ b ˙œ b œ b˙ œ bœ Œ Œ b˙ œ b ˙œ b œ œ b˙
ri - e e - le - i son, Ky - ri - e e lei -

bœ bœ b˙ bœ
4 bœ œ b˙ œ bœ œ bœ b˙
Œ Œ
p Ky - ri - e e le - i - son, Ky - ri - e e le - i -

3
& 4 b ˙˙ œ b œœ b œœ œœ œœ b œœ œœ b œœ b œœ œ ˙ œœ œ b œ b œœ œœ b ˙˙ .
j
b œœ œ
œ
b˙ b˙
p œ b˙
? 43 œ b ˙œ b œ b˙ bœ b œœ œ b˙ bœ œ b ˙œ b œ
bœ œ b˙. œ bœ b œ œ bœ b ˙
bœ œ bœ œ

Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ
MONTE ROMANESCA

bœ bœ
Chri - - - - -

b˙. b ˙˙
142

& b œœ b˙ œ œ J
ΠΠJ
f
Œ Œ b˙ b œœ b œœ b œœ bœ b b œ˙ œ b œœ œ
son.. Chris - - - - te e - le - - - - i

? b œœ b˙ bœ J
Œ Œ f ‰-
b œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ. bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ. œ nœ bœ œ bœ
son. Chri - - - - ste e - lei - - - -

œ œ b œ œ œ œ b œœ .
& bœ œ œ bœ b œ bœ bœ
Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ
f f
bœ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ
b œ œ œœ œœ b œœ œœ
[4–3]

? b œœ Œ Œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1 5

œ Œ Œ Œ Œ bœ
bœ
ste e - lei - son, Chri - - - - -

& b˙ bœ bœ œœ œ b˙ œ ˙˙ œ
146

œ J
ΠΠJ
b˙ Œ Œ ˙. œ˙ œ œ˙ nœ bœ œ
?b œ .
son, Ky - ri - e e le - - - - i

bœ ˙ bœ œ
Œ
bœ Œ b œ . œ. bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ. nœ nœ œ œ bœ œ
son, Chri - - - - ste e lei - - - - -

œ. œ œ
œ œ bœ bœ
& bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ
œ œ œ œ
bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ [4–3] œœ n œœ œœ b œœ œœ
? nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
2 6
   29  

Ex. 25 continued

LE-SOL-FI-SOL
LONG COMMA in A flat

œ bœ
b b ˙˙ œœ b b ˙˙ ..
ste e - lei - - - - son, Chri - - - -

& œ œœ b ˙˙ ..
150

Œ
b ˙œ ˙. b˙ œ .
b b ˙˙ .
son, e - lei - - - - son, Chri - - - -

? Œ Œ ˙. ˙ œ
Œ
œœ . !bœ. œ œ œ œ œ b œ b b œœ . "œ
. nœ œ œ œ bœ nœ
œ b œ Œœ œ
son, Chri - - - - ste e lei - - - -

œ œ œ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ œ
& bœ œ
Œ Œ bœ Œ Œ
b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
? b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
6 in Ab 7 1= 6 in C minor

b˙ œ
n ˙ .. œ
ste e le - - - - - - - - - i son

& ˙˙ œœ ˙ œœ n œœ
154

b˙ œ œ bœ œ
ste e le - - - - - - - - - i son

.
? ˙ œ # ˙˙ . œ˙ #œ œ

œ Œ œ. œ œ œ œ b œ œ b œœ Œ -
son, e - - - le - - - - - - - - - i son

& œ. œ nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ . œ œ œ œœ œ œ nœ
œ Œ œ
p
bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
? œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
5 #4 5

The sense of sublimity and antiquity that the MR contributed to church music
made it also appropriate in oratorio, particularly in choruses. Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf
wrote La liberatrice del popolo giudaico nella Persia, o sia L’Ester for performance by
the Tonkünstler-Sozietät in Vienna in 1773. In the chorus “Per noi quel core s’agita” the
furies of the underworld take credit for the evil deeds of Haman, the main enemy of the
Jews in Persia. The text-setting is primarily syllabic; but the word “santo” (holy) caused
Dittersdorf to compose a long melisma, using the MR to emphasize the word’s meaning
(Example 26). By taking the sequence through three full stages and tonicizing the third
scale degree (counting up from E flat), Dittersdorf came very close to duplicating
Fenaroli’s version of the MR (see Example 23).
   30  

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, La liberatrice del popolo giudaico nella Persia, o sia L’Ester, “Per
noi quel core s’agita,” mm. 31–41. Translation: “Against the holy people.” Performance:
Budapest Madrigal Choir, https://youtu.be/Nl0dPh30_Ns?t=55s

MONTE
ROMANESCA
Coro di Furie CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

˙ œ ˙.
Presto Canon at the fifth above

b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
&bb C œ
Con- tra del po - pol san - - - - - - - -

œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ w
f Con - tra del po - pol san - - - - -

? b C ˙ ˙ œ œœ ˙œ . œ œ œœ w˙ . œ ˙œ . œ œœ
bb ! œ œ
con - tra del po - pol san - - - - -

b ˙ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
&bb C œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ
Œ
fœ
Œ ˙ œœ wœ wœ ˙ ˙œ . œ œœ
? b C ! œ œ œ œ œ œ
bb
C minor F minor B flat major E flat major
1

˙ ˙ ˙
CADENCE in G minor

b ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ #˙
&bb ˙ ˙
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - to

˙ nw
36

˙ ˙

œ œœ ˙œ . œ œ b œœ b ˙œ œœ n œœ w ˙˙ ˙ ˙
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - to

˙œ œ œ œ œ ˙
? bb œ œ œ
b
1
œœ œœ
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - to

b ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙˙ œ˙ ˙˙ ˙ #˙
&bb ˙ ˙ ˙ œ nw J‰
Ÿ
[4
b2!]
[4
p
b œ b ˙œ œ n œ ˙ ˙ ˙œ
. n œ ˙œ
[4]

? b ˙œ œœ œœ ˙œ œ œ œ
[4] [6] [6] [6]

œ œ œ œ
2!] [6]

bb œ œ œ œ œ !
5 2 6 3 4 5
1 in G minor
   31  

The MR in opera: Mozart and Dittersdorf

The MR’s association with sacred music was strong enough that it belonged among the
schemata that, when used in secular music, brought with them a kind of sacred aura.
Vasili Byros has written of this phenomenon in relation to the Stabat Mater Prinner and
the Le-Sol-Fi-Sol, and Olga Sanchez has made similar points in connection with the
Romanesca. In the case of the MR, the sacred aura that surrounded its appearances in
secular music enhanced its effectiveness as a conveyer of the sublime.
An unusual and remarkable example of an MR in opera is in the Great Quartet in
Mozart’s Idomeneo, in which the main characters express the despair to which fate has
driven them.34 After spending most of the duet expressing their own personal pain, near
the end they join together in a communal expression of grief. Throughout the quartet,
Mozart responded to his characters’ despair with music of extraordinary expressive
power. The end of the quartet, and his characters’ expression of communal pain,
presented him with a challenge. How could he provide the quartet with a culmination that
would go beyond what he had done already?
Mozart met this challenge with a passage based on several new schemata,
including the MR, used twice. It lifts listeners to a new level, bringing them momentarily
from the theater into the church, and transforming an operatic crisis into an elemental
confrontation of human beings and powers beyond their control (Example 27).
Any musical device that a composer used to enhance the seriousness and grandeur
of opera seria was subject to appropriation and parody by composers of comic opera. In
1786, a few months after Mozart presented a performance of Idomeneo in Vienna,
Dittersdorf used the MR for comic effect in what became his most popular Singspiel, Der
Apotheker und der Doktor. The finale of act 1, which takes place at night, depicts an
attempted elopement by two pairs of lovers.35 Claudia, the mother of one of the young
women, comes to investigate, throwing the lovers into a panic. Darkness, confusion,
terror ensue: all ingredients of the Burkean sublime, but presented in a comic context that
keeps us from taking them seriously. Dittersdorf’s musical setting of this passage uses the
MR and tremolo strings in an amusing parody of the musical sublime (Example 28).36

                                                                                                               
34
Still indispensable on this extraordinary ensemble is Daniel Heartz, “The Great Quartet in
Mozart’s Idomeneo,” Music Forum 4 (1980), 233–56.
35
For an analysis of this finale see Estelle Joubert, “Genre and Form in German Opera,” The
Cambridge Companion to Eighteenth-Century Opera, ed. Anthony R. DelDonna and Pierpaolo
Polzonetti (Cambridge, 2009), 184–201 (193–201). The passage quoted here is part of what
Joubert designates as Section C: “The four [lovers] sing of their dilemma.”
36
For another instance of Dittersdorf using the MR with apparently parodistic intent, see his
String Quartet No. 1 in D, Kr. 191. In the finale, a cheerful rondo in the form A-B-A-C-A-coda,
both episodes contain stormy passages based on the MR, and delightfully at odds with the
movement’s predominant character: https://youtu.be/sJ9GbM5M3WE?t=10m47s
   32  

Ex. 27. Mozart, Idomeneo, “Andrò ramingo e solo,” mm. 130–148. Translation: “Such sadness is
worse than death. A crueler fate, a greater pain no-one could suffer.” Performance: English
Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, cond., https://youtu.be/YMih0tIWzfk?t=3m39s
(The Overture schema involves a rising scale segment over a tonic pedal; see W. Dean Sutcliffe,
"Topics in Chamber Music," in The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory, ed. Danuta Mirka, New
York: Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 118–140 [137].)

OVERTURE in C flat major

j j j
b b œœ ..
DO-RE-MI in C flat major ma -

b b œ˙ . b œœ .. b œœ b ˙˙ b œœ
& b b c b b ww b ˙˙ b œ b b ˙˙
Ilia

J J
Elettra f Più
j
fie - ra sor - te, pe - na ma -

j j œ. bœ
ma -

b w b b ˙˙ b œ˙ . œ b ˙˙ b œ˙ . b œ b b ˙˙
V b b c bw œ. œ
Idamante

J
Idomeneo f
j
j œ .œ b œjœ b ˙ œ"œ b œ .
mag -

b bb c ! b˙ ˙ bœ. bœ b˙ b œ b
œ Jœ œ . œ b œ
œ œ
& b ˙œ b œ œ œJ œ œJ b œJ œ œJ b œJ œ œ b ˙œ œ œb Jœ . b œ J b ˙ J J J
fJ J Jj J J
b ˙
? b b c b œ œ œ œb ˙œ œ œ œ b b ˙œ œ œ œ œœ . œ bœ
b œ œ bœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1

MONTE ROMANESCA in E flat major CORELLI

Canon at the fourth below: Ilia and Idamante
LONG COMMA

œ œ ˙ œ œ˙ œ
gio - re nis - sun pro - vò, no, nis - sun pro - vo,

b w
& b b bœ bœ œ Œ
œ nœ b˙ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ b˙ ˙˙
134
*

p
gio - re ni - sun pro -

bœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ b˙
bb b w ˙ n œ ẇ œ˙ n œ b ˙
gio - - - - re nis - sun pro - vò, nis - sun pro -

nœ ˙. ˙ œ
˙ ˙
*

V b nœ ˙ œ
Œ Œ Œ #œ Œ
gio p- re nis - sun pro - vò, nis - sun, nis - sun pro -

b w œw n œ œ b œ œœ n n œœ ˙ b œ
"
œ n œ œ˙ b œ œœ n n œœ ˙ b œ
#
œ œ œ nœ ˙
& b b bœ ˙
# =! in E flat major

nœ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ nœ œ #œ
p nœ ˙ ˙ [65]
˙ nœ ˙ Œ œ ˙
[4-3]

? b bœ Œ #œ ˙
[4-3] [4-3] [4-3]

bb Œ Œ œ œ œ
Œ Œ Œ
5 2 6 3 6 7
 
   33  

MONTE ROMANESCA
CORELLI LEAPFROG Canon at the fourth below:
APRILE Elettra and Idomeneo
CADENCE

Œ ‰ j jj Ó
nis - sun pro - vò. Peg-gio di mor - te sì gran do - lo - re,

b œ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ œœ j j j
‰ œ œ œ œ œJœ œJœ œJ œ œ œ
&bb ˙ œ ˙
140 *

Œ Ó pœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰f
vò, nis - sun pro - vò. Più fie - ra sor - te,

œj œj œjœjœ œ œ f˙
vò, nis - sun pro - vò. Peg-gio di mor - te sì gran do - lo - re, pe - na mag -

b ˙˙ . ˙ œ ˙ ˙˙ œ œ œœ
‰J J J œ œ œ œ œœ œ
Vbb ˙ œp Œ Ó Ó ‰* J J J
´ ´
vò, nis - sun pro - vò. Più fie - ra

b œ# œ œ b ˙ œ nœ nœ œ ˙ œ bœ Œ œ œ œ œ
& b b ˙ œ œœ œ n œ ˙ ˙œ œ œ œœœ œœ œœ œœ
# !
œ œ œ b˙ ˙œ œ œ œ˙œ œ Œ Ó
" f
˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œœ Œ Œ
!
˙œ
? b b [9] œ œ œ. œ œ Œ
[4-3]

œ œ Œ Œ
b Œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ Œ œÓ
1 1 1 5
4 5

CORELLI CADENCE... evaded

LONG COMMA

‰˙ œj œj œj œœ b ˙˙ Ó
pe - na mag - gio - re nis - sun pro - vò.

b œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ
&bb ‰ J J J
145

J J Ó
pe - na mag - gio - re, pe f - na mag - gio - re nis - sun pro -
fvò.

˙ j ˙
œ œ
gio - re nis - sun pro - vò,
nis - sun pro - vò.

bb œ ˙ œ . œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ
V b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n˙
‰ J J J ‰ J J J J J
f Ó
sor - te,
´ ´
pe - na mag - gio - re, pe - na mag - gio - re nis - sun pro - vò.

bb b œœ œœ œœ́ œœ́ œ œœ œœ́ œœ́ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ bœ. œ œ œ. œ œ

œ œ œ œœ œœ
3

& œ
œœ F
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ˙ . œ œ b ˙œ . œ œ
œ. œ œ œ œ
[6

œ
[9]

? bb œ œ. œ œ
[4-3] 5]

b Œ
6 3 6 7 1 4 5 #4
2
 
 
 
 
   34  

Ex. 28. Dittersdorf, Der Apotheker und der Doktor, finale of act 1, mm. 155–71. Translation:
Claudia “What the devil is that? I must see for myself.” Leonore and Rosalia “My every limb is
trembling; she’s coming; what will become of us?” Sichel and Gotthold “My courage fails me;
what will happen to us?”

œ. œ œ
Allegretto agitato
b Claudia œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ
MONTE ROMANESCA

& b 42 ‰ œJ J R J œ J J J J J J J œ Œ Œ œœ
Leonora, Rosalia

J
Was Hen - ker gibt's schon wie-der? Ich muß schon sel - ber sehn. Mir

b 2 œœ
Vb 4 ! ! ! ! ! Œ
Sichel, Gotthold

j j
b # œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ ˙
& b 42 œ ‰ œJ ‰ œJ ˙˙
Mein

‰ J œ ˙
J ‰ œJ ‰ @ @
? b b 42 ‰ œœ œœ œœ ‰ "
œ œ
œ ‰ œ ‰
œ ‰ œœ ‰ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ
J J J œ
J J œœ œœ œœ œœ
1

j j ‰ j j j
b
& b œœ . . œœ b œœ .. œ
œ
˙ œœ œœ œœ .. œœ œœ .. œ
œ
160

J J ˙ ‰ J J J
j j ‰ j j j
œœ b œœ .. œ ˙ œœ œœ .. œ
zit - tern al - le Glie - - - der, mir zit - tern al - le

b œœ œœ œœ ..
V b œœ .. J
œ
J ˙ ‰ J J œ
J
b ˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙
& b ˙@˙
Mut fällt nun dar - nie - - - der, mein Mut fällt nun dar -

b@˙ ˙
@˙ @ @ @
[ b3]
? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ
œœœœœœœœ
[4] [4] [3] [4] [3]

œœ œœ
2 6
5

j j j j j j
b ˙ œœ ‰ œœ # n œœj j œœ œœ # n œœ ‰ œœ # n œœj œœj œœ œœ # n œœ
PONTE

œœ
&b ˙
166

‰ J J J J J ‰ J J J J J
‰ j kommt j j j j gehn? ‰ œœj n œj œj œœj j gehn?
b ˙ œœ œœ # n œœ œœ œœ œœ # n œœ œœ # n œœ
Glie - - -
sie der, wie wird's uns sie kommt wie wird's uns

Vb ˙ # œ œ
‰ J J J J J ‰ J J J J J
˙ ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ
bb # n œœ # n œœ # n œœ # n œœ
nie - - - der, was wird nun wohl ge - schehn? was wird nun wohl ge - schehn?

& @˙ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ @˙ ˙ ˙ œ
[4] [3]

@ @
3 7 = 5 in D
   35  

The MR in Late Eighteenth-Century Instrumental Music

A late eighteenth-century composer who seems to have been particularly fond of the MR
was Leopold Kozeluch, a Bohemian pianist and composer active in Vienna during the
1780s and 90s. In his Piano Concerto in D, Kozeluch used the MR and the Romanesca in
parallel passages, just as C. P. E. Bach had done in his Keyboard Sonata in A major, H.
186. Gjerdingen, in pointing to Bach’s replacement of one schema with another,
suggested that the composer noticed an “affinity” between the Romanesca and the MR.37
Kozeluch may have done so as well. In the first movement of his concerto, the closing
material of Ritornello 1 (the orchestral introduction) includes a Romanesca (Example
29a); the closing material of the exposition (Ritornello 2) includes an MR in the
analogous place (Example 29b).

Ex. 29. Leopold Kozeluch, Piano Concerto in D, I. The Romanesca and Monte Romanesca in
parallel passages

a) mm. 47–56 (closing

Recording: 1:30 material in ritornello 1). Performance: Prague New Chamber Orchestra,
Albert Zedda, cond., https://youtu.be/0PFDeFj6T4A?t=1m26s
LONG COMMA

œ. œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3

##
Allegro

˙
& c œœ˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ œœœœœ ˙
@ @ œœœœ ˙
@ @ @ @
fœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
6
œ
7
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? ## c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

LONG COMMA

j
# # œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ œ˙ . œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ. œj œ œ œ œ .
ROMANESCA / FALLING THIRDS

j
& @˙ @ @˙ @œ œ@œ @˙ œ œ œ œœ œ
50

@ @ @ @
@
œœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœ œ .
6 7 1
? # # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ . j œœ œœ œœ œœ œ . œ œ œ œ
œ J œ
J
1 5 3 4 1
6

Ÿ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
GRAND CADENCE

œ ##
œ j œ œ ˙
& œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ @œ œ @˙ œ
54

œ œ œ œ
? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
œ œ œ œ
4 5 1

                                                                                                               
37
Gjerdingen, Music in the Galant Style, 99.
   36  
Recording: 4:45
b) mm. 140–51 (closing material in ritornello 2). Performance:
https://youtu.be/0PFDeFj6T4A?t=4m41s

´ ´
j
LONG COMMA

## œ. #œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ # œ œ
Allegro

& c œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
f
? ## c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 6œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
7
œ

´ ´ LONG COMMA

œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙œ
MONTE ROMANESCA

## œ nœ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
142

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1 ˙
œ œ œœ n œ
1
? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
6 œ œ œ œ
7
œ œ œ œ
œ œœ œ
1 5
[4-3]

# # œœœ œœ œ œœ œœ
CORELLI CORELLI

n ˙œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙œ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
LONG COMMA in D LONG COMMA in B minor
GRAND CADENCE in A major

œ
145

&
˙ ˙ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ # ˙œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ
6 6 7 1 6 7 1 1
2 [4-3] [6 9 [6 [9]
[4-3] 5] 5]

## œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
œ #œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ Œ
œ œ œ œ œ
149

& #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
? ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ Œ

1787 was a stellar year for the publication of symphonies in Vienna. Kozeluch
issued a set of three symphonies, in F, in D, and in G minor; Artaria published the first
three of Haydn’s Paris Symphonies, No. 82 in C, No. 83 in G minor, and No. 84 in E flat.
In the following year Mozart wrote three symphonies in the same keys as Haydn (thus
also one symphony in the same minor key as Kozeluch), suggesting the possibility that he
intended them as a response to the sets by Kozeluch and Haydn, and consequently with
   37  

publication in mind.38 In the first movement of the Symphony in F, Kozeluch used an

MR in the modulatory passage in the exposition (Example 30). As Gjerdingen pointed
out in the analysis cited at the beginning of this paper, Mozart used the MR in the
analogous place in the slow movement of his G minor symphony, namely to prepare for
the half cadence that precedes the medial caesura (see Example 1 above). Kozeluch’s MR
is entirely different in effect from Mozart’s; with its repeated sixteenth notes it recalls the
MRs in Handel’s Concerto grosso in D, Op. 6 No. 5 (see Example 17 above); but
Kozeluch’s MR shares with the one in Mozart’s Andante the same pre-cadential function.

Ex. 30. Kozeluch, Symphony in F (1787), I, mm. 29–52. Performance: London Mozart Players,
https://youtu.be/fShh9YepkkA?t=28s  

œœœœ œ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ œœœ
. œ RISE
œTRIADIC œœ œ œ
Allegro molto

3
& b 4 œœ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ Œ
J J J J
? 3 œœœœœœ œœœœœœ œœœœœœ œœœœœœ œœœœœœ œœœœœœ
b 4

œœœœœœ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ b œœ œœ œœ œœ œ # œ n œœ
MONTE ROMANESCA

& b œ œ œ œ œJ œ
COMMA

œ @ @ @ @ @œ @œ @
35

œ
COMMA

J J J @ @ @ @
? œœœœœœ œœ œœœœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ bœ #œ œ
b Œ Œ
1 5 2 6

œ œ œ œ # œ œ n n œœ
CORELLI

œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ! œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ ..
LONG COMMA in C

b nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ
PONTE in C
41 COMMA "
& @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
œ œ #œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ
? œ œ #œ œœœœœœ œ œ œœœœ
b
3 7 6 7 1 5
[6 9

œ. œ œ œ œœ n œ œ # œ
5]

œ. œœ œœ # œ œ œ œMEDIALœ CAESURA œœœ œœ œ œ. œœ œœ # œ œ ..

&b œ nœ œ nœ Œ Œ nœ. œ nœ
47

œ œ œ
? œœœœœœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœœ œ œœœœœ œ œœœœ œ
b nœ œ

                                                                                                               
38
David Wyn Jones, “Why did Mozart Compose His Last Three Symphonies? Some New
Hypotheses,” Music Review 51 (1990), 280–89.
   38  

Kozeluch reharmonized some of the suspensions, replacing the traditional 5/4

harmonies with 6/5 harmonies that tonicize the following chords. Mozart did much the
same in the Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 452. In the concluding rondo the second
episode plays the same structural role and has the same character as the development in a
sonata-form movement. Near the end of this episode Mozart used an MR, enriched with
secondary dominants, to lead up to a prominent half cadence (Example 31).

Ex. 31. Mozart, Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 452 (1784), III, mm. 103–22. Performance:
Robert Levin, et al., https://youtu.be/48pLlMQWg4w?t=2m18s

b ww
CIRCLE OF FIFTHS: C minor . . .

&bb C ! w˙ ˙
Allegretto

pw w
w
Oboe, Clarinet

? bb C !
Horn, Bassoon
w
b
b œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ nœ ‰ œ
&bb C ‰ ‰ œ ‰ nœ ‰ bœ ‰
3

œ œ œ nœ œ œ
œ nœ bœ œ
? b Cœ ‰ œ‰ œ‰œœ
bb œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ bœ
œ œ œ œ œ

b n w bPRINNER
œ œ œ Œ Ó œ b ww ˙w
B flat minor

&bb œ œ bœ nœ œ b˙
106 in F minor

w œ Œ Ó ww w
? b w w
bb œ Œ Ó
b
& b b ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ bœ ‰ œ ‰ œ‰ œ‰ œ‰ œ
106

œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ bœ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ bœ ‰ œ
? bb œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
b bœ œ œ œ bœ œ
œ œ œ bœ
MONTE ROMANESCA in A flat, with canon
at the fourth below (oboe and clarinet)

b nw œ ˙
PRINNER E flat minor/major

& b b œ bœ œ œœ ww ˙˙
COMMA

œ œœ
110

˙ œ ˙
w w œ Œ ˙Ó ˙ ˙
? b
bb w œ Œ Ó Ó
b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ
& b b ‰ œ‰ œ‰ œ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œœ
110

œ
œ œ œ œ œœœœœ
‰ œ ‰ bœ ‰ œ ‰ œ
? bb œ œ bœ œ œ Œ œ Œ nœ Œ œ Œ
b œ œ œ œ bœ œ nœ œ
œ œ œ
6! n 4! 5
1 = 7 in E flat 1
   39  

˙ ˙
COMMA

b ˙ b ˙˙
COMMA

˙˙ ˙˙
COMMA

&bb ˙ n˙
114

˙
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙Ó
? b ˙
bb
œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ nœ bœ œ
bb œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ nœ œ bœ œ œ bœ
& b nœ œœ
114

? bb Œ œ Œ nœ Œ œ Œ nœ Œ œ Œ
b nœ nœ œ
nœ œ nœ œ
7 1
7 1 F major 7 1
B flat major C minor

b œ Œ Œ Œ
CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

œ œ b ˙œ
&bb ˙ n˙ œ n˙ œ b œ˙ œ œ
117

˙
# ˙˙ n˙ n ˙˙ b˙ ˙˙ b˙
? bb ˙ ˙ ˙
b
b
& b b ‰ #œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ ‰ nœ œ œ nœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ ‰ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ
117

? b œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ
bb œ œ œ œ
G7 C7 F7 Bb7
D7 Eb7

CLAUSULA VERA CLAUSULA VERA

Œ œ Œ Œ n œœ œ
œœ
in A flat in E flat

b nœ œ
& b b œ˙ œ
120

Œ Œ Œ
f œ
? b ˙˙ Œ œœ Œ œœ Œ œ
cresc.

bb œœ œ
Œ Œ Œ
b œ œ ‰ nœ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ nœ œ
&bb ‰ œ œ ‰ œ nœ
120

œ œ nœ œ œ œ
? bb Œ œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ œ
b œ œ œ
Ab
œ 5 œ
6 5 6 PONTE
in E flat
   40  

An MR plays a similar pre-cadential role in the long and eventful development

section in the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in B flat, K. 595. The
development begins with the first phrase of the movement’s opening theme in a series of
distantly related keys: B minor, C major, E flat major; later a circle of fifths takes the
music steadily to the flat side: G minor, C minor, F minor, B flat major (the movement’s
tonic), E flat major. As if recognizing that he had gone too far, Mozart launched a MR. It
contains all four markers of the schema: the up-a-fifth, down-a-fourth bass movimento,
the fourth leap up followed by the scalar descent down a third in the upper parts, the
canon at the fifth above, and the 4-3 suspensions. Yet Mozart ingeniously integrated it
into the movement by deriving the rhythm and contour of the canonic parts (in the
violins) from the movement’s opening theme, already subject to extensive manipulation
earlier in the development. Harmonically, this MR reverses the previous circle-of-fifths
passage; in terms of a narrative, we can hear it as the ecstatic climax of the entire
development (Example 32).
In the dedicatory message that Mozart published with the set of six quartets that
he dedicated to Haydn, he claimed that the composition of these works had cost him
much labor: “Essi sono, è vero, il frutto di una lunga, e laboriosa fatica.” This set,
borrowing an allusion from Burke, was Mozart’s Stonehenge: “When any work seems to
have required immense force and labor to effect it, the idea is grand.” The finale of the
quartet in G major, K. 387, contains a passage almost calculated to convey a sense of
having been composed with great difficulty; and this was not entirely an illusion. The
notation of this passage gave Mozart considerable trouble.39
While Mozart placed the MR in the finale of the Quintet for Piano and Winds and
in the first movement of the Piano Concerto in B flat, K. 595 near the end of the
development section, in the finale of the String Quartet in G he placed it at the very
beginning of the development. He continued the sequence much further than normal,
taking the “idea” of the MR to an astonishing extreme. The passage moves
enharmonically from the sharp side of the tonal spectrum to the flat side, bringing the
players into a completely unfamiliar and unexpected tonal realm (Example 33).

                                                                                                               
39
Wolf–Dieter Seiffert, “Mozart’s ‘Haydn’ Quartets: An Evaluation of the Autographs and First
Edition, with Particular Attention to mm. 125–42 of the Finale of K. 387,” Mozart Studies 2, ed.
Cliff Eisen (Oxford, 1997), 175–200
   41  

Ex. 32. Mozart, Piano Concerto in B flat, K. 595 (1791), first movement, mm. 215–33.
Performance: Andreas Steier, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra,
https://youtu.be/1fjYOl8Z2eo?t=5m44s

œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ# œ
G minor
bb c œ n œ œ œ œ œ# œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
FENAROLI

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ ! œ ! œ !œœœ
Allegro ! " #
& œ #œ œ œ œ
b c ? œ
œ œ #œ
& b J ‰ J ‰ J ‰
œw # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œw # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
˙ œ. œœœ œ œ œ
4 3
œ
œ # œ
7
b œ. œœ œ œ œ !œ
& b c ˙˙ ˙ œ œ Œ œ œ œ.
œ. œ
? b b c œœ # œ œ . . œ. œ
Winds

Œ Ó œ Œ Ó
Œ Ó

Circle of Fifths: C minor . . . F minor . . .

b$œ œ %œ
PRINNER

b$
œœ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
PRINNER

b œ œ œ œ œ 'œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ !nœ œ !œ œ !
œ "œ œ œnœ
&
& b œ œ œ œ nœ
!œ
FENAROLI
218
' % & ' #

nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ
? b b œJ ‰ n œ œ œ œ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰&œ bœ œ
œ b œ
4
œ . b œ œ œ œ œœ œ
œ œ œ
3 7 1
b b n œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ Œ n œ œ b œœ œœ œœ œœ
& b œœ
1
œ œ !œ œ
n œœ. œ. . . . . n œœ œ
Violas œ bœ
? b Œ œ œ
Winds

œ œ œ Œ Ó Œ
Strings

b
4 3 2 1 4 3 2
B flat major . . .
b'œ
FENAROLI

b œ œ œ ! ! ! "b œ ! œ b$
œ %œ œ &œ
FENAROLI PRINNER '
bœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ! œ œ œ ! œ œ œ ! œ œ œ
' !
œ
#
b
221
" #
& nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b
& b œ ? J ‰ J ‰ n œJ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ J ‰ J ‰ œJ ‰
J
œ
b œ œ œ ! œ.
4 3 4 3 7
bb œœ œ œ œ œœ
7 1
& Œ œ !œ œ œ œ œœ œ
œ œ
œ œ œ
b œ œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ Œ œ
œ œ œ. œ . . œ œ
œ.
? b œ Œ Ó Œ œ œ œ Œ Ó
b œ
Strings

1 4 3 2 1  
   42  

 
E flat major MONTE ROMANESCA in E flat

œ œ œ œœœœ
œŒ œ !œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
PRINNER

œ b œ œ b œ Œ
œœœ œ œ œ
"
b œ œœ œ œ
# $
b œ œ œ œ œœœœœ
224
!
& œœ œœ œ
bœ œ ! Œ ! œ
œ œ
œ
? b J ‰ b œ œ œ œ
b Œ Ó "
1 œ œ œ œ ˙
bb œ œ œ œ œ bb œœœ œœœ œœœ˙ Œ Ó˙ ˙œ . œœœ œ œ œ
Canon at the fifth above
*

& œ œœ œ œ œ
œ. œ. œ.
.
œ .
œ .
œ
Œ bœ œ œ.
*

? b b Violas œ œ
Winds

œ
Strings

4 3 2 1 5
[4-3]

œ
bb ! b œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ b œ œ Œœ œ œ !œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ Œ ! nœ #œ œ œ Œ
œ œœ œ œ œ
227

& œœ Œ !œ œ Œ ! œ œ œœ œ
œ
œ œ œ œœ
? b
b " " Œ !œ œ

œ b œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ ˙œ . ˙ œ. œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ
bb ˙ . œœœ œ œ œ ˙
&
. œ. œ.
œ. œ.
.
œ œ. œ. œ
? bb œ. œ œ. œ.
œ œ.
2 6 3
[4-3] [4-3] [4-3]

œ. œ œ œ ˙
bb ! b œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ ! œ n œ œ œ œ œ . n œ œ # œ œ n ˙ œ œ #œ
CONVERGING CADENCE in G minor

˙
230 PONTE

& œ œ
˙˙ # n ˙˙
? bb & #œ œ œ œ
w œ œ œ œ œw œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œw œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

b b ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ
& ˙ b œ œ œ n ˙ œ œ œ # œœw w w
? b ˙ #˙ œ Œ Ó " "
+ Winds Bassoons

b
4 #4
5  
 
   43  

Ex. 33. Mozart, String Quartet in D, K. 387, IV, mm. 124–42. Performance: Quatuor Mosaïques,
https://youtu.be/hQMbo-WzqDc?t=3m10s

MONTE ROMANESCA modulating from E minor to V of B flat

Ó Œ wÓ Œ œ œw # œ œ # œ ww w Ó˙
Molto allegro
# . . œ # œ œ # œ ˙
& c œ bœ nœ nœ #œ . . w
œ w w w w ˙
Canon at the fifth above (violin 1 and 2)

?# c Œ ! .. .. ! ! ! ! Ó Œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ
Canon at the fifth above (cello-viola)

1 (in treble) 5(in treble)

#w w
Canon at the fifth above

# w ww # ww # ww
(violin 1-violin 2)

w #w
& #w
131

4–3 suspension 4-3 suspension 4-3 suspension

? # Ó˙ Œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ #˙ Ó b Ó˙ Œ bœ bœ nœ bœ nœ
bœ œ nœ bœ nœ
Ó Ó Œ 3
Ó
2 6 (G sharp spelled enharmonically as A flat)

bw w b b ww œœ Œ Ó œœ b b œœ œœ œœ
137
# b ww w nw
& Œ Ó
b˙ Ó Ó Œ œ bœ nœ bœ nœ nœ œ œ œ nœ
4-3 suspension

nœ bœ nœ bœ nœ b˙
4-3 suspension

?# nœ œ œ œ nœ
Ó Œ Ó Œ Ó
7 5 in E flat 5 in B flat
5 in A flat PONTE in B flat

Haydn owned a copy of Burke’s essay on the sublime and the beautiful.40 Burke
was still active in London, and his treatise still enjoyed popularity all over Europe, when
Haydn came to England in the 1790s to present what turned out to be his last twelve
symphonies. Thus it is not entirely surprising that these symphonies should contain music
that seems to illustrate, or to present audible analogies of Burke’s division of aesthetic
experience into the beautiful and the sublime.41 Indeed the last symphony of all contains
a movement that could serve as a textbook example of the beautiful and sublime in
music, and in which the depiction of the sublime culminates with an MR.
The Andante of Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, composed in 1795, is in A-B-A’
form. The A-section conforms closely to Burke’s conception of the beautiful in music.
                                                                                                               
40
Maria Hörwarthner, “Joseph Haydn’s Library,” Haydn and His World, ed. Elaine Sisman
(Princeton, NJ, 1997), 395–462 (420–21).
41
A. Peter Brown, “The Sublime, the Beautiful, and the Ornamental: English Aesthetic Currents
and Haydn’s London Symphonies,” Studies in Music History Presented to H. C. Robbins Landon
on His Seventieth Birthday, ed. Otto Biba and David Wyn Jones (London, 1996), 44–71; Mark
Evan Bonds, “The Symphony as Pindaric Ode,” Haydn and His World, 131–53.
 
   44  

The choice of an orchestra limited almost entirely to strings could be perceived as a

musical analogy to the smallness that according to Burke is typical of the beautiful. An
impression of smoothness comes from the mostly conjunct melodic motion. The low
dynamic level that predominates helps to convey the delicacy and softness characteristic
of the beautiful.
The B-section immediately establishes a new sound world, with wind instruments
taking over from strings, and with the minor mode taking over from major. Then
suddenly the entire orchestra enters, with trumpets and timpani heard for the first time in
the movement, and also the movement’s first fortissimo. The winds and brass remind us
of Baillie’s attempt to describe how music can express the sublime: “wind instruments
are the most fitted to elevate.” The new dynamic level reminds us of Burke’s statement:
“Excessive loudness alone is sufficient to overpower the soul, to suspend action, and to
fill it with terror.”
With the first few measures of the B-section Haydn had already produced a
perfect illustration of the musical sublime, as opposed to the beautiful depicted in the A-
section. His stroke of genius was to go further: to intensify this expression of the sublime
by using the MR as it had been used since Corelli’s time: as a pre-cadential climax. He
introduced the MR directly before a half cadence that sets up the return of the tonic key
and the beginning of the A’-section (Example 34).

Ex. 34 Haydn, Symphony No. 104 (1795), Andante, mm. 57–68. Performance: Orchestra of the
Eighteenth Century, Frans Brüggen, cond., https://youtu.be/N1FUw5whO-4?t=13m13s

. . . .
MONTE ROMANESCA with double canon at the fourth below

j
(violin 1 and 2) and at the fifth above (basso and viola)

b ‰‰
24 œ .. œ œ. œ. œj œ œ œ œ œ œ*j œ .. œ œ
œ œ œ
œœ œ œœ .. b œ œœ œ
Andante

&b œ ..
˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ Œ
œ . .
p S f Full orchestra
*

p * œ
œœœ œœœ œ œ
? b 2 œ œ ˙ bœ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ
Strings

b 4 œ̇ œ œ
* Œ
1 5 2
[4-3]

. . PRINNER (inverted) / FAUXBOURDON

[4-3]

4. .
œ œ
œœ œ œœ.. œ# œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ. œœ. œœ œœ œœ. œœ. œ œ œ. œ. # œ œ œœ œœ # œœ
3 2 1 FENAROLI-PONTE
bb œ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
7

& œ œ J
. .
S
j œ œ. œ. S S S
œ œœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ œ œ
? bb œ œ œ .œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œœ J
œ Œ
3 ! " #
6 [4-3]
$
[4-3]
 
   45  

The A’-section that follows brings together elements of sections A and B, so that
we can hear it as a refutation by Haydn of Burke’s claim that the sublime and beautiful
were mutually exclusive. But that reconciliation happens only after the B-section presents
the musical sublime in its purest and most intense form.
As a young man, Haydn had served as accompanist to the aged Porpora, whose
realizations of the MR we saw earlier. Much later he credited Porpora with teaching him
the “true fundamentals of composition,” which almost certainly involved the study of
partimento.42 From that study Haydn undoubtedly learned how and where to deploy the
MR. Going back further, Porpora studied in Naples at the Conservatorio de’ Poveri di
Gesù Cristo—where several great composers, including Vinci and Pergolesi, got their
start. Thus we can hear the Monte Romanesca in Haydn’s last symphony as the
culmination, not only of the sublime passage in the Andante, but of a long tradition that
had transmitted this schema through several generations of musicians.

                                                                                                               
42
Felix Diergarten, “’The True Fundamentals of Composition: Haydn’s Partimento
Counterpoint,” Eighteenth-Century Music 8 (2011), 53–75.
   46  

APPENDIX:
SOME LITERATURE ON THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MUSICAL SUBLIME

1980–1989

Dahlhaus, Carl. “E. T. A. Hoffmanns Beethoven-Kritik und die Ästhetik des Erhabenen,”
Archiv für Musikwissenschaft 39 (1981), 80–92
Huray, Peter le, and James Day, eds., Music and Aesthetics in the Eighteenth and Early
Nineteenth Centuries (Cambridge, 1981; abridged edition, 1988)
Johnson, Claudia. “’Giant Handel’ and the Musical Sublime,” Eighteenth-Century
Studies 4 (1986), 515–33

1990–1999

Bonds, Mark Evan. “The Symphony as Pindaric Ode,” Haydn and His World, ed. Elaine
Sisman (Princeton, 1997), 131–53
Brown, A. Peter. “The Sublime, the Beautiful, and the Ornamental: English Aesthetic
Currents and Haydn’s London Symphonies,” Studies in Music History Presented
to H. C. Robbins Landon on His Seventieth Birthday, ed. Otto Biba and David
Wyn Jones (London, 1996), 44–71
Fend, Michael. “Literary Motifs, Musical Forms, and the Quest for the ‘Sublime’”:
Cherubini’s Eliza; ou Le Voyage aux glaciers du Mont St. Bernard, Cambridge
Opera Journal 5 (1993), 17–38
Garda, Michela. Musica sublime: Metamorfosi di un’ idea nel Settecento musicale
(Milan, 1995)
McVeigh, Simon. Concert Life in London from Mozart to Haydn (Cambridge, 1993);
chapter 9: “Musical Style: The Learned, the Sublime and the Dramatic.”
Sisman, Elaine. “Learned Style and the Rhetoric of the Sublime in the ‘Jupiter’
Symphony,” Wolfgang Amadé Mozart: Essays on His Life and His Music, ed.
Stanley Sadie (Oxford, 1996), 213–38
Waldvogel, Nicolas. “The Eighteenth-Century Aesthetics of the Sublime and the
Valuation of the Symphony,” PhD diss., Yale University, 1992
Webster, James, “The Creation, Haydn’s Late Vocal Music, and the Musical Sublime,”
Haydn and His World, ed. Elaine Sisman (Princeton, 1997), 57–102
Webster, James. “Haydn’s Sacred Music and the Aesthetics of Salvation, Haydn Studies,
ed. W. Dean Sutcliffe (Cambridge, 1998), 35–69

2000–2015

Allanbrook, Wye J. “Is the Sublime a Musical Topos?” Eighteenth-Century Music 7

(2010), 263–79
Chapin, Keith. “Classicist Terms of Sublimity: Christian Friedrich Michaelis, Fugue, and
Fantasy,” Ad Parnassum 4 (2006), 115-139
   47  

Clark, Caryl. “Revolution, Rebirth, and the Sublime in Haydn’s L’anima del filosofo and
The Creation, Engaging Haydn: Culture, Context, and Criticism, ed. Mary Hunter
and Richard Will (Cambridge, 2012)
Dubois, Pierre. Music in the Georgian Novel (Cambridge, 2015); Part 3: “Sweet Music
and the Sublime”
Jones, Catherine. “The Musical Sublime,” chapter 5 in Literature and Music in the
Atlantic World, 1767–1867 (Edinburgh, 2014)
Kramer, Lawrence. “Recalling the Sublime: The Logic of Creation in Haydn’s Creation,”
Eighteenth-Century Music 6 (2009), 41–57
Liddle, Jamie. “The Sublime as a Topic in Beethoven’s Late Piano Sonatas,” Music,
Analysis, Experience: New Perspectives in Musical Semiotics, ed. Costantino
Maeder and Mark Reybrouck, eds. (Leuven, 2015), 301–312
McClelland, Clive. Ombra: Supernatural Music in the Eighteenth Century (Lanham,
MD, 2012)
Richards, Annette. “An Enduring Monument: C. P. E. Bach and the Musical Sublime,”
C. P. E. Bach Studies, ed. Annette Richards (Cambridge, 2006), 149–72
Webster, James. “The sublime and the pastoral in The Creation and The Seasons,” The
Cambridge Companion to Haydn, ed Caryl Clark (Cambridge, 2005), 150–63
Wurth, Kiene. The Musically Sublime: Indeterminacy, Infinity, Irresolvability (New
York, 2009)
Wyatt, Henry Drew, “Aspects of Sublime Rhetoric in Eighteenth-Century Music,” PhD
diss., Rutgers University, 2000