40 Chapter 3
important structural pitches within the mode. But in De profundis , Josquin organized his
intermediate cadences so that they lead from Dorian to Phrygian structural pitches. He
begins by establishing the Dorian mode sung in octaves by all voices above an extraordi-
nary low D, far below the usual range of the voices, literally signaling the “ profundity ”
of the depths by a low note to which we will return ( ♪ sound example 3.3a). Box 3.1
( ♪ sound examples 3.3a – e) gives the details of how he goes from the Dorian to the Aeolian
mode during the first part of the motet, by means of the Ionian mode as intermediary. As
Glarean explained, these two “ new ” modes (Ionian and Aeolian) have many points of
interconnection that render their alternation easy, for they share the same “ octave species, ”
their fundamental pattern of whole and half steps, which sets them apart from the other
church modes. 7 At the same time, they complete the possible patterns started by the older
diatonic modes.
The second part of De profundis immediately begins with a strong assertion of the Ionian
(C), as if to stabilize the Aeolian – Ionian axis on which the modal transformation turned
( ♪ sound example 3.4a). Josquin continues to move back and forth between Aeolian and
Ionian, establishing them as constituting an intermediate state in his journey from Dorian
to Phrygian. When he does make his first full cadence in the Phrygian, he does so above
the low E, one step above the deep D we noted at the beginning of the motet. By so doing,
he reminds us both of that “ profound ” opening, the invocation of the depths, but also of
the significant distance upward the motet has traversed, from D to E, as if mapping the
distance from despair to hope (see box 3.2, ♪ sound examples 3.4a – c). The text at this
point, sicut erat in principio ( “ as it was in the beginning ” ), is a recurrent formula that
concludes many verses in the Catholic liturgy but here has a surprising significance: this
arrival at the Phrygian definitely is not where this motet began.
His concluding reaffirmation of the Phrygian mode also recapitulates in brief the entire
amazing modal journey just completed. This unprecedented transformation is so subtly
accomplished that the listener may not even be aware of it, for only a highly trained ear
could recollect the initial Dorian D and compare it with the final Phrygian E. Perhaps this,
too, can be read as Josquin ’ s insight that the passage of the soul out of the depths happens
through means that can escape ordinary awareness, however consequential their result.
Josquin and Glarean would have looked to Aristotle for the larger philosophical context
for the possibility and character of such an essential change ( metabol ē ), meaning a change
of regime or revolution that moves between two contradictory states via an intermediate
state ( metaxu ) serving as “ a contrary relatively to the extremes. ” Aristotle gives a musical
example: “ A middle note [ mese ] is low relatively to the high note [ n ē t ē ] and high relatively
to the low note [ hypat ē ]. ”^8 A melody moves from high to low note via a middle note
between them, the mese (associated with the sun, as noted above), both opposing and
connecting the other notes. Though change of mode is a more radical change, it involves
the same essential structure. In Josquin ’ s motet, the new Ionian and Aeolian modes are
the intermediaries between the contrary Dorian and Phrygian.