calabasis calaba.

ris 215
214
Bernhard ( Troelalus p .82)
Cadentiae Duriusculae sind, weichI'
etwas seltsame Dissonantzen V O T denen
beyden Schlup-Noten annehmen. Solehe
werden fast nur in Solidniis lUld meisten-
theils in Arieo und Tripeln angetroffen.
Da abeT d nige in Inehrstimmigen
[Sachenj gefunden wUrden, so werden
die Ubrigen Slimmell demlapen gesetzt.
doll solchc keine Miphelligkeit spUhren
lassen.
- .
Cadell/iae dul'izjsculae are cadences in
whi ch some rather strange dissonances
precede the fmal two nOles. Such ca.
dences occur almost exclusively in vocal
solos and are most often found in ari as
and in triple meter sections. Should they
occur in polyphonic works, however, the
other voices must be set in such a manner
that they do not allow any sense of dis.
agreement.
Ki rcher (ftfw,urgia L8, p.14S)
Cata basis sive descensus periodus har-
monica est. qu a oppositos priori affectus
pron un ciamlls servitutis. humilitatis,
depre.,sionis affectibus. alque infimis
reb us ex primendes, lit ilIud Massaini :
Ego aUle lll hmniliatus stun nimis, & iIlud
Massellt ii: descendenmt in infemulll
vivem es.
Jan ovka (Om'ls p.56)
Catabas is sive Descensus est Periodus
harmoni ca, qua oppositos Anabasi affec-
tus pronunciamus, uti : servilUlis, humi·
limtis, dep ress ionis, infimarum denique
The cUl nbasis or desce//SI/S is a musical
passage through which we express affec-
tions opposite 10 those of the anabasis ,
such as servitude and humility, as well as
lowl y and base affe{:tions. as in: " I am,
however. greatly hwnbled" (Massa in us),
or in "The living have descended into
hell" (Massenti us).
The catabasis or descensus is 9 musical

passage through which we express affec-

tions opposite 10 those oflhe anabasis,
such as servitude. humility, lowl iness,
verum. UI in textu: ego autern humiliatus baseness. and lastly truthfulness. as in the
sum mml s. text: " I am. however, greatly humbled,"
, Vogt (t o/lclm'e p.150)
Catabasis descensus cum vox desc endit, The calabasis or descensus occurs when
ut cum tex tu descendit ad infernos. Ihe voice descends, as in the tex!: " He
descended inlo hell."
CA TABASIS, DESCENSUS: a descending musical passage which
Walther (Lexicoll)
expresses descending, lowly, or negative images or affections. Catabasis, vonl(ct"t"ctpctlvW, descendo, ist The calabasis. from ka/abaino, descen-
ein hamlOn ischer Periodus, wodurch da, is a musical passage through which
etwas niedriges, gering· und verltcht lich- lowly, insignificant, and disdainful things
The catabasis is used to depict musically either a descending or a lowly
es vorgestellt wird. z.E, Er ist hinunler are rep resen ted. for example: " He has de-
image supplied by the text, thereby creating the implied affection. The gefahren. Ich bin sehr gedemUthiget. scended," " I am greatly humbled," and
figure is first mentioned specifically by Kircher. However, as with its u.d.g. Daher heisset auch ei n Ton-Weise, similar texts. For that reason a phrase or
oder auch dUTch Semitonia ordenllich, a theme which descends in semitones by
contrasting counterpart, the anabasis, the vivid musical expression of
und ohne eiuigen Spnmg herunlerwetts step and without any leaps is called a
descending or lowly images had been linked to the concept of the steigendes thema, ein SubjeClulll Calaba- s//bjecfllm cafabafum.
musical-rhetorical figures since its inception. I In his definitions of the tum.
figures , Kircher emphasizes their role in expressing not only the text but
Spiess (Traclatus p.155)
also the associated affections: While Bunneister's hypotyposis was to Cantabasis [sic}, Descensus, Abfahrt. The catabasis, descensus, or descen l oc-
be used to make the text or events "seem" (videri) present, Kircher' s fig- Heip! in der Music, wann die NOlen oder curs in music when the notes or voices
ures are to actualize the intended affection. The catabasis,like so many Sing-Stimmen, laut des Texts, mit den descend wi lh the words, accordin g to the
WOTten absteigen, v.g. Descendit ad in- text, AS for example in "He descended
other musical-rhetorical figure s, is called to do more than simply reflect fernos . inlO hell:'
the text: it is simultaneously image and source of the affection. In his
definition of the figure , Walther mentions that the term is also used to
describe a chromatically descending theme or subjectum catabatum. This
CATACHRESIS : see FAUX BOURDON
would coincide with the description of Bernhard's passus duriusculus .
CELERITAS: see TRANSn V S
1. See Anabasis, H)potyposis.