Definition
In modal polyphony the cadence does not arise from a succession of chords but from the meeting of melodic formulas called clausulae. Each voice has its own closing formula; when two or more formulas combine on the same note, there is a cadence. Fux's species teach first the two-voice cadence, then the three- and four-voice one.
The main clausulae
| Clausula | Motion | Example in D Dorian |
|---|---|---|
| Cantizans (of the soprano) | leading tone → finalis, rises by semitone | C#–D |
| Tenorizans (of the tenor) | supertonic → finalis, descends by step | E–D |
| Bassizans (of the bass) | fifth → finalis, leap of a fourth up or a fifth down | A–D |
| Altizans (of the alto) | various formulas, often stays on the fifth or descends to the third | A–A or G–F# |
The clausula vera is the combination of cantizans and tenorizans: a major sixth that opens out onto the octave (C#5 over E4 → D5 over D4) or a minor third that closes onto the unison (C#4 below E4 → D4). It is the two-voice cadence, the one that Fux requires at the end of every exercise.
The two-voice cadences of the six modes
- Dorian: E–D against C#–D.
- Phrygian: F–E against D–E (no accidental).
- Lydian: G–F against E–F.
- Mixolydian: A–G against F#–G.
- Aeolian: B–A against G#–A.
- Ionian: D–C against B–C.
The tenorizans is almost always in the cantus firmus, because Fux's melodies end with a descending step (2–1); the counterpoint takes the cantizans.
The Phrygian cadence
In the mode on E the descending voice moves by semitone (F–E) and the ascending one by whole tone (D–E). The result is a minor sixth that opens out onto the octave (D above F → E above E) or, with the voices inverted, a major third that closes onto the unison. The bass cannot do the bassizans B–E because B–F would be a diminished fifth: in three voices the bass often descends by step or leaps to A. In tonal music this formula survives as the Phrygian half cadence (iv6–V in minor: in A minor D/F – E).
In three and four voices
- Three voices (cantus in the bass in D Dorian): E3 – E4 – C#5 → D3 – F#4 – D5. The bass does the tenorizans, the soprano the cantizans, the middle voice rises to the major third (F#), allowed in the final chord.
- Four voices (cantus in the tenor): bass F2 A2 D2, tenor F3 E3 D3, alto A3 A3 A3, soprano D4 D4-C#4 D4. The bass does the bassizans A–D, the soprano the cantizans with a 4–3 suspension over A.
Internal clausulae
Cadences are not only at the end: in motets they mark the phrases of the text. Cadences are used on the finalis, on the reciting tone and on other degrees (in Dorian on A and on F). An evaded (avoided) cadence is obtained when a voice expected on the finalis takes another note or rests: it is the Renaissance way to continue the phrase.
Typical mistakes
- Putting the cantizans in the wrong voice: if the cantus is below and does E–D, the counterpoint above must do C#–D, not F–D.
- Forgetting that in the final chord the third, if present, is major (F# in D).
- Using the bassizans in Phrygian (B–E): it creates a tritone with F.
Modern application
- Pop: the tenorizans (2–1) is the most common melodic closure in choruses; combined with a 5–1 bass it reproduces the authentic cadence.
- Film scores: the Phrygian cadence (F–E above D–E, or Fmaj7–E) is a hallmark of the Spanish and epic sound.
- Choirs: writing the clausula vera between soprano and tenor, then adding bass and alto, is the quickest method to close a choral phrase without voice-leading errors.
Related topics
Cadences (tonal), musica ficta, church modes, fourth species and the 4–3 suspension, Andalusian cadence.